The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 230 (#Ḥadīth #2)

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ طَاهِرِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فِي حَالِ اسْتِقَامَتِهِ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مَا الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَسَامِعاً وَبَصِيراً وَهُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَسُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَلا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Tahir ibn Hatam when he was normal and wrote to the man (meaning thereby Imam abul Hassan al-Rida . “What is it that without which one’s acknowledgement of the existence of Allah can not be considered sufficient?” In answer the Imam replied, “That He is All-knowing, All-hearing All-awareness and that He acts as He wills.” Imam abu Ja‘far was asked about the minimum required degree of knowledge about Allah without which an acknowledgement would not be considered sufficient. The Imam said, “There is nothing similar to or like Him. He is All-knowing, All-hearing and All-awareness.”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).