The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 239 (#Ḥadīth #5)

5ـ وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ جَاءَ حِبْرٌ مِنَ الاحْبَارِ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَتَى كَانَ رَبُّكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ وَمَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ حَتَّى يُقَالَ مَتَى كَانَ كَانَ رَبِّي قَبْلَ الْقَبْلِ بِلا قَبْلٍ وَبَعْدَ الْبَعْدِ بِلا بَعْدٍ وَلا غَايَةَ وَلا مُنْتَهَى لِغَايَتِهِ انْقَطَعَتِ الْغَايَاتُ عِنْدَهُ فَهُوَ مُنْتَهَى كُلِّ غَايَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَ فَنَبِيٌّ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدٌ مِنْ عَبِيدِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ سَمَاءً وَأَرْضاً فَقَالَ أَيْنَ سُؤَالٌ عَنْ مَكَانٍ وَكَانَ الله وَلا مَكَانَ.

5. It is narrated, through the same chain of narrators and source, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr from abu al-Hassan al-Muwsali from Imam abu ‘Abdallah , who has said the following. “One of the Jewish rabbis (hibr) came to Imam Ali , and asked, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, when did your Lord come into existence?’” Imam Ali replied, “Bereft of you be your mother! When has Allah not been (in existence), so that it could be said when did He come into existence. My Lord existed before any before without being before. He is after every after, without being after. There is no finale destination or end for Him. All ends fall short before Him. He is the final destination of all goals.” He further asked, “O Amir al-Mu’minin, are you a prophet?” Imam Ali replied, “Hold it there. I am one of the slaves of Muhammad,(s.a.) the Messenger of Allah.” It has also been narrated that someone asked Imam Ali this. “Where was our Lord before the creation of the heavens and the earth?” Imam Ali replied, “Where is a question about space. Allah has been there before there was space.”

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