The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 241 (#Ḥadīth #7)

7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابي جعفر أَ كَانَ الله وَلا شَيْءَ قَالَ نَعَمْ كَانَ وَلا شَيْءَ قُلْتُ فَأَيْنَ كَانَ يَكُونُ قَالَ وَكَانَ مُتَّكِئاً فَاسْتَوَى جَالِساً وَقَالَ أَحَلْتَ يَا زُرَارَةُ وَسَأَلْتَ عَنِ الْمَكَانِ إِذْ لا مَكَانَ.

7. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated in a marfu‘ manner from Zurarah who has said that I asked Imam abu Ja‘far this. “Did Allah exist when there was nothing?” The Imam replied, “Certainly, Allah existed when there was nothing.” I further inquired, “Where did Allah exist?” The Imam was leaning, he then sat up and said, “O Zurarah, you spoke of impossible. You ask about space where there is no space.”

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