The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 278 (#Ḥadīth #10)

10ـ سَهْلٌ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَصْحَابُنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ وَلا أَجُوزُهُ فَعَلْتَ مُتَطَوِّلاً عَلَى عَبْدِكَ فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ سَأَلْتَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَهَذَا عَنْكُمْ مَعْزُولٌ الله وَاحِدٌ أَحَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ خَالِقٌ وَلَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ يَخْلُقُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ الاجْسَامِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ وَيُصَوِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَلَيْسَ بِصُورَةٍ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ شِبْهٌ هُوَ لا غَيْرُهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ.

10. Sahl has said that I wrote to abu Muhammad al-Hassan al-‘Askari in 255 AH., “Our people (ashabuna) differ on the issue of the Oneness of Allah. There are those who say he has a body and others say He has a certain form. If you would consider to instruct me in this matter on which I would rely without excess it would be a great favor to your servant.” The Imam answered in his own handwriting, “You have asked about the Oneness of Allah. It is not your duty to find Allah’s self. Allah is One, the Only One. He has no children and is not anyone’s child. There nothing similar to Him. He is the Creator and is not created. He, the Most Holy, the Most High, creates whatever He wants of the bodies and non-bodies. He is not a body or a certain form. He gives form to whatever He wills but Himself is not a form, Majestic is His praise and Holy are His names and is far above being similar to other things. Only He, and not others, is the One to Who no one is similar and He is all-hearing and All-seeing.”

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