The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 292 (#Ḥadīth #4)

4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُوحٍ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ الاشْيَاءَ قَبْلَ أَنْ خَلَقَ الاشْيَاءَ وَكَوَّنَهَا أَوْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى خَلَقَهَا وَأَرَادَ خَلْقَهَا وَتَكْوِينَهَا فَعَلِمَ مَا خَلَقَ عِنْدَ مَا خَلَقَ وَمَا كَوَّنَ عِنْدَ مَا كَوَّنَ فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ لَمْ يَزَلِ الله عَالِماً بِالاشْيَاءِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الاشْيَاءَ كَعِلْمِهِ بِالاشْيَاءِ بَعْدَ مَا خَلَقَ الاشْيَاءَ.

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Sa‘d ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ayyub ibn Nuh, who wrote to abu al-Hassan (al-Thalith asking him about Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious. “Did He know all things before creating and giving them being, or did He not know until He brought them into existence or until He willed their creation and existence? Did Allah come to know what He created during the process of their creation and what He originated during their being originated?” The Imam wrote in reply in his own handwriting, “Eternally Allah has had full knowledge of all things, before as well as after their creation.”

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