Chapter on Motion and Change

“A people was mentioned, before the Imam (a.s.), who believed that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, comes down to the sky above the earth.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Allah does not come down and He does not need to come down. His sight for near and far is the same. Near does not become far for Him and far does not become near for Him. He does not become needy for any thing but all things need Him and He is generous. There is no Lord except Him. He is Most Majestic and All-wise. The statement that says Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, comes down to the sky over the earth can only come from those who consider Him to decrease or increase (in size). Besides, all moving objects need something to move it or move because of it. Whoever thinks of Allah as such has caused his own destruction. Be very careful about the attributes of Allah to have a belief about them that would limit Him through increase or reduction, moving or being moved, removal or His coming down, standing up or sitting down. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, is far from being described by those who would like to describe Him or being characterized by those who do so or pictured in imagination. Have trust in Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Merciful Who sees you when you get up and when you change positions during prostration.”

“I do not say that he is standing so I would remove Him from His place. I do not limit Him in a place. I do not limit Him by His moving in something with key elements of the body or body parts. I do not limit Him by ascribing the movements of mouth or tongue. The truth is what Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has said, Be and it comes into existence through His will without any planning in a soul. He is Self-sufficient and all alone. He does not need any partner who would speak of His kingdom or open the doors of His knowledge.”

“Ibn abu al-‘Awja' said to abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) in one of their conversations, ‘You spoke of Allah and referred to an unseen.’” Abu 'Abdillah (a.s.) said, “What you said is not proper. How would He be unseen when He is present with His creatures and is closer to them than their jugular vein? He hears their speeches, sees their persons and knows their secrets.” Ibn abu al-‘Awja then asked, “Is He everywhere? If He is in the heavens, how can He be on earth? And if He is on earth, then how can He be in the heavens?” Abu 'Abdillah (a.s.) said, “You spoke only of a created being that, by changing place, becomes occupied with a place, and another place is vacated from him, so it does not know ,when he is in the place in which he came to be in, what has happened to the place where it used to be. As for Allah, Magnificient of Glory, and the Sovereign Judge, no place is without Him and He does not occupy any place, and He is not nearer to one place than another place.”

“I wrote to Imam abu al-Hassan, Ali ibn Muhammad (a.s.) to clarify a question. May Allah take my soul in your service, O my master, it is narrated to us that Allah is in one place and not in another place on ‘Arsh, (the Throne) resting. He comes down to the sky above the earth every night during the last half of the night. It is narrated that He comes down at the ninth evening of the month of Dhul Hajj and then He returns back to His place. Certain individuals among your friends have said that if He would be found in certain places and not in other places the air must have come in contact with Him and would surround Him because air is a thin form of body that surrounds everything proportionate to its size. How then the air would surround Allah, the Most Holy and the Most High, According to this assumption? The Imam replied in writing, “He has the knowledge of this. He is the best One in having the true measurements of all things. You must, However, note that His being in the sky over the earth is just as He on the Throne. All things to Him are the same in the matters of His knowledge and power, domination and control.” Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Kufi has narrated from Muhammad ibn ’Isa a similar Hadith About the words of Allah “There is not a single place wherein any secret counsel can take place between any three people without God being the fourth, . .” (58:7).

It is about the words of Allah “There is not a single place wherein any secret counsel can take place between any three people without God being the fourth, nor five people without His being the sixth. .” (58:7). “He is One, the One only in His Own-self. He is different from His creatures and as such He has said about His Own-Self. He has control over all things through His presence, control and power. Nothing as small as an atom in the heavens or earth is absent from Him, not even things smaller or bigger. It is all through His control and knowledge not by His-self. It is because the places are limited by the four boundaries. If it would be by His-self it would limit Him.” About the words of Allah The Beneficent God is dominant over the Throne (of the realm) (20:5)

“A person asked the Imam about the words of Allah, “The Beneficent God is dominant over the Throne (of the realm) (20:5)” The Imam said, “Allah established His control over all things. No one thing is closer to Him than any other thing.”

"The All-Beneficent, settled on the Throne." (20:5) So the Imam answered "He rose above everything [in greatness], so there is not a thing that is closer to him than any other thing."

“The Beneficent God is dominant over the Throne (of the realm).” (20:5) “No single thing is closer to Him than any other thing. The far is not far for Him and the close is not closer to Him. All are the same to Him.”

"Whoever claims that Allah is from something, or in something, or on something, has committed disbelief." I asked, "Explain this to me." He said, "I mean by 'from something' that He is contained by something, or held by something, or preceded by something." In another narration, he said, "Whoever claims that Allah is from something has made Him a created being, and whoever claims that He is in something has confined Him, and whoever claims that He is on something has made Him dependent." This is in reference to the verse: "And He is the One who is God in the heavens and God on the earth." [43:84]

“Abu Shakir al-Daysani said, ‘In the Quran there is a verse that says what we say.’ I asked, “What is that?” He replied, “ It is God who is the Lord of the heavens and is the Lord on earth. He is All-wise and All-knowing (43:84).” I did not know the answer? During Hajj I mentioned it to Imam abu ‘Abdallah who said this. “This is the statement of a wicked atheist. When you go back say to him, ‘What is your name in Basra? He will say so and so. Ask, “What is your name in al-Kufah? He will say so and so. Say in the same way is our Lord in the heavens. He is the king in the heavens and the Lord on earth. He is the Lord in oceans and on land and in all places. “The narrator has said, “I came back, went to abu Shakir and explained to him the answer. He said, “This (answer) is brought from al- Hijaz.”