Divine Unity and‬‬ Negation of Anthropomorphism

‬‬ One day, the Commander of the Faithful `Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS) gave a sermon after `Asr (afternoon) prayer. The people were astonished by the beautiful words with which he praised Allah, Exalted be His Majesty. Abu…

I heard‬‬ ‫‪Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (AS) say this about the Unity (of Allah) in the presence of al-Ma`mum, Ibn Abu Ziyad said: their freed slave and maternal uncle to some of them,‬‬ ‫‪Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah al- `Alawi also…

Commander of the Faithful (AS) roused the people to was with Mu`awiyah for the second time. When the people gathered around him, he stood up and addressed them in the following terms: All praise be to Allah, the One and…

Messenger of Allah (SA) said in some of his sermons: All praise is due to the Allah Who is Unique in His Beginning, and is Greatest in Divinity in His Eternity. He is the Great Absolute with Grandeur and Might. He…

A man came to al-Hasan ibn `Ali (AS) and said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Describe your Lord to me so that I can understand Him better.” Therefore, al-Hasan ibn `Ali (AS) bowed his head in silence for quite…

I asked Abu al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) about Divine Unity. He responded: “It is what you already follow.”

“They are bound to the belief in the Unity of Allah, the Mighty and High.”

Praise be to the One! There is no god but He. He is the Eternal, and the Originator without beginning. He is the Eternal, who does not tire. He is the Living, who does not die. He is the Creator of the seen and the…

A man stood up in the presence of (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) and said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Describe your Lord for us as there are some people who differ with us.” Hence, al-Rida (AS) said: Verily, he who…

messenger of Allah (SA) said: “Anyone who attributes Him with the shortcomings of His Servants had done Him an injustice. The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is long. We have taken from it the required passage.…

O He Who existed before anything existed! O He Who created everything! O He Who will remain after everything perishes! O He besides Whom there is no god! O He Who is served in the highest of the heaves! O He Who is…

I heard Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) say “Praise be Allah who begets not so He may be inherited, nor is He begotten so He may be associated.”

“O Commander of the Faithful! Describe for us your Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, so that we can increase our love and understanding of Him.” Hence, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) became angry, and called all to…

I wrote to Abu Al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) asking him about Divine Unity. Therefore, he replied to me in his own writing. Ja`far says: Verily, Fath took out the letter for me so I read it myself in Abu al-Hasan’s (AS)…

I asked Ja`far ibn Muhammad (AS) regarding Diving Unity; hence, he said: He is the One, the Needless, the Eternal, and the Independent. He has no protection to which He may adhere, But he is the Protector of All things.…

Allah is the Goal of those who seek to reach him, and the seeker differs from the Goal. He is United in His Lordship. He described Himself as Limitless. Hence, the one remembering Allah is other than Allah. And Allah is…

17. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi Abu al-Husayn said: Musa ibn `Imran related to me on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Yazid, on…

I heard him say that “Whoever fears Allah is feared, and whoever obeys Allah is obeyed.” So I politely went over to him and greeted him. Hence, he (AS) returned my greetings and then added: O Fath, he who pleases the…

O Allah! The imaginations of the imaginative are astonished; the curiosity of the curious has failed; the descriptions of the describers are ruined; and the words of the vain doers have faded in their attempts to…

“I have come to you concerning an issue that nobody could explain to me. I have asked three different persons, and each of them gave me a different answer.” Abu Ja`far (AS) said: “What is it?” Hence he explained: “What…

I heard Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) saying the following prayer while he was in prostration: “O He who is so High that nothing is above Him! O He who is so near that nothing is without Him! Forgive me and my Companions!”

“None but Allah can create something out of nothing. None but Allah can transfer one substance into another. None but Allah can transfer existence into non-existence.”

Messenger of Allah (SA) said: Allah, Exalted be His Sublimity, said: He who interprets My Words on the basis of his own personal opinion does not believe in Me. He who compares Me to My Creation does not believe in Me.…

Messenger of Allah (SA) said: “Divine unity is half of faith And increase your sustenance by means of charity.”

I heard `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) that “He who compares Allah with His creation is an infidel and he who limits Him spatially is an unbeliever. And he who attributes to Him what is forbidden is a liar.” Then he (AS)…

species may be compared to Him, nor a shape so that the shapes may be compared to Him; nor like other things so that descriptions may apply to Him. Intellects have floated away in the waves of His Perception.…

`He was there’ then it is based on the eternity of His Existence. And if it is said: `He is still there’ then it is due to negating His non-existence. Thus, praise be Him and Exalted is He from the words of he who serve…

I entered the presense of al-Ma`mum while `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) was with him. AlMa`mum said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah (SA), do you not say that the Prophets are infallible?” He (AS) replied:…

I heard Abu Ibrahim Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kadhim (as) speaking to a Christian monk. He said to him in some of their debate: “Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is too exalted and greater to be confined by a hand or…

“He who compares Allah with His Creation is an infidel; and he who denies His Omnipotence is an unbeliever.”

I entered into the presence of My Master Musa ibn Ja`far (AS) and said to him: “O son of the Messenger (SA)! Teach me about Divine Unity.” Hence, he (AS) said: O Abu Ahmad! When it comes to Divine Unity, do not go beyond…

O Commander of the Faithful! Since when has our Lord existed?” `Ali (AS) replied: It is certainly said `when was it’ for a thing that was not there and then was there. However, our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, had…

`Umarah ibn Zayd related to me on the authority of `Amar ibn Muhammad ibn Sa`sa`ah ibn Sawhan that My father related to me on the authority of Abu alMu`tamar Muslim ibn Aws who said I attended a gather of `Ali (AS) in…

“O son of `Abbas! You give verdicts on ants and lice, so will you not describe to us the God that you serve,” So Ibn `Abbas bowed down his head in silence to exalt Allah, the Mighty and High. Al-Husayn ibn `Ali (AS) was…

He who anthropomorphizes Allah with His Creation is an infidel. Verily, Allah, the Blessed and the Exalted, does not resemble anything and nothing resembles Him. Everything that is imagined is other than Him. The…

I entered into the presence of My Master `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja`far ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn `Ali ibn Abu Talib (peace be on them), when he saw me, he said: “Welcome, O Abu al-Qasim!…