Bada’

Allah has not been worshipped by something like Bada’

“Allah erases what He wills and establishes” (13:39) - Does He erase other than that which was established (before)? And does He establish other than that which was not there (at all)?

Allah did not appoint a prophet unless He takes from him (a commitment to) three properties: Affirming worship as due only to Him, renouncing the rivals (idols set up besides Allah), and that Allah brings forward what He wills and puts back what He wills.

I asked him about the words of Allah Mighty and Majestic: “He decreed a term and the appointed term is with Him” (6:2). He said: There are two terms. A term that is final and another term which is deferred.

Allah has two kinds of knowledge. A knowledge which is hidden and stored-up. No one knows it but Him. From that does Bada’ happen. And a knowledge which He taught His angels, messengers and prophets. So we too do know it.

Nothing becomes apparent to Allah concerning something (to make Him change His decree) except that it was in His knowledge before it appears to Him (to change it).

I heard al-Ridha عليه السلام: Allah has never appointed a prophet except with the prohibition of wine and that he (the prophet) accept from Allah the Bada’

Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام said: Abu Ja’farعليه السلام said: A man from the Children of Israel had a son whom he used to love very much. He had a vision in his sleep and it was said to him: ‘Your son will die the very night that he enters upon his wife (i.e. on the wedding night)’. He (the Imam) said: when it was that night, and he consummated with her, the father believed that will happen, but he woke up finding his son well. His father came to him and said: O my son did you do anything of the good yesterday? He said: No. Except that a beggar came to the door and they had kept preserved for me some food and I gave it to the beggar. He (the father) said: Through this did Allah avert it (death) from you.

Allah Mighty and Majestic has not been magnified with the like of Bada’

I heard Aba Ja’far عليه السلام saying: Knowledge is of two kinds. A knowledge with Allah which is hidden. No one has seen into it among his creation. And a knowledge which He taught His angels and messengers. So as for that which He taught His angels and messengers then it must occur. He does not belie Himself, nor His angels, nor His messengers. As for the hidden knowledge with Him then He brings forward from it what He wills and puts back from it what He wills, and He establishes what He wills.

I heard Aba Ja’far عليه السلام saying: From the matters are matters which are deferred with Allah. He brings forward from them what He wills and puts back from them what He wills.

I asked Aba Abdillah عليه السلام - Does there happen something today that was not in the knowledge of Allah yesterday? He said: No. May the one who says this be abased by Allah! I said: Consider - whatever has happened and whatever will happen up to the Day of Judgment is it not in the knowledge of Allah? He said: Yes. Before He created the creation.