On Traditions From al-Ridha About Unity

“Whoever draws a comparison between the Sublime God and His creatures is an atheist. Whoever ascribes to God what God has admonished against is also an atheist.”

“Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (s) said the following regarding the Words of the Sublime God, ‘Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty) looking towards their Lord.’ This means that these faces will be shining…

I asked Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (s), ‘O son of the Prophet of God! What is your opinion on the following traditions which the narrators of traditions narrate: ‘The believers visit their Lord from their homes in Paradise.’…

God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, “Whoever interprets My Words according to his own viewpoint has no faith in Me. And whoever considers Me to be similar to My creatures does not recognize Me. And whoever makes…

O my God! Your Might is apparent, but the people are ignorant of Thee. They try to use measures to recognize Thee. Such a form of describing Thee is in contradiction with the belief in Thy Lordship. O my Lord! I am not…

We have come to ask you three questions. If you give us the answer to all three questions, then we will know that you are a scientist.’ The Imam (s) said, ‘Go ahead and ask.’ They said, ‘Let us know where the Sublime God…

“I asked Al-Ridha (s), ‘Did God create things using His Might or without it?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘You cannot say that God created things using His Might since when you say that God has created thing using His Might,…

…For We were wont to put on Record all that ye did.’ God also said the following about the People of Hell, ‘…But if they were returned, they would certainly relapse to the things they were forbidden, for they are indeed…

Glory be to God who has created things with His Might. He perfected whatever He created using His Wisdom. He placed whatever He created in its right place using His Knowledge. Glorified is Him who knows about the…

I heard Al-Ridha (s) say, “The Sublime God has always been All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Ever-Living, Ever-Lasting, All-Hearing and All-Seeing.” I asked him, “O son of the Prophet of God! There are some people who say that…

I asked Abil Hassan Al-Ridha (s), “Let me know about the difference between the will of the Sublime God, and the will of the creatures.” The Imam (s) said, “The will of the creatures is in the form of an inner thought,…

Messenger of God (s) said, ‘God created Adam in His image.’ The Imam (s) said, ‘May God kill them! They have omitted the beginning part of the tradition. The Messenger of God (s) passed by two men who were verbally…

I asked Al-Ridha (s) about the Honorable the Exalted God’s words, ‘O Satan! What prevents thee from prostrating thyself to the one whom I have created with my hands?…’ The Imam (s) said, ‘This means by my Might and…

shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration,…’ “This refers to the Day on which the veil from the Light will be drawn aside and the believers fall in prostration but the backs of the…

Praise belongs to God, who did not originate from anything, nor did He bring what exists into being from anything. His Beginninglessness is attested to by the temporality (huduth) of things. His Power is attested to by…

I asked Abul Hassan Al-Ridha (s) aboutthe Sublime God’s words, ‘…and left them in utter darkness. So they could not see.’” The Imam (s) said, “Indeed the Blessed the Sublime God cannot be described using such expressions…

There is no jabr (determinism), nor tafwid (unrestrained delegation of things to humans). Rather there is something in between. What does that mean?’ He (AS) replied, ‘Whoever thinks that God does our deeds and then…

I asked Al-Ridha about the Honorable the Exalted God’s words, ‘…They have forgotten God; so He hath forgotten them…’ The Imam (s) said, ‘The Sublime God neither forgets nor does He neglect. The creatures that are…

I asked Al-Ridha (s) about the meaning of what the Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.’ The Imam (s) said, ‘One cannot describe the Sublime God to be…

“On the Resurrection Day God’s Prophet (s) will grab onto the Sublime God, we will grab onto our Prophet and our followers will grab onto us.” Then the Imam (s) added, “What is meant by ‘grab onto’ is grabbing onto…

Blessed the Sublime God descends from the heavens to this world every Friday night?” The Imam (s) replied, “May God damn those who rearrange the words of the traditions. By God, the Messenger of God (s) has not said…

When Moses -son of Imran- supplicated to his Lord - the Honorable theExalted - he said, “O Lord! Are you far away from me, so as to call you in a loud voice, or are you close to me and I can speak to you in a low voice?”…

I said, ‘Yes. May I be your ransom! However, you said He is the Only, the Independent. You also said that there is nothing like Him. God is One and man is also one. Is it not the case then that they are alike in being…

I asked Abul Hassan Al-Ridha (s): ‘Did God know Himself before He created the Creation?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Did He see and hear Himself?’ The Imam (s) said, ‘He had no need for that, for He neither…

“It is something to describe something else with.”

people can learn how to write through its Creation were the letters of the alphabet. When someone is hit over the head so hard that he cannot talk well, the decree on compensation is that he be presented with the letters…

I asked Al-Ridha about the Honorable the Exalted God’s words, ‘Those whom God (in His plan) willeth to guide, He openeth their breasts to Islam…’ The Imam (s) said, ‘Those whom God wishes to guide in their faith in this…

May God’s Mercy be upon you! Can you let me know how He is and where He is?’ The Imam (s) answered, ‘Woe be to you! Surely what you think is wrong. He has created the ’where’ while He existed when there was no ‘where’;…

“I asked Abil Hassan (s), ‘What is the least degree of recognition?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘It is the acknowledgement of God and that there is no other god; there is nothing like Him; there is nothing similar to Him; He…

I asked Al-Ridha about the Unity. The Imam (s) said, ‘Whoever recites (the Quranic verse) ‘Say, He is Allah, the One and Only’ and believes in it has recognized Unity.’ Then I asked, ‘How should we recite it?’ The Imam…

“One ofthe hypocrites asked Abil Hassan (s), ‘Can we say that God is a ‘thing’? The Imam (s) replied, ‘Yes. He has called Himself ‘thing’ in His Book as we read in the Quran, ‘Say, ‘What thing is most weighty in…

a man came to see Al-Ridha (s) and said, “O son of God’s Prophet! What is the proof that the world is created?” The Imam (s) replied, “You did not exist and were created. You know well that you were not the one who…

He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct…’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘The Blessed the Sublime God created the…

“I wrote to Al-Ridha (s) and asked him (s) about whether the deeds of the servants were created or not. The Imam (s) wrote back, “In God’s Knowledge, the deeds of the servants were destined two-thousand years before the…

God will not bring to the Pool anyone who does not believe in my Pool. God will not let anyone who does not believe in my intercession to benefit from it.” Then theProphet (s) said, “My intercession applies to those of…

The Honorable the Exalted God’s words ‘…Who has made the Earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy…’ mean that God has made the Earth suitable for your body and according to your nature. He has neither made it too…

sin is committed by both the Honorable the Exalted God and the servant. But it is not proper for a Powerful partner to oppress a weak partner. The last possibility is that the servants commit sins. That is the case. Then…

Abul Qasim Ishaq ibn Ja’far Al-Alawi quoted on the authority of Abi Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali, on the authority of Soleiman ibn Muhammad al-Qurashi, on the authority of Isma’il ibn Abi Ziyad, on the authority of Ja’far…

Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God has destined the destiny and plotted the plans two-thousand years before the Creation of Adam.”

What God does not know is what you Jews say, ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of God!’ God does not know of any sons for Himself. And about what you said regarding what is not with God, you should know that it is ‘oppression to…

There are two sides to your question. If you are asking about the creatures, then a munificent servant is one who performs the obligatory deeds, while a miser is someone who is miserly in performing what the Sublime God…

I heard God’s Prophet (s) say that the Exalted the Magnificent God said, ‘Whoever is not pleased with My Verdict, and whoever does not believe in My Destiny should adopt another god for himself.’ The Prophet of God (s)…

“I heard someone ask Al-Ridha (s), ‘Does God ever order the servants to do what is beyond their ability to do?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘He is more Just than to do that.’ The man asked, ‘Are they able to do whatever they…

“Deeds are ranked into three groups: the incumbent ones, the noble ones and the acts of disobedience. The incumbent deeds are done based on God’s orders andaccording to His Pleasure, Verdict, Destiny, Volition and…

Then it must be said that God’s Prophet (s) believed in likening and predestination.” I said, “They believe that God’s Prophet (s) has not said any of them.” The Imam (s) said, “Then they must say that my forefathers -…

I asked Abil Hassan Al-Ridha (s), ‘Has God authorized the servants regarding the affairs?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘He is Exalted High above that.’ Then I asked the Imam |(s), ‘Has God predestined them to do acts of…

“Do not give any alms-tax and do not accept the testimony of whoever believes in predestination. In fact, the Sublime God never burdens anyone with more than he can bear, and never forces anyone to do what is beyond his…

Do you want me to teach you something on this issue so that you never have any differences with each other and can defeat anyone who argues with you about them?” We said, “If you please.” The Imam (s) said, “The Sublime…

Some of the Shiites believe in being forced while others believe in free will.” The Imam (s) told me, “Take this down. The Sublime God has said, ‘O son of Adam! It is with my will that you are such a being that you will…

May God bestow upon you knowledge of the good! Know that the Blessed the Sublime God is eternal. Eternity is that attribute which guides the wise to know that there was nothing before Him in eternity, nor is there…

I heard Abul Hassan Al-Ridha (s) say these things in the presence of Al-Ma’mun on the subject of Unity. Ibn Abi Ziyad and others such as Ahmad ibn Abdullah Al-Alawi (the Alawid) have quoted on the authority of Al-Qasim…