The Book of Tawhid

[mojtaba]

I want to post the Hadiths that are in the chapter of Tawhid of the book Al-Kafi by Al-Kolayni (ra) in this thread, Inshallah. I send only those Hadiths which are in Sahih Al-Kafi by Muhammad Baqer Behboodi (ra). I will ignore the full chaine of the narrators.

God, creations, things
From Zurara Bin Ayn who said,
‘I heard Imam Sadiq (as) saying: "Allah's Essence is empty of the essence of His creation. The essence of His creation is empty of His Essence, too. Everything but Allah Who is the Creator of everything, is a creation. Blessed is the One Who there is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing".

Knowing God only by the Saying of God
From Mansour Bin Hazim who said,
I said to Imam Sadiq (as), "I debated a group, so I said to them that the Essence of Allah -Majestic is His Majesty- is more Majestic and more Mighty, and more Benevolent than that be recognised through the introducing of His servants. But it is the essence of His servants which is being recognised through Him". So he (as) said: "May Allah have Mercy on you".

 

[Firemorphic]

The one who is worshiped:
Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following:
“Once I asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, recipient of divine supreme covenant, about the names of Allah and about the root or derivative forms of those names, ‘What is the root word for the word Allah?’
The Imam replied, ‘The word Allah is derived from the word ’aliha and ‘Ilah (Lord), which requires Ma’luh (servant). Note that names are something other than that to which they apply. O Hisham, whoever worships the name without the fact for which the name stands he has denied the existence of Allah and has not worshipped anything. Whoever worships the name and the meaning for which the name stands he has worshipped two things. Whoever worships the meaning without the name he is a monotheist. Did you understand it, O Hisham?’
Hisham then asked, ‘Please explain further.’
The Imam (al-Sadiq) then said, ‘Allah has ninety-nine names. If names were the same thing for which they stand every one of them would be a Lord. However, Allah is a meaning for which these names stand and they all are something other than Him. O Hisham, bread is the name for a certain kind of food, water is the name for a certain kind of drink, cloth is the name for a certain kind of garment and fire is the name for a thing that burns. Did you understand, O Hisham, in a manner of understanding that would help you to defend our cause against our enemies and those who worship things other than Allah?’
I said, ‘Yes, I have gained such understanding.’
The Imam then said, ‘May Allah grant you success in it and keep you steadfast (in Iman).’

One of my favorite ahadith on Tawhid and the most profound theology I've still ever learnt.

 

[mojtaba]

The one who is worshiped:
Hisham ibn al-Hakam who has said the following:
“Once I asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, recipient of divine supreme covenant, about the names of Allah and about the root or derivative forms of those names, ‘What is the root word for the word Allah?’
The Imam replied, ‘The word Allah is derived from the word ’aliha and ‘Ilah (Lord), which requires Ma’luh (servant). Note that names are something other than that to which they apply. O Hisham, whoever worships the name without the fact for which the name stands he has denied the existence of Allah and has not worshipped anything. Whoever worships the name and the meaning for which the name stands he has worshipped two things. Whoever worships the meaning without the name he is a monotheist. Did you understand it, O Hisham?’
Hisham then asked, ‘Please explain further.’
The Imam (al-Sadiq) then said, ‘Allah has ninety-nine names. If names were the same thing for which they stand every one of them would be a Lord. However, Allah is a meaning for which these names stand and they all are something other than Him. O Hisham, bread is the name for a certain kind of food, water is the name for a certain kind of drink, cloth is the name for a certain kind of garment and fire is the name for a thing that burns. Did you understand, O Hisham, in a manner of understanding that would help you to defend our cause against our enemies and those who worship things other than Allah?’
I said, ‘Yes, I have gained such understanding.’
The Imam then said, ‘May Allah grant you success in it and keep you steadfast (in Iman).’

One of my favorite ahadith on Tawhid and the most profound theology I've still ever learnt.

Thank you brother. But as I mentioned, I have appointed this thread for those Hadiths which are mentioned by Mohammad Bagher Behboodi in Sahih Al-Kafi. It would be appreciated if the other Hadiths of Al-Kafi not be posted here. I also use the translation and commentary of Muhammad Baqir Behboodi for the Hadiths. Thanks.

 

[mojtaba]

God, creations, things
From Zurara Bin Ayn who said,
‘I heard Imam Sadiq (as) saying: "Allah's Essence is empty of the essence of His creation. The essence of His creation is empty of His Essence, too. Everything but Allah Who is the Creator of everything, is a creation. Blessed is the One Who there is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing".

Imam (as) said:
"Everything but Allah Who is the Creator of everything, is a creation. Eternal and blessed is the One Who there is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing."

In Arabic philology, the word Shai', i.e., thing, means the phenomenon of the nature and Mashi'ah (i.e., the Will of God). But it also means "an existing being" informally. If we consider the first meaning of the word thing, God of the universe is not the phenomenon of the nature, but He was and is eternal. But if we consider the second meaning of the word thing, there is not any prohibition to say that God is a thing (Shai'), but not like the other things which are created.
(By Mohammad Bagher Behboodi)

 

[Epic Beard Man]

As'Salaamu Alaikum my fellow Muslims, thank you for the dialogue here I'm learning some new things

Allah guide all of you....

Allah Hafiz.

 

[mojtaba]

Talking about the Essence of God
1.From Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,
Imam Sadiq (as) said, ‘O Muhammad! People do not slip up until they talk about the Essence of God . So when you hear that people are talking about the Essence of God, say, ‘There is no god except the One Who, there is nothing like Him'.

Commentary: If we thought that the Essence of God is accessible for us and we can study It, talking about God's Essence was allowable and reasonable, but no one thinks like this. Even those who talk about God's Essence do not think so. A person who doesn't think so, yet he talks about God's Essence, he indeed believes that there is an equal for God, and thinks that although he can not study the Essence of God Itself, he can study the equal of God, and thereby he is able to know His Essence. Imam Sadiq says: If others think so, and talk about God's Essence, you say them: Our God is beyond the reach of the mind and is nonsensible. He doesn't have any equal, so there isn't any way to know His Essence.

2. From Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,
Imam Baqir (as) said: ‘Beware of the pondering regarding God's Essence. But whenever you intend to look into His Magnificence, so meditate upon the Magnificence of His creation’.

3. From Abd Ar-Rahman Bin Ateyk Al-Qasir who said,
I asked Imam Baqir (as) about something from the characteristics of God's Essence. So he raised his hands towards the sky, then said: ‘Exalted is the Almighty! Exalted is the Almighty! Whoever pursues beyond that Exalted Essence, he is ruined’.

 

[mojtaba]

The True Tawheed is only in the Qur'an

1. From Abd Ar-Raheem Bin Ateyk Al-Qasir who said,
I wrote a letter to Imam Sadiq (as), that a group of people in Iraq are describing God with the image and with the lines. So, what is your view, may God make me to be sacrificed for you, write it to me with the correct doctrine of the Tawheed (i.e., Oneness of God). So he (as) wrote to me: ‘You asked, may God have Mercy on you, about the true Tawheed, and described the belief of Iraqis. Exalted is God, Who there is nothing like Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. Exalted from the describing of those resembling God with His creatures, the forgers of lies upon God's Essence. So know, may God have Mercy on you, that the correct way to know the Tawheed of the Essence is following the Qur'an, because God, Himself has properly described Himself in it. So turn away from the invalidations and the resemblances about God's Essence, and neither negate nor give resemblance. He exists and will do exist eternally without any changing in His Essence. Exalted is He from what the describers describe. Do not neglect the Quran, for you would be going astray after the clarification’.

2. From Al-Fuzayl Bin Yasar who said,
I heard Imam Sadiq (as) saying, 'Allah's Essence can not be described, and how can one describe and He has said in the Qur'an, namely His Book [6:91] <People do not appreciate Allah with the appreciation that is due to Him>. Thus, Allah's Essence would not be described with an appreciation except that He would be greater than that'.

 

[mojtaba]

Essential Attributes of God
1. From Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,
I heard Imam Baqir (as) saying, ‘God, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, existed when nothing else existed. He eternally knows whatever comes into being. His knowledge of things before their coming into existence and afterwards is exactly the same’.

2. From Al-Kaahily who said,
I wrote to Imam Musa (as), praising Allah in my letter as, ‘Thanks God until His knowledge ends.’ He wrote back to me, "Do not say like that, because there is no end for God's knowledge. Instead say, ‘Thanks God until His pleasure ends’".

The Will
1. From 'Asim Bin Humayd who said,
I said to Imam Sadiq (as), ‘Does the Essence of Allah intend eternally?’ He said: 'The intender is not an intender except when he is along with his will. Allah's Essence is always and eternally knower and powerful. Then He wills and creates’.

2. From Safwan Bin Yahya who said,
I said to Imam Musa (as) , ‘Enlighten me about the Will of Allah and the will of His creatures.’ He said, "The will of the people comes from what goes in their minds and then leads to action. But the Will of God has not any level except creation and action, because God does not appraise, endeavor or think. The Essence of Allah is far from such attributes and qualities, and they are only the attributes of the people. The Will of God is the action and creation. He says: Be, and it will be. Also this saying is not with any words or utterance, any endeavor and thinking. His Will is far from the quality. His Essence is also far from the quality".

3. From Umar Bin Azina who said,
Imam Sadiq (as) said: ‘The Essence of Allah created Mashi'a (i.e., the Will) by itself, then created the 'Ashia (i.e., Shai's, things) and phenomena with the Mashi'a'.

4. From Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,
Imam Sadiq (as) said: ‘The Mashi'a (the Will) is a creation, and not eternal’.

Commentary: We can conclude from the Hadiths which are about the Mashi'ah that the Divine Mashi'ah (i.e., Will) is the agents of the nature and the factors of the creation. The agents of the nature which are indeed the natrual laws have been formed by itself through Divine innovation, and then, as the result of these natural laws, the phenomena of nature (i.e., things, Shai's ('Ashia)) have come into existence. So, the Mashi'a is a creation.

 

[mojtaba]

The meaning of the Names of Allah
1. From Ibn Abi Ya'fur who said,
I asked Imam Sadiq (as) about the verse [Quran, 57:3] ‘He is the First and the Last’, and I said, ‘As for ‘the First’, so we recognise it, and as for ‘the Last’, so clarify its interpretation for us’.
So he (as) said: ‘There is nothing except that it perishes, or changes, or maybe change or vanish; it transfers from a colour to another colour, and from a form to another form, and from an attribute to another attribute, and from an increase to a decrease, and from a decrease to an increase, except for the Lord of the worlds, Whose Existence is lasting and eternal. He is the first, before everything. He is the last, being in that state of existence that has not been changed. His attributes and names do not change, but they do in the case of others. For example, the human being is soil first, then becomes flesh and bone and blood, and finally dyes and decays and becomes soil. Another example is the date which is Balah (its raw green type) first, then is Bosr (the raw yellow/red type), and then is Rotab (its mature and sweet type), and finally dries and becomes Tamr (its dry and sweet type). Whenever the attributes of a thing change, its name changes, too. But the Essence of Allah Majestic and Mighty is not such that’.

2. From Maymun Al-ban who said,
I heard Imam Sadiq (as), and he had been asked about ‘the First and the Last [57:3]. So he (as) said: ‘The Essence of Allah is the first of the being, but that does not mean He has get the existence from a first or beginning before Him. The Essence of Allah is the last, but that does not mean His Being ends at the end-point of the beings, just like what is understood from the phenomena of the creation. He is eternal and His Being is the first and the last of the being. He has not perished and will not perish. He does not have any beginning and any end. Nothing new happens to His Essence and He does not change from one state to another. He is the Creator of all changing and passing things’.

Commentary: The saying of Imam (as) ‘He is the first of the being, but that does not mean He has get the existence from a first before Him’, means that all creations get the existence from His Existence, but that doesn’t mean that He is at the first of the series of creations, yet He has get His Existence from another existence; like, for example, Adam, father of humans, who is at the first of the lineage of the nowadays human beings, however he started his being from another thing and being.
The Imam (as) by his saying ‘He is the last, but that does not mean His Being ends at the end-point of the beings’ meant that the being of all creations finally ends, and the last thing that vanishes at the end, will be the last of the creations; such as the human race that will end finally, and the last human who dyes, will be the end of the human race. But for the Existence of Allah, being the last of the beings is not like that, and He is not the last being that disappears. Rather, everything will perish and He will continue with His lasting Being, after the end of all beings and creations.