1. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from the people he mentioned from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Humran from al- Fadl ibn al-Sakan from Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has narrated the following. “Imam Ali (a.s.) has said, ‘Recognize Allah by Allah’s Own-Self, recognize the Messenger through his message and the people with Divine authority through their commanding others to do what is obligatory, the practice of justice and kindness.’” Al-Kulayni had made the following comment on the above passage. “Acknowledge the existence of Allah by His own self” means that Allah has created the individuals, the light, the substance and the objects. The objects are the bodies, the substance stand for the spirits and He is not similar to the bodies or spirit in any of the creatures. No one has any part or effect in the creation of the spirits that comprehend and feel. He is the only one who has created the spirits and the bodies. When similarity to both kinds of creatures; similarity to the bodies and spirits is negated from Him, then one has acknowledge the existence of Allah by Allah’s own self. If one considers Him similar to the spirits, lights or bodies he has not acknowledged His existence by His own self.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2 - A group from our companions reported from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from some of our companions, from Ali ibn Uqbah ibn Qais ibn Sim'an ibn Abi Rubayhah, a freedman of the Messenger of Allah (saw), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (as) was asked: "How did you come to know your Lord?" He said: "By what He has introduced Himself to me." It was asked: "And how did He introduce Himself to you?" He said: "He is not similar to any image, nor can He be perceived by the senses, nor can He be compared to people. He is close in His distance and distant in His closeness, above everything, and nothing is said to be above Him. He is not referred to as being before anything, nor can He be said to be inside things like something inside something else, nor outside of things like something outside of something else. Glorified is He who is thus, and none other is like Him. Everything has a beginning."

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated the following from al-Fadl ibn shadhan from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who has said that I spoke to Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) saying, “I debated certain people and said to them, ‘Allah, Glory be to Him, is far Glorious, Majestic and Honorable than being defined by means of His creatures. In fact, the existence of the creatures is proved through the existence of Allah.’” The Imam (a.s.) said, “May Allah bestow up on you blessings.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.