Chapter On Prohibition on Considering Allah as having Body (JISM) and Form (SURAH)

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ يَرْوِي عَنْكُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ جِسْمٌ صَمَدِيٌّ نُورِيٌّ مَعْرِفَتُهُ ضَرُورَةٌ يَمُنُّ بِهَا عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ فَقَالَ ع سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يَعْلَمُ أَحَدٌ كَيْفَ هُوَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ لَا يُحَدُّ وَ لَا يُحَسُّ وَ لَا يُجَسُّ وَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصارُ وَ لَا الْحَوَاسُّ وَ لَا يُحِيطُ

“I stated before abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) that I have heard Hisham ibn al-Hakam quoting you that Allah is a body of Self-subsisting nature and is from light. He can very clearly be recognized and He bestows such knowledge to whoever among His creatures He wills.” The Imam said, “Glorious is He, Whom no one knows how He is

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْجِسْمِ وَ الصُّورَةِ فَكَتَبَ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ لَا جِسْمٌ وَ لَا صُورَةٌ. - وَ رَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ‌[2] إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُسَمِّ الرَّجُلَ.

“I wrote to Imam abu al-Hassan (al-Thalith 3rd (a.s.) asking about the body and form (of Allah). He wrote in reply, ‘Glorious is He similar to Who there is nothing. He is not a body nor has He any form.’” This Hadith has also been narrated by Muhammad ibn abu ‘Abdallah without giving the name of the person (from whom h

جِئْتُ إِلَى الرِّضَا ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ فَأَمْلَى عَلَيَّ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ الْأَشْيَاءِ إِنْشَاءً وَ مُبْتَدِعِهَا ابْتِدَاعاً بِقُدْرَتِهِ وَ حِكْمَتِهِ‌[1] لَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَيَبْطُلَ الِاخْتِرَاعُ وَ لَا لِعِلَّةٍ فَلَا يَصِحَّ الِابْتِدَاعُ خَلَقَ مَا شَاءَ كَيْفَ شَاءَ مُتَوَحِّداً بِذَلِكَ لِإِظْهَارِ حِكْمَتِهِ وَ حَقِيقَةِ رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ لَا تَضْبِطُهُ الْعُقُولُ وَ لَا تَبْلُغُهُ الْأَو

“I went to Imam al-Rida (a.s.) to ask about the Oneness of Allah (God). The Imam dictated to me thus, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Who is the originator of all things. He is the inventor of all things, an invention that came from His power and wisdom but not from a thing so it would invalidate the invention and not fr

وَصَفْتُ لِأَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ ع قَوْلَ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ الْجَوَالِيقِيِّ وَ حَكَيْتُ لَهُ قَوْلَ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ أَنَّهُ جِسْمٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ أَيُّ فُحْشٍ أَوْ خَناً[2] أَعْظَمُ مِنْ قَوْلِ مَنْ يَصِفُ خَالِقَ الْأَشْيَاءِ بِجِسْمٍ أَوْ صُورَةٍ أَوْ بِخِلْقَةٍ[3] أَوْ بِتَحْدِيدٍ وَ أَعْضَاءٍ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً.

The Imam (a.s.) said, “Allah, the Most High, is not similar to any of the things. What can be more blasphemous and scandalous than to describe the Creator of all things by means of body, form, type of creation, limitations, limbs and organs. Allah, the Most High, the Great, is far above these things.”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَمَّا قَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ فِي الْجِسْمِ وَ هِشَامُ بْنُ سَالِمٍ فِي الصُّورَةِ فَكَتَبَ دَعْ عَنْكَ حَيْرَةَ الْحَيْرَانِ وَ اسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ لَيْسَ الْقَوْلُ مَا قَالَ الْهِشَامَانِ‌[5].

Remove from yourself the confusion of the confounded people and seek refuge from Allah against Satan. The (correct) position is not what the two Hishams have said.’”

سَمِعْتُ يُونُسَ بْنَ ظَبْيَانَ يَقُولُ‌ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ يَقُولُ قَوْلًا عَظِيماً إِلَّا أَنِّي أَخْتَصِرُ لَكَ مِنْهُ أَحْرُفاً فَزَعَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ جِسْمٌ لِأَنَّ الْأَشْيَاءَ شَيْئَانِ جِسْمٌ وَ فِعْلُ الْجِسْمِ فَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّانِعُ بِمَعْنَى الْفِعْلِ وَ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بِمَعْنَى الْفَاعِلِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَيْ

“I heard Yunus ibn Zabyan saying, ‘I went to meet abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), and said, “Hisham ibn al-Hakam has uttered monstrous words. I will briefly mention a few words. He thinks Allah has a body because things are of two types; (a) body and (b) the acts. It is not possible for the Creator Himself to be just actions or

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ زَعَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ جِسْمٌ‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ[1] عَالِمٌ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ قَادِرٌ مُتَكَلِّمٌ نَاطِقٌ وَ الْكَلَامُ وَ الْقُدْرَةُ وَ الْعِلْمُ يَجْرِي مَجْرَى وَاحِدٍ لَيْسَ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنْهَا مَخْلُوقاً فَقَالَ قَاتَلَهُ اللَّهُ أَ مَا عَلِمَ أَنَّ الْجِسْمَ مَحْدُودٌ وَ الْكَلَامَ غَيْرُ الْمُتَكَلِّمِ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ وَ أَبْرَأُ إِل

“I said to abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Hisham ibn al-Hakam claims that Allah is a body like unto Whom there is no one. He is All-knowing, All-hearing, All-seeing, All-powerful. He speaks and reasons. His word, His power, His knowledge are all in one. No one of them is created.’” The Imam said, “May Allah be

وَصَفْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَوْلَ هِشَامٍ الْجَوَالِيقِيِّ وَ مَا يَقُولُ فِي الشَّابِّ الْمُوفِقِ وَ وَصَفْتُ لَهُ قَوْلَ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

The Imam said, “Allah, certainly, is not similar to any thing.”