Chapter On the Coming into the Existence of the Names of Allah

- إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَ اسْماً بِالْحُرُوفِ غَيْرَ مُتَصَوِّتٍ وَ بِاللَّفْظِ غَيْرَ مُنْطَقٍ وَ بِالشَّخْصِ غَيْرَ مُجَسَّدٍ وَ بِالتَّشْبِيهِ غَيْرَ مَوْصُوفٍ وَ بِاللَّوْنِ غَيْرَ مَصْبُوغٍ مَنْفِيٌّ عَنْهُ الْأَقْطَارُ مُبَعَّدٌ عَنْهُ الْحُدُودُ مَحْجُوبٌ عَنْهُ حِسُّ كُلِّ مُتَوَهِّمٍ مُسْتَتِرٌ[1] غَيْرُ مَسْتُورٍ فَجَعَلَهُ كَلِمَةً تَامَّةً عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَجْزَاءٍ مَعاً لَيْسَ مِنْهَا

1. Ali b. Muhammad has narrated from Salih b. Abi Hammad from al-Husayn ibn Yazid from al-Hassan b. Ali ibn Abi Hamzah from Ibrahim b. ‘Umar from Abi ‘Abdallah (a.s.), who has said the following: “Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, created a name with letters that had no sound. He created it with the word that would

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع هَلْ كَانَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَارِفاً بِنَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الْخَلْقَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ يَرَاهَا وَ يَسْمَعُهَا قَالَ مَا كَانَ مُحْتَاجاً إِلَى ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْأَلُهَا وَ لَا يَطْلُبُ مِنْهَا هُوَ نَفْسُهُ وَ نَفْسُهُ هُوَ قُدْرَتُهُ نَافِذَةٌ فَلَيْسَ يَحْتَاجُ أَنْ يُسَمِّيَ نَفْسَهُ وَ لَكِنَّهُ اخْتَارَ لِنَفْسِهِ أَسْمَاءً لِغَيْرِهِ يَدْعُوه

“I asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ‘Did Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, know Himself before He created the creation?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes, He knew Himself.” I further asked, “Did He see and hear His Own Self?” The Imam replied, “Allah did not need such things because He did not ask or demand it. He is

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الِاسْمِ مَا هُوَ قَالَ صِفَةٌ لِمَوْصُوفٍ.

“I asked the Imam, (perhaps abu al-Hassan al-Rida) about the name (of Allah), ‘What is it?’ The Imam replied, “It is an attribute of the attributes of (Allah).”

اسْمُ اللَّهِ غَيْرُهُ وَ كُلُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ شَيْ‌ءٍ[1] فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ مَا خَلَا اللَّهَ فَأَمَّا مَا عَبَّرَتْهُ الْأَلْسُنُ أَوْ عَمِلَتِ الْأَيْدِي فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ وَ اللَّهُ غَايَةٌ مِنْ غَايَاتِهِ‌[2] وَ الْمُغَيَّا غَيْرُ الْغَايَةِ وَ الْغَايَةُ مَوْصُوفَةٌ وَ كُلُّ مَوْصُوفٍ مَصْنُوعٌ وَ صَانِعُ الْأَشْيَاءِ غَيْرُ مَوْصُوفٍ بِحَدٍّ مُسَمًّى لَمْ يَتَكَوَّنْ فَيُعْرَفَ كَيْنُونِيَّتُهُ بِص

“The name of Allah is something other than Allah Himself. Every thing that is called a thing is created except Allah. Whatever is expressed by the tongue or is worked out by hands are all created. The word Allah is an intent amongst His intents, and the intended one is different from the intention. The purpose is descr