Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِأَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَ لَا شِبْهَ لَهُ وَ لَا نَظِيرَ وَ أَنَّهُ قَدِيمٌ مُثْبَتٌ مَوْجُودٌ غَيْرُ فَقِيدٍ وَ أَنَّهُ‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

"I asked him about the lowest level of knowledge. He said: 'The acknowledgment that there is no deity other than Him, and that there is no similarity or counterpart to Him, and that He is Eternal, Affirmed, Existing, not lacking anything, and that there is nothing like Him.'"

أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ‌ مَا الَّذِي لَا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَ سَامِعاً وَ بَصِيراً وَ هُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَ سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع- عَنِ الَّذِي لَا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً.

“What is it that without which one’s acknowledgement of the existence of Allah can not be considered sufficient?” In answer the Imam (a.s.) replied, “That He is All-knowing, All-hearing All-awareness and that He acts as He wills.” Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) was asked about the minimum required degree of knowledge about All

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ أَمْرَ اللَّهِ كُلَّهُ عَجِيبٌ إِلَّا[3] أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَجَّ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا قَدْ عَرَّفَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ.

“The issue about Allah is totally extraordinary. Notice that He has presented to you His arguments in proof of His existence by means of that much of facts about His own self that He has made known to you.”