Chapter On Prohibition on Saying How is Allah (al-Kayfiyyah)

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ تَكَلَّمُوا[1] فِي خَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَ لَا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ الْكَلَامَ فِي اللَّهِ لَا يَزْدَادُ صَاحِبَهُ إِلَّا تَحَيُّراً. - وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ لَا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي ذَاتِ اللَّهِ.

“Speak about the creation of Allah and do not speak about Allah His-self. Speaking about the Allah’s self does not increase anything to one’s knowledge except more confusion.” In another Hadith from Hariz it reads, “Speak about every thing but do not speak about Allah’s essence.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ أَنَّ إِلى‌ رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهى‌[2] فَإِذَا انْتَهَى الْكَلَامُ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَأَمْسِكُوا.

“The words of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, that say, ‘And that the final end is unto thy Lord.” (53:42) instructs people to end a discussion that would take up Allah’s self as an object of investigation.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَا يَزَالُ بِهِمُ‌[3] الْمَنْطِقُ حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي اللَّهِ فَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ‌[4] ذَلِكَ فَقُولُوا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الَّذِي‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“O Muhammad, people rationalize everything. They even speak about Allah’s self. When you hear such discources, say to them ‘There is no god but Allah, the One and no one is similar to Him.’”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ يَا زِيَادُ إِيَّاكَ وَ الْخُصُومَاتِ فَإِنَّهَا تُورِثُ الشَّكَّ وَ تَهْبِطُ الْعَمَلَ وَ تُرْدِي صَاحِبَهَا وَ عَسَى أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِالشَّيْ‌ءِ فَلَا يُغْفَرَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِيمَا مَضَى قَوْمٌ تَرَكُوا عِلْمَ مَا وُكِّلُوا بِهِ وَ طَلَبُوا عِلْمَ مَا كُفُوهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَى كَلَامُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَتَحَيَّرُوا حَتَّى إِنْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ لَيُدْعَى مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ فَيُجِيبُ مِ

“O Ziyad, beware of debates because they create doubts, invalidate one’s good deeds and turn one into a complete wreck. One may say a thing, perhaps, he will not be forgiven. In the past there lived a people who ignored acquiring the necessary knowledge and instead they sought a knowledge that was not required of them.

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ نَظَرَ فِي اللَّهِ كَيْفَ هُوَ هَلَكَ.

“He who thinks of how and when about Allah he has met his doomed.”

إِنَّ مَلِكاً عَظِيمَ الشَّأْنِ كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ لَهُ فَتَنَاوَلَ الرَّبَّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فَفُقِدَ فَمَا يُدْرَى أَيْنَ هُوَ[1].

“A king of great splendid once before a gathering in his court spoke of the (Self of) Lord, the Holy, the Most High. Thereafter the monarch became extremely confused and could not understand where was he.”

إِيَّاكُمْ وَ التَّفَكُّرَ فِي اللَّهِ وَ لَكِنْ إِذَا أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى عَظَمَتِهِ فَانْظُرُوا إِلَى عَظِيمِ خَلْقِهِ‌[2].

“Beware of thinking about Allah’s self. If you would like to think about the greatness of Allah, think about His great and wonderful creations.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ أَكَلَ قَلْبَكَ طَائِرٌ لَمْ يُشْبِعْهُ وَ بَصَرُكَ لَوْ وُضِعَ عَلَيْهِ خَرْقُ إِبْرَةٍ لَغَطَّاهُ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَعْرِفَ بِهِمَا مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً فَهَذِهِ الشَّمْسُ خَلْقٌ مِنْ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تَمْلَأَ عَيْنَيْكَ مِنْهَا فَهُوَ كَمَا تَقُولُ‌[3].

“O son of Adam, if a bird were to feed upon your heart, it would not satisfy its hunger. Only the eye of a needle, if placed over your eye, would be totally cover your vision. With such (insignificant) means of perception how would you comprehend (Allah’s) vast dominion over the earth and the heavens? And if you think

إِنَّ يَهُودِيّاً يُقَالُ لَهُ- سُبَّخْتُ جَاءَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ رَبِّكَ فَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَجَبْتَنِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُ وَ إِلَّا رَجَعْتُ قَالَ سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ قَالَ أَيْنَ رَبُّكَ قَالَ هُوَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَ لَيْسَ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الْمَكَانِ الْمَحْدُودِ[2] قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ هُوَ قَالَ وَ كَيْفَ أَصِفُ رَبِّي بِالْكَيْفِ‌[3] وَ الْكَيْفُ مَخْلُوقٌ

“A Jew named Sabhut came to the Prophet, (s.a.) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have come to ask about your Lord. If you will answer my question it will be fine, otherwise, I will go back.” The Prophet replied, “Ask whatever you like.” He asked, “Where is your Lord?” The Prophet replied, “He is everywhere, but He is

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الصِّفَةِ فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى الْجَبَّارُ تَعَالَى الْجَبَّارُ مَنْ تَعَاطَى مَا ثَمَّ هَلَكَ‌[4].

“I asked Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about certain attributes of Allah. The Imam raised his hand towards the heavens and said, ‘High is the Almighty. High is the Almighty. One who pursues beyond this, he is doomed.’”