SHIA ISLAM ON ALLAH’S BODY-PARTS

In this article I will cite particular hadiths from the collection titled Al-Kafi in respect to Allah’s body-parts and the Quran’s relationship to him. Unlike Salafis who affirm that references to Allah’s hands, eyes, shin etc., are to be affirmed to really exist as Allah’s attributes without allegorizing, Shia Muslim vehemently oppose such anthropomorphizing of the Muslim deity.

I will be referencing the narrations found in the section titled  Al-Tawḥīd (The Book of Divine Unity). All emphasis will be mine.  

UNCREATED QURAN

Book 2, Chapter 30

What is the Qur’an?

Ḥadīth #1: 279

1. Ahmad Ziyad ibn Ja`far al-Hamdani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim said, on the authority of his father Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of `Ali ibn Ma`bad, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Khalid that I asked al-Rida `Ali ibn Musa: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Tell me about the Qur’an. Is it creator or created?” Therefore, he replied, “It is neither a creator nor created; rather it is the Word of Allah, the Might and High.”

Ḥadīth #3: 281

3. Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad al-Ma`addab said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: `Ali ibn Salim said, on the authority of his father that I enquired from al-Sadiq Ja`far ibn Muhammad: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! What do you say about the Qur’an?” Hence, he responded, “It is the Word of Allah, His Speech, His Book, the Revelation He revealed. It is the Honorable Book, which falsehood shall not come to it from before it not from behind it; a revelation from the Wise, the Praised One.”

Ḥadīth #4: 282

4. My father (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn `Isa ibn `Ubayd al-Yaqtini that `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn `ali ibn Musa al-Rida wrote to some of his Shi`ites in Baghdad: In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. May Allah guard us all from mischief! If He does, then it is a great bounty. And if He does not, then it is a disaster. The argument regarding the Qur’an is an innovation [bid`ah] in which both the questioner and the answerer is equally responsible. The questioner engages into what he should not. And the answerer is constrained to answer what is incorrect. There is no creator except Allah, the Mighty and High. Anything other than Him is created. The Qur’an is Word of Allah. Do not make a name for it from your own self or you will be led astray. May Allah count us among those who fear their Lord and those who are apprehensive of the coming of the Hour (of Judgment).

Ḥadīth #6: 284

6. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: Ja`far ibn Sulayman al-Ja`fari said: My father said, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl al-Hashimi, on the authority of Sa`d al-Khaffaf that al-Asbagh ibn Nubatah that: When Amir al-Mu’mineen Ali ibn Abut Talib was facing the Khawarij, admonishing them, reminding them, and cautioning them before the battle, he warned them, “Do you want to take revenge from me? Beware! Verily, I was the first to believe in Allah and His Messenger.” They said: “You are as you claim, except you made Abu Musa al-Ash`ari the arbitrator [Hakam] in the religion of Allah.” Hence, he responded: “By Allah, I did not make any created being an arbitrator. Verily, I made the Qur’an the arbitrator. Had I not, I would have been defeated in my affair and opposed for my view. When I agreed to the battle between me and the enemies of Allah, it was to raise the Word of Allah and help the Religion of Allah, even if the unbelievers and the ignorant abhorred it.”[1]

Ḥadīth #7

7. The confirmation of this is of this is what our Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid has mentioned in his Jami`; and said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, on the authority of al-‘Abbas ibn Ma`rub that `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Najran related to me, on the authority of Hammad ibn `Uthman, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir that I wrote to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq and sent it with `Abd al-Malik ibn A“yun: May I be your ransom! I write to you regarding matters in which people have differed. If you seem it appropriate, may Allah take me as your ransom, then please answer me. The people of Iraq have differed regarding recognition and denial. May I be your ransom, are they created? They have also differed regarding the Qur’an. One group claims that the Qur’an is the uncreated Word of Allah, and the other group claims that it is the created Word of Allah… Hence, he wrote and sent it back with `Abd al-Malik ibn A`yun… You asked about the dispute that people have concerning the Qur’an. They say that the Qur’an, is the Word of Allah, that it is accidental, that it is uncreated, and that it is not eternal alongside Allah, may His Remembrance be Exalted. Exalted is Allah, the Elevated, and the Great, from such things! Allah, the Mighty and high, existed when nothing other than Him was known or unknown. The Mighty and High existed when there was no speaker, no intender, no mover, and no doer. High and Mighty is our Lord. The Qur’an is the Word of Allah, and is not created. It contains information of those who came before you and those who will come after you. It was revealed by Allah to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and salutations be upon him and his progeny… You also asked, may Allah have mercy on you, about divine Unity and the views of your companions on that subject. Exalted is Allah, who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Exalted is Allah from the descriptions of the anthropomorphist who compare Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, with His Creatures, attributing lies to Allah, the Mighty and High. Point out, may Allah have mercy on you, that the correct position regarding Divine Unity is to be found in the Attributes of Allah, the Mighty and High, which were revealed in the Qur’an. Do not apply annulment or anthropomorphism to Allah. He cannot be described by means of negation or anthropomorphism. Allah is the Firm, the Existent. Exalted is Allah from the descriptions of the describers. Do not stray from the Qur’an otherwise you will stray after clarity has reached you… The Compiler of this Book explains: the purpose of this tradition is to prove that the words of the Qur’an have not been created or made-up. It does not mean that the Qur’an is not accidental, because he who said: “accidental, not created, and not sempiternal with Allah, may His Remembrance be Exalted.”

ALLAH: BODILESS, IMAGELESS, SHAPELESS

Book 2, Chapter 6

The Mighty and High is Devoid of both Body and Image

Ḥadīth #2: 95

2. Ali ibn ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Ya`qub said: `Ali ibn Muhammad, who eliminated the source of report, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Faraj al-Rukhkhaji that I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim asking hm about what Hisham ibn al-Hakam said about the body of Allah, and what Hisham ibn Salim had said about the image of Allah. So he replied to me: “Leave the confusion of the baffled, and take refuge in Allah from Satan. Things are not as the two Hishams claim.

Ḥadīth #3: 96

3. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan Al-Saffar, on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of Hamzah ibn Muhammad saying, “I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim asking him about the body and the appearance of Allah; therefore, he wrote to me: “Glory to the One who has nothing like Him, and who has no body and no image.”

Ḥadīth #4: 97

4. My father that Ahmad ibn Idris said: Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Jabbar, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya, on the authority of `Ali ibn Abu Hamzah that I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq: I heard Hisham ibn al-Hakam narrating from you that Allah, the Mighty and High, has a Needless body of Light; His Recognition is necessary, and He grants it to whoever He desires from His Creation. He said: Glory to Him who is known only to Himself! There is none like Him, and He is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing. He cannot be confined, sensed, touched, or felt. The senses perceive Him not, and nothing can comprehend Him. He does not have a body or an image, nor lineation or delineation.

Ḥadīth #5: 98

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il ibn Bazi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Zayd that I came to (`Ali) al-Rida asking him about Divine Unity, so he dictated to me: All praise be to Allah, the Originator, Producer, and Innovator [Mubtadi`] of all things from the beginning by His Power and Wisdom, not from anything that could invalidate His Invention, nor for nay wrong cause. He created whatever He wanted how He wanted, and He did so independently in order to manifest His Wisdom, and the Reality of His Lordship. Intellects cannot grasp Him. Imagination cannot reach Him. Eyes cannot perceive Him, and scale cannot encompass Him. Speech is incapable without Him. Eyes are expressionless without Him, and rhetoric of description goes astray in Him. He is hidden without a veil and is covered without a covering. He is recognized without seeing. He is described without an image. And He is praised despite the fact that He does not possess a body. There is no god but Allah, the great, the Most Exalted.”

Ḥadīth #6: 99

6. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn `Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Hukaym that I described the statement of Hisham al-Jawaliqi, and narrated for Musa al-Kadhim the statement of Hisham ibn al-Hakam that He possesses a body. Hence, he said: “Verily, nothing resembles Allah. Indecent language is better than words which give the Creator a created body or image composed of parts. Exalted from these, the High, the Great.”

Ḥadīth #7: 100

7. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: on the authority of al-Husan ibn al-Hasan, and al-Husayn ibn `Ali, on the authority of Salih ibn Abu Hammad, on the authority of Bakr ibn Salih, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Sa`id, on the authority of `Abd Allah in al-Mughayrah, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ziyad said: I heard Yunus ibn Zabyan say I entered in the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq and told him: Hisham ibn al-Hakam made a long statement. I will simply summarize it: He considers Allah to be a body because things are of two types: bodies or actions of bodies. Hence, if it is not possible for the creator to be an action, it is only possible that He be a Doer. Then Abu `Abd Allah replied: “Woe to him! Does he not know that a body is extremely limited, and an image is absolutely limited? Hence, if a limit is possible then increase and decrease are possible, and if increase and decrease are possible, then He is created. I asked: “Then what should I say? He answered: He has neither body nor image for He is the creator of bodies and images. He is devoid of parts and limits. He does not increase, nor does He decrease. If He were as he (Hisham) says then there would be no difference between the Creator and the created, or between the Inventor and the invented. However, He is the Inventor. The Creator of Bodies and Images does not resemble anything nor does anything resemble Him.

Ḥadīth #8: 101

8. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-`Abbas, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn `Abd al-Rahman al-Hammani that I said to Abu al-Hasan Musa ibn Ja`far : Hisham ibn al-Hakam thinks that Allah is a body. There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him, the All-knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Omnipotent, the Speaker, and the Communicator. Speech, Omnipotence, and Knowledge flow from the One Same Source, None of these things are created. So he said: May Allah kill him! Does he not know that a body is limited, and that speech is other than the speaker? Allah forbid, I am free from such words. He is devoid of both body and image. He has not limits, and everything other than Him is created. Verily, everything that exists is the result of His Will and Intent which is expressed without words, the use of the tongue, or any reluctance or hesitation.

Ḥadīth #10: 103

10. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said: Muhammad ibn Ahmad said: Muhammad ibn `Isa said, on the authority of Hisham ibn Ibrahim who said: al-`Abbasi said I said to him, meaning Abu al-hasan al-Rida: “May I be your ransom! One of your followers told me to ask you a question about something.” He said: “And who would that be?” I said: “Al-Hasan ibn Sahl.” He asked: “What is the issue about?’ I replied: “It is about Divine Unity.” He said: “What about Divine Unity?” I said: “He wants to know whether Allah possesses a body or not?” He answered me: There are three positions regarding Divine Unity. The first group attempts to describe Him through anthropomorphism. The second group attempts to describe Him through negation. And the third group attempts to describe Him without falling into anthropomorphism. Describing Him through anthropomorphism is not allowed, and describing Him through negation is not allowed. The correct position is attempting to describe him without falling into anthropomorphism.

Ḥadīth #11: 104

11. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said: Muhammad ibn Ahmad said: on the authority of `Imran ibn Musa, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn al-`Abba ibn Huraysh al-Razi, on the authority of some of our scholars that The purified [Tayyib], `Ali ibn Muhammad, and Abu Ja`far al-Jawad both said: “He who claims that Allah has a body, do not give him the poor-rate, and do not pray behind him.”

Ḥadīth #15: 108

15. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar said: al-`Abbas ibn Ma`ruf said: Ibn Abu Najran said, on the authority of Hammad ibn `Uthman, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir that I wrote a letter, and sent it by hand via `Abd Al-Malik ibn A`yan to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq. In it, I asked about several issues, one of which was: “Please inform me about Allah, the Mighty and High. Can He be described with image and lineation? If this letter reaches you, may Allah make me your ransom, write back to me with the correct vies about Divine Unity.”

So he wrote back to me, sending the letter via `Abd al-Malik ibn A`yan: May Allah have mercy on you! You have enquired about Divine Unity. Allah is Greater than what your companions have ascribed. He is All-Hearing and All-Seeing, and there is nothing like unto Him. Allah is greater than the descriptions of the describers, those who describe Him inhuman terms, and those who compare Him with His creation, thus slandering Allah. Beware! May Allah have mercy on you! The correct view about Divine Unity is to be found in the attributes that Allah, the Mighty and High, revealed in the Qur`an. Reject anthropomorphism, and do not apply to Allah what is vain. Allah is Firmly Present. Allah is high above the descriptions of the describers. Do not exceed the Qur`an, as you will be misled after the clear explanation has reached you.

Ḥadīth #16

:109

16. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of some of our scholars that I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim asking him about the body and image of Allah, so he replied in writing: “Glory be to Him who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him, and who is devoid of both body and image.”

Ḥadīth #19: 112

19. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority al-I Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of Ya`qub al-Sarraj that I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq : “Some of our scholars think that Allah looks like a human being, while others think that HE IS BEARDLESS AND HAS CURLY HAIR.” Abu `Abd Allah fell down in prostration, then raised his head, and said: Glory be Allah who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him! Vision cannot perceive Him, and knowledge cannot encompass Him. He begets not, because the son resembles his father, not is He begotten, so that He could resemble the one before Him. And none is like Him. Exalted is He, the High, and Mighty from such attributions!

Ḥadīth #20: 113

20. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Saqr ibn [Abu] Dulaf that I asked Abu al-Hasan `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida about Divine Unity: “Verily, I say what Hisham ibn al-Hasam said.” So he became angry and said: What is the matter with you and Hisham? Indeed, he is not from us who thinks that Allah, the Mighty and High, has a body. We are free from such a person in this world, and in the Hereafter. O son of [Abu] Dulaf! Verily, the body is created and Allah is its Creator. The Compiler of this book says: Allah willing, I will mention the proof that bodies are created in the chapter of this book titled “The Proof of the Creation of the World.”

ADAM & ALLAH’S IMAGE

Book 2, Chapter 12

The Commentary of verse 88 of Chapter 28 the Narrative [al-Qasas] Everything is perishable but He.

Ḥadīth #10: 206

10. Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qittan said: Abu Sa`id al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sukkari said: al-Hakam ibn Aslam said: Ibn `Ulayyah on the authorityi of al-Jariri, on the authority of Abu al-Ward ibn Thumamah, on the authority of `Ali that The Prophet heard a man say to the other: “May Allah make your face and the one who resembles you ugly!” So He said: “Wait a minute! Do not say this for verily Allah created Adam in His Image.” The Compiler of this book says: The anthropomorphists took out the first part of this tradition and said: Verily, Allah created Adam in His Image.”1 Hence, they went astray in this meaning and led others astray.

Ḥadīth #11: 207

11. Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja`far al-Hamadani said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of His father, on the authority of `Ali ibn Ma`bad, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Khalid that I said to al-Rida: “O Son of the Messenger of Allah! Verily, the people relate that the Messenger of Allah said: “Verily, Allah created Adam in His Image.” He replied: May Allah kill them! They have certainly removed the first part of the tradition. The Messenger of Allah passed by two men who were cursing each other. He heard one of them say to the other: “May Allah make your face and the one who resembles you ugly!” He said: “O servant of Allah! Do not say this to your brother for, verily Allah, the Mighty and High, created Adam in His Image.”

ALLAH’S EYES, EARS & TONGUE

Book 2, Chapter 24

Meaning of the Eye, the Ear, and the Tongue of Allah

Ḥadīth #1: 231

1. My father that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa on the authority of Husayn ibn Sa`id on the authority of Fudalah ibn Ayyub on the authority of Aban ibn `Uthman on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High created a creation from His own Light and a mercy from His Mercy. Hence, they are the Eye through which Allah sees, the Ear through which Allah listens, and the Tongue through which Allah speaks His Will. They are the Guardians of His Revelation which He sends down as a mercy, a warning and a proof. Hence, He wipes out their sins, removes injustice from them, sends down mercy from them, gives life to the deceased from them, kills the living for them, tries His Creation through them, and fulfils the needs of His Creation through them.” I asked, “May I be sacrificed for you! Who are these?” He said: “The successors (of Muhammad).”

ALLAH’S HANDS

Book 2, Chapter 13

The Commentary of Verse 75 of Chapter 38 Sad O Iblis! What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My Two Hands?

Ḥadīth #1: 208

1. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad `Imran al-Daqqaq, may Allah have mercy on him, said, Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: alHusayn ibn al-Hasan said: Bakr on the authority of Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Bahr on the authority of Abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim that I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir about the Word of the Mighty and High: “O Iblis! What prevented you that you should do obeisance to hi whom I created with My Two Hands?” He replied: In the Arabic language, the hand symbolized power and bounty. As Allah says: And remember Our servant Dawud, the Possessor of Power. He also says: And the Heaven, We raised it high with power. Here the word hands [aydi] mean power. He says: And whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from Him. Here the word hand [ayyad] means strengthening. It is also said (in Arabic): I have many hands with me from so and so, implying excess and beneficence, and me so and so has a white hand, implying bounty.

Ḥadīth #2

:209

2. Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isam al-Kulayni, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Muhammad ibn Ya`qub al-Kulayni said: Ahmad ibn Idris on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa on the authority of `Ali ibn Sayf on the authority of Muhammad ibn `Ubaydah that I asked al-Rida about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High, to Iblis: What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My Two Hands? Are you proud?1 He replied: “It means `With My Omnipotence and My Power.’” The Compiler of this book says: I have heard on of the Shi`ite scholars in Naysabur mentioning that Imams used to stop at these Word of Allah when mentioning this verse: What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created. Then they would continue with Word of the Mighty and High: “With My Two Hands, are you proud or are you of the exalted ones?”2 He also said: It is like the statement of a person: “With my sword you are fighting with me, and with my spear you are attacking me.” It is as if the Mighty and High is saying that “My Bounties have strengthened your pride and insubordination.”

Book 2, Chapter 25

The Meaning of Allah’s Hand is Tied Up

Ḥadīth #1: 232

1. My father that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Baqi said on the authority of his father, on the authority of `Ali ibn Nu`man, on the authority of Ishaq ibn `Ammar, on the authority of someone who heard it on the authority of Abu `Abd Allah that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked to interpret the Word of Allah: `And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up!’ He said: They do not mean that literally. What they mean is that, “His Command is complete.” Therefore, His Bounties do not increase nor decrease. So Allah, exalted by His glory, demonstrated the error of their view that their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases. Have you not heard Allah, the Mighty and High say: Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book?

Ḥadīth #2: 233

2. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar said on the authority of Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of al-Mashriqi, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Qays that Abu al-Hasan al-Rida said: “Nay, both His Hands are spread out.” So I asked him “Does He have hands like this? And I pointed with my hand to his hand. Consequently, he replied, “No, for if that were the case, He would have been created.”

ALLAH’S SIDES & WAIST

Book 2, Chapter 22

The Meaning of Allah’s Side

Ḥadīth #1: 225

1. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Ja`far alKufi said: Musa ibn `Imran al-Nakha`i al-Kufi said on the authority of his paternal uncle alHusayn ibn Yazid, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Husayn, on the authority of who related to him, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir, o the authority of Abu `Abd Allah that The Commander of the Faithful said: “I am the Knowledge of Allah. I am the Containing Heart of Allah. I am the Speaking Tongue of Allah. I am the Eye of Allah. I am the Side of Allah. And I am the Hand of Allah.” The Compiler of this book says: When `Ali says that `I am the Heart of Allah that contains,” he means that “I am the heart that Allah has made a container for His Knowledge and made obedient to Him.” The heart is a creation of Allah, the Mighty and High, in the same sense that `Ali is a servant of Allah, the Mighty and High. One says “the Heart of Allah” [qalb Allah] in the same way that one says “the Servant of Allah,” “the House of Allah,” “Allah’s Paradise,” and “Allah’s Hell.” As for `Ali’s statement that “I am the Eye of Allah,” he means that he is the one who watches over the Religion of Allah. Similarly, the Mighty and High, has said: `Sailing, before our eyes,’1 which means “with Our Observance.” The Mighty and High has also said: `And that you might be brought up before My eyes,’2 which means `with My Observance.”

Book 2, Chapter 23

The Meaning of the Waistband

Ḥadīth #1: 227

1. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh said on the authority of his paternal uncle Muhammad ibn Abu al-Qasim, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi, on the authority his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sinan, on the authority of Abu al-Jarud, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Bishr al-Hamdani that: I heard Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah say The Command of the Faithful related to me: “The Messenger of Allah will take hold of Allah’s Waistband [hujzah]. We will take hold of the Prophet’s Waistband, and our Shi`ites will take hold of our Waistband.” I asked, “O Commander of the Faithful, what is the Waistband.” He answered, “Allah is greater than being characterized with a waistband or other than that. However, the Messenger of Allah will take hold of Allah’s Affair [amr]. We will take hold of the Prophet’s Affair, and our followers [Shi`ah] will take hold of Our Affair.”

Ḥadīth #2: 228

2. My father that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa said on the authority of al-Hasan ibn `Ali al-Khazzaz, that Abu al-Hasan al-Rida said: “Verily, the Messenger of Allah will take hold of Allah’s Waistband [hujzah]. We will grab the Prophet’s Waistband and our Shi`ites will take hold of our Waistband.” He then said: “the Waistband is the Light [al-nur].”

Ḥadīth #3: 229

3. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: `Ali ibn al-`Abbas related to me that al-Hasan ibn Yusuf said on the authority of `Abd al-Salam, on the authority of `Ammar ibn Abu al-Yaqzan, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: The Messenger of Allah will take hold of the Waistband of his Lord on the Day of Judgment. We will take hold of the Prophet’s Waistband, and our Shi`ites will take hold of our Waistband. We and our Shi`ites are the Party of Allah, and the Party of Allah shall be triumphant.1 By Allah, we do not declare it to be Waistband of the cloth; rather, it is greater than that. The Messenger of Allah will take hold of Allah’s religion [din]. We will take hold of the religion of our Prophet, and our Shi`ites will take hold of our religion.

ALLAH’S SHIN

Book 2, Chapter 14

The Commentary of Verse 42 of Chapter 68 Qalam – On the Day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance

Ḥadīth #2: 211

2. My father, may Allah have mercy on him, that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashim on the authority of Ibn Fuddal on the authority of Abu Jamiilah on the authority Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Halabi that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said regarding the Word of the Mighty and High: `On the Day when there shall be severe affliction.” He replied: “Blessed be the Supreme [Jabbar]! Then be pointed towards his shin, lifted the clothing which covered it, and read: “And they shall be called upon the make obeisance, but they shall not be able.”1 He then said: “The people will e silenced, fear will enter them, their eyes will look fixedly, their hearts will reach their throats, their eyes will be in a state of humbleness, and they will be humiliated when they are called upon to make obeisance, although they are sound.” Muhammad ibn `Ali the Compiler of this book says: What he meant by his statement “Blessed be the Supreme!” after which he pointed to his shin and uncovered it,” was “Blessed be the Supreme! He is far above having a shin, Who is such.”

Ḥadīth #3: 212

3. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Musa on the authority of `Ubayd ibn Zurarah that I enquired Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: “On the Day when there shall be a severe affliction.” He lifted the clothing that covered his shin, placed his hand on his head, and said: “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High!” The Compiler of this book says; The meaning of his statement “Glory be to my Lord, the Most High” is that Allah, the Mighty and High, is far Exalted form having human attributes like a shin.

ALLAH’S THRONE & HEAVEN ABOVE

Book 2, Chapter 49

His Empyrean was on the Water

Ḥadīth #1: 361

1. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il alBarmaki that Jadh`an ibn Nasr al-Kandi said: Sahl ibn Ziyad al-Adami related to, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir, on the authority of Dawud al-Raqqi that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq about the Word of the Mighty and High: His Empyrean was on the Water. So he asked me, “How do they interpret it?” I answered, “They say that the Empyrean was on the water, and that the Lord was on it.” Thus, he responded, “They have lied, Whoever claims that implies that Allah is carried, and has described Him on the basis of the attributes of the created, necessarily implying that the thing that carries Him is mightier than He is.” I said: “May I be your ransom! Could you clarify that for me?” Consequently, he responded, Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, burdened the water with His Knowledge and His Religion, before the existence of the heavens and the earth, jinn or man, and sun or moon. When He intended to create the world, He scattered them before Him, and asked them: `Who is your Lord?’ So the first to speak were the Messenger of Allah, the Commander of the Faithful, and the Imams, may the blessings of Allah be upon them. They said: `You are our Lord. So he bore them with knowledge and religion.’ He then said to the angels: `These are the bearers of My Knowledge and My Religion. They are My Authorized Representatives in My Creation, and they are the ones to be asked.’ Then He said to the children of Adam: `Acknowledge the Lordship of Allah, and obey those to whom obedience is due!’ Hence, they all replied: `Yes our Lord, we acknowledge.’ Then He ordered the angels: `Bear witness!’ The angels said: We bear witness. Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this. Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring, after them: Wilt Thou then destroy us for what the vain doers died?” O Dawud, our guardianship [wilayah] was emphasized in the covenant.

Ḥadīth #2: 362

2. Tamim ibn `Abd Allah ibn Tamim al-Qurashi said: my father said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn `Ali al-Ansari, on the authority of Abu al-Salt `Abd al-Salam ibn Salih al-Hirawi that Al-Ma’mum asked Abu al-Hasan `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And He it is who created heaves and the earth in six days, and His Empyrean was on the water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in action. He thus, replied, Verily, Allah the Blessed and Exalted, created the Empyrean, the water, and the angels before the creation of heavens and the earth. The angels use to ponder over the existence the Empyrean, the existence of the water, and the existence of Allah, the Mighty and High. Then He place His Empyrean over the water to make His Omnipotence evident to the angels so that they may know that He had power over all things. He then raised the Empyrean by means of His Omnipotence, moving it and placing it over the seven heavens. He created the heavens and the earth in six days, while He was in possession of the Empyrean. Although He has the power of creating them in the blink of an eye, He, the Mighty and High, created them over six days to show to the angels that He was creating, one after another, so that they could ponder over what Allah, exalted be His Remembrance, brought about in stages. Allah did not create the Empyrean because He was in need of it. On the contrary, He is Self-Sufficient without any need for the Empyrean and of anything He has created. He is not subject to location within the Empyrean, because He does not possess a body. Exalted is Allah, the Elevated and high, from the attributes of is Creation! As for His Word, the Mighty and High: that He might try you, which of you is best in action. Sao verily, He, the Mighty and High, crated His Creation to try them through His Obedience, and His service, and not for the sake of trial and experiment, because He has always been the All-knowing of Everything. Al-Ma’mum said: “You have relieved me. May Allah relive you!”

FURTHER READING

MUHAMMAD’S GOD: A YOUNG CURLY HAIRED, BEARDLESS BOY!

Islam Portrays Allah as a Finite, Limited, Temporal Embodied Soul

FOR ALLAH SO LOVED THE UMMA THAT HE GAVE UP ONE OF HIS FEET!

ALLAH’S AMAZEMENT AND LAUGHTER

Allah – An Immaterial Entity or an Invisible Man?

The Annihilation of Allah

Allah: An Exalted Woman? Examining the Issue of Allah’s Veil

Revisiting the Face of Allah

Revisiting the Irrationality of Salafi Anthropomorphism

UNDRESSING ALLAH’S GARMENTS