Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 4
Al-Kāfi
Book 3, Chapter 4
Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah
3 hadiths 1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِيِّ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْفَتْحِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الاقْرَارُ بِأَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَلا شِبْهَ لَهُ وَلا نَظِيرَ وَأَنَّهُ قَدِيمٌ مُثْبَتٌ مَوْجُودٌ غَيْرُ فَقِيدٍ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ.
1 - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported from Abdullah ibn al-Hasan al-Alawi, and Ali ibn Ibrahim reported from al-Mukhtar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al-Hamdani, all from al-Fath ibn Yazid, from Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, who said: "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.'"
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/301)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ طَاهِرِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فِي حَالِ اسْتِقَامَتِهِ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مَا الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَسَامِعاً وَبَصِيراً وَهُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَسُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَلا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً.
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Tahir ibn Hatam when he was normal and wrote to the man (meaning thereby Imam abul Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام. “What is it that without which one’s acknowledgement of the existence of Allah can not be considered sufficient?” In answer the Imam عليه السلام replied, “That He is All-knowing, All-hearing All-awareness and that He acts as He wills.” Imam abu Ja‘far عليه السلام was asked about the minimum required degree of knowledge about Allah without which an acknowledgement would not be considered sufficient. The Imam عليه السلام said, “There is nothing similar to or like Him. He is All-knowing, All-hearing and All-awareness.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/302)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يُوسُفَ بْنِ بَقَّاحٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَمْرَ الله كُلَّهُ عَجِيبٌ إِلا أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَجَّ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا قَدْ عَرَّفَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ.
3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Baqqah from Sayf ibn ‘Umayra from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar who has said the following. Imam abu ’Abdallah عليه السلام has said, “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.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/302)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī