Hadith of the man of al-Sham

67. From him, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Al-Husayn Bin Saeed, from Muhammad Bin Dawood from Muhammad Bin Atiyya who said: ‘A man from the scholars of the people of Syria (Al-Shaam) came up to Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام. He said, ‘O Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام, I have come to ask you عليه الصلاة والسلام a question which has exhausted me in finding one who could explain it to me, and I have asked three kinds of the people about it, so each type from them said something other than what the other one said’. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said to him: ‘What would that be?’ He said, ‘I ask you عليه الصلاة والسلام about the first thing what Allah عز وجل Created from His عز وجل creatures, for some of the ones I asked said it was the Destiny, and some of them said it was the Pen, and some of them said it was the Spirit’. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘They have not said anything. I عليه الصلاة والسلام hereby inform you that Allah عز وجل Blessed and High Existed and there was nothing other than Him عز وجل, and He عز وجل was Mighty and there was no one who was mighty before Him عز وجل, and that is His عز وجل Statement: “[37:180] Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honour, above what they describe”, and He عز وجل was the Creator before the creation, and had He عز وجل Created, and Had He عز وجل Created something from His عز وجل Creation, something from something, then there would be no cut-off from it (the chain) ever, and it would never cease if Allah عز وجل had something with Him عز وجل and He عز وجل did not precede it, but He عز وجل Existed when there was nothing other than Him عز وجل. And He عز وجل Created the thing from which are all things, and it is the water from which He عز وجل Created the things. So He عز وجل Lineage everything to the water and did not Make a lineage for the water to which it can be ascribed. And He عز وجل Created the wind from the water, then Made the wind to overcome the water. So the wind sent down into the body of the water until foam swirled from the water in accordance with what He عز وجل so Desired it to swirl. So He عز وجل Created from that foam, pure white land with no crack in it, nor any holes, neither ascending nor descending, and no tree. Then He عز وجل Folded it, so He عز وجل Placed it on top of the water. Then Allah عز وجل Created the fire from the water, so the fire bust out of the body of the water until smoke arose from the water in accordance with Allah عز وجل so Desired it to rise. So He عز وجل Created from that smoke, clear and pure sky in which there were no cracks nor any holes, and that is His عز وجل Statement: “[79:27] Are you the harder to create or the heaven? He made it. [79:28] He raised high its height, then put it into a right good state. [79:29] And He made dark its night and brought out its light”. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘And there was no sun, and no moon, and no stars and no clouds. Then He عز وجل Folded it and Placed it upon the earth, then Established two creations. Then He عز وجل Raised the sky before the earth, so that is His عز وجل Statement, Mighty is His عز وجل Mention: “[79:30] And the earth, He expanded it after that”. He عز وجل Said that He عز وجل Spread it out’. So the Syrian said to him عليه الصلاة والسلام, ‘O Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام, the Statement of Allah عز وجل the High: “[21:30] Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, but We have opened them”. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Perhaps you think that these two used to be stuck together and there were separated from each other?’ He said, ‘Yes’. Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Seek Forgiveness from your Lord عز وجل, for it is the Statement of Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic that they were closed up, meaning that the sky used to be closed up and no rain descended from it, and the earth was closed up and did not grow any seed (vegetation). So when Allah عز وجل Blessed and High Created the creatures, He عز وجل Spread therein all kinds of animals. He عز وجل Opened up the sky by the rain and the earth by the seed’. The Syrian said, ‘I testify that you عليه الصلاة والسلام are from the children of the Prophets عليه السلام and that your عليه الصلاة والسلام knowledge is their عليه السلام knowledge’.