But it is inevitable from the proofs that for Him -azwj...

But it is inevitable from the proofs that for Him -azwj there is a Qualitative State which others are not rightful of, nor does anything participate in it, nor is inter-mingled with it, nor is something else known by it.

قَالَ السَّائِلُ فَيُعَانِي الْأَشْيَاءَ بِنَفْسِهِ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) هُوَ أَجَلُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُعَانِيَ الْأَشْيَاءَ بِمُبَاشَرَةٍ وَ مُعَالَجَةٍ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ صِفَةُ الْمَخْلُوقِ الَّذِي لَا تَجِي‏ءُ الْأَشْيَاءُ لَهُ إِلَّا بِالْمُبَاشَرَةِ وَ الْمُعَالَجَةِ وَ هُوَ مُتَعَالٍ نَافِذُ الْإِرَادَةِ وَ الْمَشِيئَةِ فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ .

The questioner said, ‘So do the (Creation of the) things tire His -azwj Self?’ Abu Abdullah -asws said: ‘He is more Majestic than that the (Creation of) things should Tire Him -azwj by the Initiating (the things) and Processing, because that is a quality of the created beings who do not come to the things except by the production and the processing, and He -azwj is most Exalted, Implementer of the Will and the Desire, Doing whatever He -azwj so Desires to’.

[14] سَهْلٌ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ ( عليه السلام ) سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَ خَمْسِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَصْحَابُنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا أَجُوزُهُ فَعَلْتَ مُتَطَوِّلًا عَلَى عَبْدِكَ Sahl said, ‘I wrote to Abu Muhammad -asws in the year two hundred and fifty-five, ‘My Chief -asws !

Our companions have differed regarding the Tawheed (Oneness). From them is one who is saying, ‘He -azwj is a body’, and from them is one who is saying, ‘He -azwj is an image’. So what is your -asws view, O my Chief -asws , if you -asws could teach me from that, what I could pause upon and not exceed it. If you -asws do it, it would be a prolonged favour upon your -asws servant’.

فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ ( عليه السلام ) سَأَلْتَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَ هَذَا عَنْكُمْ مَعْزُولٌ اللَّهُ وَاحِدٌ أَحَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ خَالِقٌ وَ لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ يَخْلُقُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ الْأَجْسَامِ وَ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَ لَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ وَ يُصَوِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ لَيْسَ بِصُورَةٍ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَ تَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ شِبْهٌ هُوَ لَا غَيْرُهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ .

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