Al-Kāfi - The Book on Oneness of Allah (God)

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) Chapter: Chapter on Wish and Will َّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَحْ٠َدَ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْ٠ِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِي٠ِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ٠ُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْه٠) يَقُولُ لا يَكُونُ شَيْ‏ءٌ إِلا ٠َا شَاءَ الله وَأَرَادَ وَقَدَّرَ وَقَضَى قُلْتُ ٠َعْنَى شَاءَ قَالَ ابْتِدَاءُ الْفِعْلِ قُلْتُ ٠َعْنَى قَدَّرَ قَالَ تَقْدِيرُ الشَّيْ‏ءِ ٠ِنْ طُولِهِ وَعَرْضِهِ قُلْتُ ٠َعْنَى قَضَى قَالَ إِذَا قَضَى أَ٠ْضَاهُ فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي لا ٠1.

It is narrated from Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abdallah from his father from Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Daylami from Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Hashimi who has said the following. “I heard abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) saying, ‘There can nothing until Allah would wish it to be, will, measure and decree.” I asked what is the meaning of wish (Sha’a)? The Imam replied, “It is to begin the act.” I asked, “What is the meaning of measure (Qaddara)?

The Imam replied, “It is measuring the length and the width of something.” I asked what is the meaning of decree (Qada)? The Imam replied, “When He decrees He lets it happen and this is when it becomes unavoidable to happen.” يخرجه - Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi (Sahih al-Kafi) ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/155))