The first Name He -azwj Chose for His Own Self was ‘Al-Aliy...
The first Name He -azwj Chose for His Own Self was ‘Al-Aliy al-Azim’ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَ مُوسَى بْنِ عُمَرَ وَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع هَلْ كَانَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَارِفاً بِنَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ الْخَلْقَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ يَرَاهَا وَ يَسْمَعُهَا قَالَ مَا كَانَ مُحْتَاجاً إِلَى ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْأَلُهَا وَ لَا يَطْلُبُ مِنْهَا هُوَ نَفْسُهُ وَ نَفْسُهُ هُوَ قُدْرَتُهُ نَافِذَةٌ فَلَيْسَ يَحْتَاجُ أَنْ يُسَمِّيَ نَفْسَهُ وَ لَكِنَّهُ اخْتَارَ لِنَفْسِهِ أَسْمَاءً لِغَيْرِهِ يَدْعُوهُ بِهَا لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا لَمْ يُدْعَ بِاسْمِهِ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ فَأَوَّلُ مَا اخْتَارَ لِنَفْسِهِ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ لِأَنَّهُ أَعْلَى الْأَشْيَاءِ كُلِّهَا فَمَعْنَاهُ اللَّهُ وَ اسْمُهُ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ هُوَ أَوَّلُ أَسْمَائِهِ عَلَا عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from al-Hussain ibn Abd Allah, who from Mohammed ibn Abd Allah and Musa ibn Umar and al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Uthman, who from ibn Sinan, who said the following: ‘Once I asked Abu al-Hassan al-Reza -asws : Did Allah -azwj Know Himself before He Created the creation?
The Imam -asws replied: ‘Yes, He -azwj Knew Himself.’ I further asked: Did He See and Hear His Own Self?’ The Imam -asws replied: ‘Allah did not Need such things; He did not Ask or Demand it. He is His Own Self and His Own Self is He. His Power is dominant and He does not Need to name His Own Self. He Chose His Own Name, for the sake of others, so that they can call Him -azwj . As until one is not called by means of his name he is not recognised (by people).
The first Name He -azwj Chose for His Own Self was ‘Al-Aliy al-Azim’ (the Most High, The Great) because He -azwj is above all things. It then means that Allah -azwj and His Name Al-Aliy al-Azim is He -azwj .
The Most High, Means He is above all things.’ [1] وَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الِاسْمَ مَا هُوَ قَالَ صِفَةٌ لِمَوْصُوفٍ It is narrated through the same chain of narrators (as of above Hadith) from Mohammed ibn Sinan who said the following: I asked the Imam -asws about the name (of Allah -azwj ), What is it? The Imam -asws replied: It is an Attribute of the Attributes (of Allah -azwj ).
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