The Imam -asws ...

The Imam -asws , then replied, He -azwj is not similar to any form and cannot be felt and comprehended through any of the senses and cannot be analogised with the people. He -azwj is near but at the same time He -azwj is far and He -azwj is far but He -azwj is near (at the same instance). He -azwj is above everything but one cannot say that certain things are above Him -azwj . He -azwj is before everything but one cannot say that something is before Him -azwj .

He -azwj is inside all things but not the way things are inside other things. He -azwj is outside everything but not the way things are outside other things. Glory belongs to the One -azwj who is such and nothing else other than Him -azwj is as such and for everything there is a precursor.

[44] مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنِّي نَاظَرْتُ قَوْماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ أَجَلُّ وَ أَعَزُّ وَ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْرَفَ بِخَلْقِهِ بَلِ الْعِبَادُ يُعْرَفُونَ بِاللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ Muhammad ibn Ismail has narrated the following from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim who said the following: Once, I spoke to Abu Abd Allah -asws saying: I debated with certain people and said to them, Allah -azwj , Glory be to Him, is Glorious, Majestic and Honourable.

It is not possible to define Him -azwj by means of His -azwj creatures. In fact, the existence of the creatures is proved through the existence of Allah -azwj . The Imam -asws said: May Allah -azwj bestow upon you blessings.

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