1251 - مَعرِفَةُ اللَّهِ بِاللَّهِ‏

1251. ATTAINING INNER KNOWLEDGE OF ALLAH THROUGH ALLAH HIMSELF

4093.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : اِعرِفوا اللَّهَ بِاللَّهِ ، والرَّسولَ بِالرِّسالَةِ ، واُولي الأمرِ بِالأمرِ بِالمَعروفِ والعَدلِ والإحسانِ .¹

4093.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Get to know Allah through Allah, and the Prophet through the message he brought, and those vested with authority through their command to do good, their justice and righteousness.’²

4094.الإمامُ الحسينُ عليه السلام - في الدُّعاءِ - : إلهي تَرَدُّدي في الآثارِ يُوجِبُ بُعدَ المَزارِ ، فاجمَعْني عَلَيكَ بِخِدمَةٍ تُوصِلُني إلَيكَ ، كَيفَ يُستَدَلُّ عَلَيكَ بِما هُوَ في وُجودِهِ مُفتَقِرٌ إلَيكَ ؟ ! أيَكونُ لِغَيرِكَ مِنَ الظُّهورِ ما لَيسَ لَكَ حتّى‏ يَكونَ هُوَالمُظهِرَ لَكَ ؟! متى‏ غِبتَ حتّى‏ تَحتاجَ إلى‏ دَليلٍ يَدُلُّ عَلَيكَ ؟ ! ... بِكَ أستَدِلُّ عَلَيكَ فَاهْدِني بِنورِكَ إلَيكَ .³

4094. Imam al-Husayn (AS) said in one of his supplications, ‘My God! My own concentration on the signs [in nature] prevents me from seeing You, so draw me near to You through Your service that may allow me to reach You. How can something that needs You for its very existence be used to prove Your existence?! Are other things more manifest than You that they be used to point to You?! When were You ever absent that You should need anything to prove Your existence?! Through You alone do I arrive at You, so guide me with Your light to Yourself.’⁴

4095.الإقبال عن الإمامِ زينِ العابدينَ عليه السلام - في الدّعاءِ - : بِكَ عَرَفتُكَ و أنتَ دَلَلتَني عَلَيكَ و دَعَوتَني إلَيكَ ، و لَولا أنتَ لَم أدرِ ما أنتَ .⁵

4095. Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said in one of his supplications, ‘I have attained knowledge of You through You, and You are the One Who indicated me to Yourself and called me to Yourself, and were it not for You, I would not know who You are.’⁶

1250 - أدنَى مَراتِبِ مَعرِفَةِ اللَّهِ‏

1250. THE LOWEST DEGREE OF INNER KNOWLEDGE OF ALLAH

4092.الإمامُ الكاظمُ عليه السلام - لَمّا سُئلَ عَن أدنَى المَعرِفةِ - : الإقرارُ بأ نَّهُ لا إلهَ غَيرُهُ ، ولا شِبهَ لَهُ ولا نَظيرَ وأ نَّهُ قَديمٌ ، مُثبَتٌ ، مَوجودٌ ، غَيرُ فَقيدٍ ، وأ نَّهُ لَيسَ كَمِثلِه شَي‏ءٌ .¹

4092. Imam al-Kazim (AS), when he was asked about the lowest degree of inner knowledge, replied, ‘It is to affirm that there is no god but He, and that He has no likeness or match, and that He is eternal, perpetual and everlasting. He is All-existent and not absent, and that there is nothing like Him.’²