Sermon 186: He who assigns to Him (different) conditions does not believe in His Oneness….

About the Oneness of Allah. This sermon contains principles of knowledge which no other sermon contains

مَا وَحَّدَهُ مَنْ كَيَّفَهُ،

He who assigns to Him (different) conditions does not believe in His Oneness,

وَلاَ حَقِيقَتَهُ أَصَابَ مَنْ مَثَّلَهُ،

nor does he who likens Him grasp His reality.

وَلاَ إِيَّاهُ عَنَى مَنْ شَبَّهَهُ،

He who illustrates Him does not signify Him.

وَلاَ صَمَدَهُ مَنْ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَوَهَّمَهُ.

He who points at Him and imagines Him does not mean Him.

كُلُّ مَعْرُوف بِنَفْسِهِ مَصْنُوعٌ،

Everything that is known through itself has been created,

وَكُلُّ قَائِم فِي سِوَاهُ مَعْلُولٌ.

and everything that exists by virtue of other things is the effect (of a cause).

فَاعِلٌ لاَ بِاضْطِرَابِ آلَة،

He works but not with the help of instruments.

مُقَدِّرٌ لاَ بِجَوْلِ فِكْرَة،

He fixes measures but not with the activity of thinking.

غَنِيٌّ لاَ بِاسْتِفَادَة.

He is rich but not by acquisition.

لاَ تَصْحَبُهُ الاْوْقَاتُ،

Times do not keep company with Him,

وَلاَ تَرْفِدُهُ الاْدَوَاتُ،

and implements do not help Him.

سَبَقَ الاْوْقَاتَ كَوْنُهُ،

His Being precedes times.

وَالْعَدَمَ وُجُودُهُ،

His Existence precedes non-existence

وَالابْتِدَاءَ أَزَلُهُ.

and His eternity precedes beginning.

بِتَشْعِيرِهِ الْمَشَاعِرَ عُرِفَ أَنْ لاَ مَشْعَرَ لَهُ،

By His creating the senses it is known that He has no senses.

وَبِمُضَادَّتِهِ بَيْنَ الاْمُورِ عُرِفَ أَنْ لاَ ضِدَّ لَهُ،

By the contraries in various matters it is known that He has no contrary,

وَبِمُقَارَنَتِهِ بَيْنَ الاْشْيَاءِ عُرِفَ أَنْ لاَ قَرِينَ لَهُ.

and by the similarity between things it is known that there is nothing similar to Him.

ضَادَّ النُّورَ بِالظُّلْمَةِ،

He has made light the contrary of darkness,

وَالْوُضُوحَ بِالْبُهْمَةِ،

brightness that of gloom,

وَالْجُمُودَ بِالْبَلَلِ،

dryness that of moisture

وَالْحَرُورَ بِالصَّرَدِ.

and heat that of cold.

مُؤَلِّفٌ بَيْنَ مُتَعَادِيَاتِهَا،

He produces affection among inimical things.

مُقَارِنٌ بَيْنَ مُتَبَايِنَاتِهَا،

He fuses together diverse things,

مُقَرِّبٌ بَيْنَ مُتَبَاعِداتِهَا،

brings near remote things

مُفَرِّقٌ بَيْنَ مُتَدَانِيَاتِهَا.

and separates things which are joined together.

لاَ يُشْمَلُ بِحَدّ،

He is not confined by limits,

وَلاَ يُحْسَبُ بِعَدٍّ،

nor counted by numbers.

وَإِنَّمَا تَحُدُّ الاْدَوَاتُ أَنْفُسَهَا،

Material parts can surround things of their own kind,

وَتُشِيرُ الاْلاَتُ إِلَى نَظَائِرِهَا،

and organs can point out things similar to themselves.

مَنَعَتْهَا «مُنْذُ» الْقِدْمَةَ،

The word 1 "mundhu" (i.e. since) disproves their eternity,

وَحَمَتْهَا «قَدُ» الاْزَلِيَّةَ،

the word "qad" (that denotes nearness of time of occurrence),

وَجَنَّبَتْهَا «لَوْلاَ» التَّكْمِلَةَ.

disproves their being from ever and the word "lawla" (if it were not) keep them remote from perfection.

بِهَا تَجَلَّى صَانِعُهَا لِلْعُقُولِ،

Through them the Creator manifests Himself to the intelligence,

وَبِهَا امْتَنَعَ عَنْ نَظَرِ الْعُيُونِ.

and through them He is guarded from the sight of the eyes.

لاَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِ السُّكُونُ وَالْحَرَكَةُ،

Stillness and motion do not occur in Him,

وَكَيْفَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِ مَا هُوَ أَجْرَاهُ،

and how can that thing occur in Him which He has Himself made to occur,

وَيَعُودُ فِيهِ مَا هُوَ أَبْدَاهُ،

and how can a thing revert to Him which He first created,

وَيَحْدُثُ فِيهِ مَا هُوَ أَحْدَثَةُ ؟!

and how can a thing appear in Him which He first brought to appearance.

إِذاً لَتَفَاوَتَتْ ذَاتُهُ،

If it had not been so, His Self would have become subject to diversity,

وَلَتَجَزَّأَ كُنْهُهُ،

His Being would have become divisible (into parts),

وَلاَمْتَنَعَ مِنَ الاْزَلِ مَعْنَاهُ،

and His reality would have been prevented from being deemed Eternal.

وَلَكَانَ لَهُ وَرَاءٌ إِذْ وُجِدَ لَهُ أَمَامٌ،

If there was a front to Him there would have been a rear also for Him.

وَلاَلْـتَمَسَ الـتَّمامَ إِذْ لَزِمَهُ النُّقْصَانُ.

He would need completing only if shortage befell Him.

وَإِذاً لَقَامَتْ آيَةُ الْمَصْنُوعِ فِيهِ،

In that case signs of the created would appear in Him,

وَلَتَحَوَّلَ دَلِيلاً بَعْدَ أَنْ كَانَ مَدْلُولاً عَلَيْهِ،

and He would become a sign (leading to other objects) instead of signs leading to Him.

وَخَرَجَ بِسُلْطَانِ الاْمْتِنَاعِ مِنْ أَنْ يُؤَثِّرَ فِيهِ مَا يُؤثِّرُ فِي غَيْرِهِ.

Through the might of His abstention (from affectedness) He is far above being affected by things which affect others.

الَّذِي لاَ يَحُولُ وَلاَ يَزُولُ،

He is that which does not change or vanish.

وَلاَ يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهِ الاْفُولُ

The process of setting does not behove Him.

لَمْ يَلِدْ فَيَكُونَ مَوْلُوداً،

He has not begotten any one lest He be regarded as having been born.

وَلَمْ يُولَدْ فَيَصِيرَ مَحْدُوداً،

He has not been begotten otherwise He would be contained within limits.

جَلَّ عَنِ اتِّخَاذِ الاْبْنَاءِ،

He is too High to have sons.

وَطَهُرَ عَنْ مُلاَمَسَةِ النِّسَاءِ.

He is too purified to contact women.

لاَ تَنَالُهُ الاْوْهَامُ فَتُقَدِّرَهُ،

Imagination cannot reach Him so as to assign Him quantity.

وَلاَ تَتَوَهَّمُهُ الْفِطَنُ فَتُصَوِّرَهُ،

Understanding cannot think of Him so as to give him shape.

وَلاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الْحَوَاسُّ فَتُحِسَّهُ،

Senses do not perceive Him so as to feel Him.

وَلاَ تَلْمِسُهُ الاْيْدِي فَتَمَسَّهُ.

Hands cannot touch Him so as to rub against Him.

وَلاَ يَتَغَيَّرُ بِحَال،

He does not change into any condition.

وَلاَ يَتَبَدَّلُ فِي الاْحْوَالِ،

He does not pass from one state to another.

وَلاَ تُبْلِيهِ اللَّيَالي وَالاْيَّامُ،

Nights and days do not turn Him old.

وَلاَ يُغَيِّرُهُ الضِّيَاءُ وَالظَّلاَمُ،

Light and darkness do not alter Him.

وَلاَ يُوصَفُ بِشَيء مِنَ الاْجْزَاءِ،

He cannot be described through (the possession of) parts,

وَلاَ بِالجَوَارِحِ وَالاْعْضَاءِ،

or through limbs and organs,

وَلاَ بِعَرَض مِنَ الاْعْرَاضِ،

or by a an accidental quality

وَلاَ بِالْغَيْرِيَّةِ وَالاْبْعَاضِ.

or alteration or portions.

وَلاَ يُقَالُ: لَهُ حَدٌّ وَلاَ نِهَايَةٌ،

It cannot be said that He has a limit or extremity,

وَلاَ انقِطَاعٌ وَلاَ غَايَةٌ،

or end or termination;

وَلاَ أَنَّ الاْشْيَاءَ تَحْوِيهِ فَتُقِلَّهُ أَوْ تُهْوِيَهُ،

nor do things control Him so as to raise Him or lower Him,

أَوْ أَنَّ شَيْئاً يَحْمِلُهُ،

nor does anything carry Him

فَيُمِيلَهُ أَوْ يُعَدِّلَهُ.

so as to bend Him or keep Him erect.

لَيْسَ فِي الاْشْيَاءِ بِوَالِج،

He is not inside things

وَلاَ عَنْهَا بِخَارِج.

or outside them.

يُخْبِرُ لاَ بِلِسَان وَلَهوَات،

He conveys news, but not with the tongue or voice.

وَيَسْمَعُ لاَ بِخُروُق وَأَدَوَات،

He listens, but not with the holes of the ears or the organs of hearing.

يَقُولُ وَلاَ يَلْفِظُ،

He says, but does not utter words.

يَحْفَظُ وَلاَ تَحَفَّظُ،

He remembers, but does not memorise.

وَيُرِيدُ وَلاَ يُضْمِرُ.

He determines, but not by exercising His mind.

يُحِبُّ وَيَرْضَى مِنْ غَيْرِ رِقَّة،

He loves and approves without any sentimentality (of heart).

وَيُبْغِضُ وَيَغْضَبُ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَشَقَّة.

He hates and feels angry without any painstaking.

يَقُولُ لِمَا أَرَادَ كَوْنَهُ: (كُنْ فَيَكُونُ)،

When He intends to create something He says ‘"..Be" and it is’ (2:117),

لاَ بِصَوْت يَقْرَعُ، وَلاَ بِنِدَاء يُسْمَعُ،

but not through a voice that strikes (the ears) is that call heard.

وَإِنَّمَا كَلاَمُهُ سُبْحَانَهُ فِعْلٌ مِنْهُ أَنْشَأَهُ وَمَثَّلَهُ،

His speech is an act of His creation.

لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ قَبْلِ ذلِكَ كَائِناً،

His like never existed before this.

لَوْ كَانَ قَدِيماً لَكَانَ إِلهاً ثَانِياً.

If it had been eternal it would have been a second god.

لاَ يُقَالُ: كَانَ بَعْدَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ،

It cannot be said that He came into being after He had not been in existence

فَتَجْرِيَ عَلَيْهِ الصِّفَاتُ الْـمُحْدَثَاتُ،

because in that case the attributes of the created things would be assigned to Him

وَلاَ يَكُونُ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ فَصْلٌ،

and there would remain no difference between them and Him,

وَلاَ لَهُ عَلَيْهَا فَضْلٌ،

and He would have no distinction over them.

فَيَسْتَوِيَ الصَّانِعُ والْمَصْنُوعُ،

Thus, the Creator and the created would become equal

وَيَتَكَافَأَ المُبْتَدَعُ وَالْبَدِيعُ.

and the initiator and the initiated would be on the same level.

خَلَقَ الْخَلاَئِقَ عَلَى غَيْرِ مِثَال خَلاَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ،

He created (the whole of) creation without any example made by someone else,

وَلَمْ يَسْتَعِنْ عَلَى خَلْقِهَا بِأَحَد مِنْ خَلْقِهِ.

and He did not secure the assistance of any one out of His creation for creating it.

وَأَنْشَأَ الاْرْضَ فَأَمْسَكَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ اشْتِغَال،

He created the earth and suspended it without being busy,

وَأَرْسَاهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ قَرَار،

retained it without support,

وَأَقَامَهَا بِغَيْرِ قَوَائِمَ،

made it stand without legs,

وَرَفَعَهَا بِغَيْرِ دَعائِمَ،

raised it without pillars,

وَحَصَّنَهَا مِنَ الاْوَدَ وَالاْعْوِجَاجِ،

protected it against bendings and curvings

وَمَنَعَهَا مِنَ التَّهَافُتِ وَالانْفِرَاجِ،

and defended it against crumbling and splitting (into parts).

أَرْسَى أَوْتَادَهَا،

He fixed mountains on it like stumps,

وَضَرَبَ أَسْدَادَهَا،

solidified its rocks,

وَاسْتَفَاضَ عُيُونَهَا،

caused its streams to flow

وَخَدَّ أَوْدِيَتَهَا،

and opened wide its valleys.

فَلَمْ يَهِنْ مَا بَنَاهُ،

Whatever He made did not suffer from any frailty,

وَلاَ ضَعُفَ مَا قَوَّاهُ.

and whatever He strengthened did not show any weakness.

هُوَ الظّاهِرُ عَلَيْهَا بِسُلْطَانِهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ،

He manifests Himself over the earth with His authority and greatness.

وَهُوَ الْبَاطِنُ لَهَا بِعِلْمِهِ وَمَعْرِفَتِهِ،

He is aware of its inside through his knowledge and understanding.

وَالْعَالي عَلَى كَلِّ شَيْء مِنهَا بِجَلاَلِهِ وَعِزَّتِهِ.

He has power over every thing in the earth by virtue of His sublimity and dignity.

لاَ يُعْجِزُهُ شَيْءٌ مِنْهَا طَلَبَهُ،

Nothing from the earth that he may ask for defies Him,

وَلاَ يَمْتَنِعُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَغْلِبَهُ،

nor does it oppose Him so as to overpower Him.

وَلاَ يَفُوتُهُ السَّرِيعُ مِنْهَا فَيَسْبِقَهُ،

No swift-footed creature can run away from Him so as to surpass Him.

وَلاَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى ذِي مَال فَيَرْزُقَهُ.

He is not needy towards any possessing person so that he should feed Him.

خَضَعَتِ الاْشْيَاءُ لَهُ،

All things bow to Him

وَذَلَّتْ مُسْتَكِينَةً لِعَظَمَتِهِ،

and are humble before His greatness.

لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ الْهَرَبَ مِنْ سُلْطَانِهِ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ فَتَمْتَنِعَ مِنْ نَفْعِهِ وَضَرِّهِ،

They cannot flee away from His authority to someone else in order to escape His benefit or His harm.

وَلاَ كُفؤَ لَهُ فَيُكَافِئَهُ،

There is no parallel for Him who may match Him

وَلاَ نَظِيرَ لَهُ فَيُسَاوِيَهُ.

and no one like Him so as to equal Him.

هُوَ الْمُفْنِي لَهَا بَعْدَ وُجُودِهَا،

He will destroy the earth after its existence,

حَتَّى يَصِيرَ مَوْجُودُهَا كَمَفْقُودِهَا.

till all that exists on it will become non-existent.

وَلَيْسَ فَنَاءُ الدُّنْيَا بَعْدَ ابْتِدَاعِهَا بِأَعْجَبَ مِنْ إنْشَائِهَا وَاخْتِرَاعِهَا،

But the extinction of the world after its creation is no more marvelous than its first formation and invention.

وَكَيفَ وَلَوْ اجْتَمَعَ جَمِيعُ حَيَوانِهَا مِنْ طَيْرِهَا وَبَهَائِمِهَا،

How could it be otherwise? Even if all the animals of the earth, whether birds or beasts,

ومَا كَانَ مِنْ مُرَاحِهَا وَسَائِمِهَا،

stabled cattle or pasturing ones,

وَأَصْنَافِ أَسْنَاخِهَا وَأَجْنَاسِهَا،

of different origins and species,

وَمُتَبَلِّدَةِ أُمَمِهَا وَأَكْيَاسِهَا،

dull people and sagacious men –

عَلَى إِحْدَاثِ بَعُوضَة،

all jointly try to create (even) a mosquito

مَا قَدَرَتْ عَلَى إِحْدَاثِهَا،

they are not able to bring it into being

وَلاَ عَرَفَتْ كَيْفَ السَّبِيلُ إِلَى إِيجَادِهَا،

and do not understand what is the way to its creation.

وَلَتَحَيَّرَتْ عُقُولُهَا فِي عِلْمِ ذلِكَ وَتاهَتْ،

Their wits are bewildered and wandering.

وَعَجِزَتْ قُوَاهَا وَتَنَاهَتْ،

Their powers fall short and fail,

وَرَجَعَتْ خَاسِئَةً حَسِيرَةً ،

and return dazzled and weary,

عَارِفَةً بِأَنَّهَا مَقْهُورَةٌ،

knowing that they are defeated

مُقِرَّةً بِالْعَجْزِ عَنْ إِنْشَائِهَا،

and admitting their inability to produce it,

مُذْعِنَةً بِالضَّعْفِ عَنْ إفْنَائِهَا!

also realising that they are too weak (even) to destroy it!

وَإِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ، يَعُودُ بَعْدَ فَنَاءِ الدُّنْيَا وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَيْءَ مَعَهُ،

Surely, after the extinction of the world, Allah the Glorified will remain alone with nothing else beside Him.

كَمَا كَانَ قَبْلَ ابْتِدَائِهَا،

He will be, after its extinction,

كَذلِكَ يَكُونُ بَعْدَ فَنَائِهَا،

as He was before its production:

بِلاَ وَقْت وَلاَ مَكَان،

without time or place

وَلاَ حِين وَلاَ زَمَان،

or moment or period.

عُدِمَتْ عِنْدَ ذلِكَ الاْجَالُ وَالاْوْقَاتُ،

At this moment, period and time will not exist,

وَزَالَتِ السِّنُونَ وَالسَّاعَاتُ،

and years and hours will disappear.

فَلاَ شَيْءَ إِلاَّ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ مَصِيرُ جَمِيعِ الاْمُورِ،

There will be nothing except Allah, the One, the All-powerful. To Him is the return of all matters.

بِلاَ قُدْرَة مِنْهَا كَانَ ابْتِدَاءُ خَلْقِهَا،

Its initial creation was not in its power;

وَبِغَيْرِ امْتِنَاع مِنْهَا كَانَ فَنَاؤُهَا،

and the prevention of its extinction was (also) not in its power.

وَلَوْ قَدَرَتْ عَلَى الامْتِنَاعِ لَدَامَ بَقَاؤُهَا.

If it had the power to prevent it, it would have existed for ever.

لَمْ يَتَكَاءَدْهُ صُنْعُ شَيْء مِنْهَا إِذْ صَنَعَهُ،

When He made anything of the world, the making of it did not cause Him any difficulty,

وَلَمْ يَؤُدْهُ مِنْهَا خَلْقُ مَا بَرَأَهُ وَخَلَقَهُ،

and the creation of anything which He created and formed did not fatigue Him.

وَلَمْ يُكَوِّنْهَا لِتَشْدِيدِ سُلْطَان،

He did not create it to heighten His authority

وَلاَ لِخَوْف مِنْ زَوَال وَنُقْصَان،

nor for fear of loss or harm,

وَلاَ لِلاْسْتِعَانَةِ بِهَا عَلَى نِدٍّ مُكَاثِر،

nor to seek its help against an overwhelming foe,

وَلاَ لِلاْحْتِرَازِ بِهَا مِنْ ضِدٍّ مُثَاوِر،

nor to guard against any avenging opponent with its help,

وَلاَ لِلاْزْدِيَادِ بِهَا فِي مُلْكِهِ،

nor for the extension of His domain by its help,

وَلاَ لِمُكَاثَرَةِ شَرِيك فِي شِرْكِهِ،

nor for boasting (over largeness of His possession) against a partner,

وَلاَ لِوَحْشَة كَانَتْ مِنْهُ،

nor because He felt lonely

فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَسْتَأْنِسَ إِلَيْهَا.

and desired to seek its company.

ثُمَّ هُوَ يُفْنِيهَا بَعْدَ تَكْوِينِهَا،

Then after its creation He will destroy it,

لاَ لِسَأَم دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فِي تَصْرِيفِهَا وَتَدْبِيرِهَا،

but not because any worry has overcome Him in its upkeep and administration,

وَلاَ لِرَاحَة وَاصِلَة إِلَيْهِ،

or for any pleasure that will accrue to Him,

وَلاَ لِثِقَلِ شَيْء مِنْهَا عَلَيْهِ.

or for the cumbrousness of anything over Him.

لاَ يُمِلُّهُ طُولُ بَقَائِهَا فَيَدْعُوَهُ إِلَى سُرْعَةِ إِفْنَائِهَا،

The length of its life does not weary Him so as to induce Him to its quick destruction.

لكِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ دَبَّرَهَا بِلُطْفِهِ،

But Allah, the Glorified, has maintained it with His kindness,

وَأمسَكَهَا بِأَمْرِهِ،

kept it intact with His command

وَأَتْقَنَهَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ.

and perfected it with His power.

ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهَا بَعْدَ الْفَنَاءِ

Then after its destruction, He will resuscitate it,

مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَة مِنْهُ إِلَيْهَا،

but not for any need of His own towards it,

وَلاَ اسْتِعَانَة بَشَيْء مِنْهَا عَلَيْهَا،

nor to seek the assistance of any of its things against it,

وَلاَ لاِنصِرَاف مِنْ حَال وَحْشَة إلَى حَالِ اسْتِئْنَاس،

nor to change over from the condition of loneliness to that of company,

وَلاَ مِنْ حَالِ جَهْل وَعَمىً إِلَى [حَالِ ]عِلْم وَالْتمَاس،

nor from the condition of ignorance and blindness to that of knowledge and search,

وَلاَ مِنْ فَقْر وَحَاجَة إِلَى غِنىً وَكَثْرَة،

nor from paucity and need towards needlessness and plenty,

وَلاَ مِنْ ذُلٍّ وَضَعَة إِلَى عِزٍّ وَقُدْرَة.

nor from disgrace and lowliness towards honour and prestige.

 

Alternative Sources for Sermon 186:  Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, I, 138; al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, 96, 320, 324; al-Saduq, al-'Amali, 205; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 131; al-Mufid, al-'Ikhtisas, 236; Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkirah, 157; al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 299; al-Murtada, al-'Amali, I, 103.

 

1. The meaning is that the sense for which the words "mundhu”, "qad" and "lawla" have been formed is opposed to the attributes of "Ever", "Eternal" and "Perfect". Therefore, their application to anything would prove that they have come into existence from non-existence and are imperfect. For example, "mundhu" is used to denote time as is "qad wujida mundu kadha" (this thing is found since so-and-so). Here a time limit has been stated, and anything for which a limit of time can be described cannot exist from ever or for ever. The word "qad" shows (indicating the present perfect tense) the immediate past. This sense also can apply to a thing which is limited in time. The word "lawla" is used to denote the negation of something in another thing, as "ma ahsanahu wa akmalahu lawla annahu kadha" (how handsome and perfect it would be if it were so-and-so). Therefore, the thing for which this word is used would be in need of others in handsomeness and perfection, and would remain deficient by itself.