In this chapter, the comprehension of the unity of God, Tawhid, in its being and attributes is discussed according to the Shi’a Imamiyyah Faith in the light of certain allegorical Verses of the Qur’an.

The author of this work, Shaykh Musa Ibn Babway Al-Qummi1, said that so far as the Oneness of Allah, the most gracious is concerned, the Shi’a point of view is that He is unique (ahad), and there is none that bears a resemblance to Him. He is unchanged since eternity and would remain the same until infinity.

He listens without ears and sees without eyes and encompasses everything. He is so judicious that He would not enter into any meaningless exercise. He is in full control of His domain and is free of any defects. He is dignified in His knowledge, and is so generous that everyone is a destitute before Him, but He is insolvent for none.

He is so incomparable that He could not be associated with any mathematical dimensions, because He is neither dense nor buoyant, neither stagnant nor in motion. Space and time could not circumvent Him. He is free of all the sordid qualities of His creatures. He is not bound by a likeness or a contrast. We could not negate Him of wisdom and knowledge and nor could we compare Him to His creatures in relation to those faculties.

In His being, He is an entity but not like those which are around us. He is inimitable, unique and self-sufficient. He had neither begotten anyone, who could claim succession to Him nor had He descended from someone else with whom He could be associated with in person and or his attributes.

He is incomparable without a rival and there is none that resembles Him. He neither has a spouse nor a companion and therefore, He is exclusive and without an equal. In short, He is unique in all aspects of attributes and actions.

He is so subtle that eyes could not sense Him in both the worlds, but He could identify every angle of what the eyes visualize. He is so exalted that human thought could not reach His station, but He is always aware of the thoughts of His servants. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He had created all things and only He is worthy of worship. To create and govern is His right.

“Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep” (2:255).

All praise was for the Master of the Universe. Anyone who associates Him with His creatures in any aspect, is a polytheist (Mushrik). Anyone who ascribes attributes with respect to the Oneness of God (Tawhid) other than what had been described in the present work - to Shi’ites - is a liar who forges false accusations.

If any narration is found contradicting the aforementioned characteristics of Tawhid, then it should be termed false and fake, because the subject matter of any Hadith or a narration, which is in opposition to the Qur’an is evidently baseless and incorrect. If, a similar narration is found in the books of our scholars, it should be treated as Muddalus (a tradition whose forgery was cleverly concealed or an implanted text).

Those narrations that created doubts in the minds of ignorant and people of lesser intellect, in respect of God’s resemblance with its creatures; its interpretation should be done in line with those Qur’anic Verses where such similarities arise. For example, it is mentioned in the Qur’an:

كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَه

“Everything has to expire except the face of God” (28:88).

Here the word Wajh i.e. face, must be interpreted as the religion of Islam or the one who is a mediator between God and His people. The mediator was one from whom awareness was sought to enhance one’s personal attention towards Allah. This Verse would then mean that everything would perish other than the religion of Islam and the mediator.

Similarly, in another Verse, the Qur’an stated:

يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ

“The Day that the shin (Sa-qa) shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able” (68:42).

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ وَقَدْ كَانُوا يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى السُّجُودِ وَهُمْ سَالِمُونَ

“Humbled shall be their eyes, and abasement shall overspread them for they had been summoned to prostrate themselves while they were yet unhurt” (68:43).

If Saa-qa was translated as a shin/thigh, which was the general perception, then it would tantamount to admitting a corporal configuration for God. However, if it is interpreted to metaphorically represent the severity of matters on the Day of Judgment, when there would be disclosure of the hidden affairs, then this meaning would become quite plausible.

In another example, when a person said that he had committed neglect towards the flank of God (Junbullah), it would only mean that he had failed in his compliance to conform his conducts according to God’s commands. Again, when God said:

وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي

“He has made His spirit to breathe into the body [of Adam]” (15:29).

Then, the sentence - nafakhtu fi hi min Ruhi - would only mean the transmittance of a spirit exclusively created for Adam. God’s reference to that spirit as His own was similar to those junctures when He had referred to the earth as His earth, His space and His paradise. The reference was only allegorical in such instances. Apart from these examples there were other instances such as in Surah Al-Maidah, when He said:

بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ

“His both Hands are spread out” (5:64).

Here this only referred to His endless bounties scattered in both the World rather than His physical hands.

At another point in time, He said:

وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ

“We have built the heaven with Hands (might)” (51:47).

‎

The hand here would mean an instrument of His authority. This idea was supplemented with another Verse of the Holy Qur’an:

وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدٌ ‎

“Remember Our Servant David, a person with hands” (38:17).

It means that Prophet Daoud was a man of courageous action.

Mentioning the episode of Satan, the Qur’an stated that God addressed him as below,

يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَ

“O Iblees, why have you not submitted to him, whom I have created with my both Hands” (38:75).

‎

Here hands would simply mean command and strength.

Also, when the Qur’an stated:

وَالْأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

“… And the whole earth shall be in His grip on the day of resurrection” (39:67).

it means that the earth would be solely a property of God and under His authority, without any partners showing up on the Day of Judgment, or:

وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِه

“…The Heavens will be folded back into His right Hand [on the Day of Judgment]” (39:67).

means that the Universe will be visibly seen within the control and supremacy of God. Or, when He said:

وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا

“And your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks” (89:22).

‎

‘Coming of the Lord’ here, means that God’s decree would descend, or:

كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ

“Certainly, on that Day their Lord shall remain hidden from them” (83:15).

When it means that those people shall be deprived of the blessings of their Lord, or:

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ

“Do those people wait for their Lord to come under the shadow of the clouds” (2:210).

Here, the coming of the Lord under the shadow of the clouds meant the arrival of God’s punishment. Or:

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ‎

“Some faces on that Day will be radiant” (75:22).

إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ

“Gazing towards their Lord” (75:23).

means that they would be waiting for the rewards of their Lord, or:

وَمَن يَحْلِلْ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبِي فَقَدْ هَوَىٰ

“He who receives My wrath will perish” (20:81).

Here, the word (Ghadhab) or ‘wrath’ stands for God’s punishment which was opposite to His Ridha, i.e. pleasure. Again, in the Holy Qur’an referring to Jesus’ reply:

تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ

“You know what is in my heart but I know not what is in Your Heart” (5:116).

Here, the mentioning of the word Nafs (heart or inner being) means the secrets. In other words, Jesus was replying to God that He knew the secrets of his heart or Nafs but he (Jesus) was unaware of God’s secrets.

On another occasion, the Qur’an mentioned:

وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ

“But Allah cautions you [o people], of [retribution from] Himself” (3:28).

Here the words ‘yuhazziru…nafsahu’ implies that God had warns people of His revenge and punishment. Or, when He said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ

“God and His Angels send their salutation to His Messenger” (33:56).

The word yu’salloona, literally meant salat or prayer. When referred to God, it meant that He was publicizing His messenger’s virtues or assets. The same word when used for general public would mean (dua) or prayer for enhancing the Prophet’s station. Here He was asking people to follow and salute the Prophet (S).

Again, it was stated in another Qur’anic Verse:

وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

“They plan (against Allah) and Allah plans (against them), truly Allah is the best of the planners” (8:30).

Or:

يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنفُسَهُمَْ

“They (think to) deceive God and believers but they deceive not but themselves” (2:9).

Or:

اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمَْ

“God mocks them and prolongs their transgression” (2:15).

Or:

نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمْ

“They forgot God and He forgot them” (9:67).

Or:

سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ

“Allah will (throw back their) ridicule (on) them” (9:79).

In all these Verses, the literal meanings of the words such as makr (deceive), khada (to mislead), istehza (to make fun of) or na’see (to forget) is not applicable. All these expressions are related to the effects i.e. reward or punishment of their deeds. In reality God does not cheat or deceive or play joke or forget, since all such characteristics are vile attributes and His Being is free of such absurdities.

The Verses, which we have mentioned in this chapter, might have multi-faceted meaning. Such words could be found in Shi’a books that become opposition’s target for ridicule. It is therefore suggested that the meanings of such words and expressions should be extracted in a similar manner, as we have shown for the above-mentioned Qur’anic Verses.

• 1. The Right Beginning: It was a long-term desire of mine to write some detailed explanatory notes to this precious book of Shaykh As-Saduq, due to its comprehensive nature. However, the profusion of other religious duties always impeded the fulfilment of this desire.
  Eventually on the insistence of many virtuous friends during the past years, I was compelled to find some time to initiate this religious work. Thus, with the support of Allah, the work on Ahsan Al-Fawaid Fi Sharh Al-Aqaid was commenced. We hope that the readers would appreciate our efforts.