٩ - حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يعقوب الكليني، عن أحمد بن إدريس، عن محمد بن عبد الجبار، عن صفوان بن يحيى، قال: سألني أبو قرة المحدث أن أدخله على أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام فاستأذنته في ذلك فأذن لي، فدخل عليه فسأله عن الحلال والحرام والأحكام حتى بلغ سؤاله التوحيد، فقال أبو قرة: إنا روينا أن الله عز وجل قسم الرؤية والكلام بين اثنين، فقسم لموسى عليه السلام الكلام ولمحمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم الرؤية، فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام فمن المبلغ عن عز وجل إلى الثقلين الجن والإنس ﴿لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار﴾ (١) ﴿ويحيطون به علما﴾ (٢) ﴿وليس كمثله شئ﴾ (٣) أليس محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: بلى؟ قال: فكيف يجئ رجل إلى الخلق جميعا فيخبرهم أنه جاء من عند الله وأنه يدعوهم إلى الله بأمر الله ويقول: (لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار) (ولا يحيطون به علما) (وليس كمثله شئ) ثم يقول: أنا رأيته بعيني، وأحطت به علما وهو على صورة البشر، أما تستحيون؟ ما قدرت الزنادقة أن ترميه بهذا أن يكون يأتي عن الله بشئ، ثم يأتي بخلافه من وجه آخر! (٤). قال أبو قرة: فإنه يقول: ﴿ولقد رآه نزلة أخرى﴾  فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: إن بعد هذه الآية ما يدل على ما رأى، حيث قال: (ما كذب الفؤاد ما رأى) يقول: ما كذب فؤاد محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ما رأت عيناه، ثم أخبر بما رأى فقال: لقد رأى من آيات ربه الكبرى، فآيات الله عز وجل غير الله: وقد قال: (ولا يحيطون به علما) فإذا رأته الأبصار فقد أحاطت به العلم  ووقعت المعرفة، فقال أبو قرة فتكذب بالروايات فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: إذا كانت الروايات مخالفة للقرآن كذبت بها (١) وما أجمع المسلمون عليه أنه لا يحاط به علم (٢) ولا تدركه الأبصار، وليس كمثله شئ. 
9. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq  said: Muhammad ibn Ya`qub al-Kulayni said on the authority of Ahmad ibn Idris, on the authority of Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Jabbar, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya that Abu Qurrah, the traditionist, asked me to take him to Abu al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida ; therefore, I asked for his permission to visit him, and he granted it to me. So, he (Abu Qurrah) went to him, and asked him about the laws regarding the permissible and the forbidden, until he reached the subject of Divine Unity. Hence, Abu Qurrah said: “It has been transmitted to us that Allah, the Mighty and High, divided vision and speech between two prophets; allocating speech to Musa  and allocating vision for Muhammad ﷺ.” Consequently, Abu al-Hasan  replied: Who is it that brought the revelation from Allah, the Mighty and High, to both jinn and humankind? Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision.1 And they do not comprehend Him in knowledge.1 Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.2 Was it not Muhammad ﷺ? He said: “Of course?” He  added: If that is the case, then how could he come to all of creation, saying that he was sent by Allah, call them by His Command, that vision comprehend Him not, and He comprehend all vision. And they do not comprehend Him in Knowledge. Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him, and then claim that “I have seen Him with my own eyes. I comprehend Him, and He has a human form.” Are people not ashamed of saying such things? The unbelievers can use this against us: claiming that Allah revealed one thing and the Prophet contradicted it! Abu Qurrah says: “Then He says: And certainly he saw Him in another descent.3 Hence, Abu al-Hasan  replied: Verily, the verse after this verse stipulates what he saw, as He says, The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw.4 He is saying that the heart of Muhammad ﷺ was not untrue in what his eyes saw. Then He informs of what he saw and says: Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.5 Thus, the signs of Allah, the Mighty and High, are other than Allah. As He has said: And they do not comprehend Him in knowledge. So, if the eyes saw Him, then they comprehended Him in knowledge, and recognition had taken place. Abu Qurrah enquired: “Do you claim that the prophetic traditions are false?” Abu al-Hasan  responded: “Any prophetic traditions which contradict the Qur`an are false. According to the consensus of all Muslims, He cannot be comprehended in knowledge, vision comprehends Him not, and nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.”