٤ - حدثنا أحمد بن علي بن إبراهيم (رضي الله عنه)، قال: حدثنا أبي، عن أبيه إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن علي بن معبد، عن واصل، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبيه، قال: حضرت أبا جعفر محمد بن علي الباقر (عليهما السلام)، ودخل عليه رجل من الخوارج، فقال: يا أبا جعفر، أي شئ تعبد؟ قال: الله. قال: رأيته؟ قال: لم تره العيون بمشاهدة العيان، ورأته القلوب بحقائق الايمان، لا يعرف بالقياس، ولا يشبه بالناس، موصوف بالآيات، معروف بالعلامات، لا يجور في حكمه، ذلك الله لا إله إلا هو. قال: فخرج الرجل وهو يقول: الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته (٣).
Ahmad b. `Ali b. Ibrahim  narrated to us. He said: My father narrated to us from his father Ibrahim b. Hashim from `Ali b. Mu`abbad from Wasil from `Abdullah b. Sinan from his father. He said: I was with Aba Ja`far Muhammad b. `Ali al-Baqir  when a man visited him from the Khawarij. So, he said: O Aba Ja`far! What do you worship? He said: Allah. He said: Did you see Him? He said: The vision of eyes cannot comprehend Him. Rather, it is the hearts that will see Him through the realities of faith. He is not known by analogies, nor is He comprehended by the senses, nor can He be compared to the people. He is described by His signs and He is known by His indicators. He does not oppress in His wisdom – surely, this is Allah, there is no deity except Him. So the man left while saying, “Allah is most knowing of where He places His message” (6:124).