٢ - حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن يعقوب الكليني، قال: حدثنا علي بن محمد، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين ابن خالد، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام أنه قال: إعلم - علمك الله الخير - أن الله تبارك وتعالى قديم، والقدم صفة دلت العاقل على أنه لا شئ قبله ولا شئ معه في ديموميته، فقد بان لنا بإقرار العامة مع معجزة الصفة لا شئ قبل الله ولا شئ مع الله في بقائه  وبطل قول من زعم أنه كان قبله أو كان معه شئ وذلك أنه لو كان معه شئ فبقائه لم يجز أن يكون خالقا له لأنه لم يزل معه: فكيف يكون خالقا لمن لم يزل معه، ولو كان قبله شئ كان الأول ذلك الشئ لا هذا، وكان الأول أولى بأن يكون خالقا للأول الثاني . ثم وصف نفسه تبارك وتعالى بأسماء دعا الخلق إذ خلقهم وتعبدهم وابتلاهم إلى أن يدعوه بها، فسمى نفسه سميعا بصيرا قادرا قائما ظاهرا باطنا لطيفا خبيرا قويا عزيزا حكيما عليما وما أشبه هذه الأسماء، فلما رأى ذلك من أسمائه الغالون المكذبون وقد سمعونا نحدث عن الله أنه لا شئ مثله ولا شئ من الخلق في حاله قالوا: أخبرونا إذ زعمتم أنه لا مثل لله ولا شبه له كيف شاركتموه في أسمائه الحسنى فتسميتم بجميعها؟! فإن في ذلك دليلا على أنكم مثله في حالاته كلها أو في بعضها دون بعض، إذ جمعتكم الأسماء الطيبة، قيل لهم: إن الله تبارك وتعالى ألزم العباد أسماء من أسمائه على اختلاف المعاني  وذلك كما يجمع الاسم الواحد معنيين مختلفين، والدليل على ذلك قول الناس الجائز عندهم الشائع، وهو الذي خاطب الله به الخلق وكلمهم بما يعقلون ليكون عليهم حجة في تضييع ما ضيعوا، وقد يقال للرجل: كلب وحمار وثور وسكرة وعلقمة وأسد، وكل ذلك على خلافه وحالاته  لم تقع الأسامي على معانيها التي كانت بنيت عليها، لأن الإنسان ليس بأسد ولا كلب، فافهم ذلك رحمك الله. وإنما نسمي الله بالعلم بغير علم حادث علم به الأشياء، واستعان به على حفظ ما يستقبل من أمره والروية فيما يخلق من خلقه، وبعينه ما مضى مما أفنى من خلقه مما لو لم يحضره ذلك العلم ويعنه كان جاهلا ضعيفا  كما أنا رأينا علماء الخلق أنما سموا بالعلم لعلم حادث إذ كانوا قبله جهلة، وربما فارقهم العلم بالأشياء فصاروا إلى الجهل  وإنما سمي الله عالما لأنه لا يجهل شيئا، فقد جمع الخالق والمخلوق اسم العلم  واختلف المعنى على ما رأيت، وسمى ربنا سميعا لا بجزء فيه يسمع به الصوت ولا يبصر به، كما أن جزءنا الذي نسمع به لا نقوى على النظر به، ولكنه أخبر أنه لا يخفى عليه الأصوات، ليس على حد ما سمينا نحن، فقد جمعنا الاسم بالسميع واختلف المعنى، وهكذا البصر لا بجزء به أبصر، كما أنا نبصر بجزء منا لا ننتفع به في غيره، ولكن الله بصير لا يجهل شخصا منظورا إليه، فقد جمعنا الاسم واختلف المعنى، وهو قائم ليس على معنى انتصاب وقيام على ساق في كبد كما قامت الأشياء  ولكن أخبر أنه قائم، يخبر أنه حافظ، كقولك: الرجل القائم بأمرنا فلان، وهو قائم على كل نفس بما كسبت، والقائم أيضا في كلام الناس الباقي، والقائم أيضا يخبر عن الكفاية، كقولك للرجل قم بأمر فلان أي اكفه، والقائم منا قائم على ساق، فقد جمعنا الاسم ولم يجمعنا المعنى، وأما اللطيف فليس على قلة وقضافة وصغر، ولكن ذلك على النفاذ في الأشياء  والامتناع من أن يدرك، كقولك لطف عني هذا الأمر، ولطف فلان في مذهبه وقوله يخبرك أنه غمض فبهر العقل وفات الطلب وعاد متعمقا متلطفا لا يدركه الوهم، فهكذا لطف الله، تبارك وتعالى عن أن يدرك بحد أو يحد بوصف، واللطافة منا الصغر و القلة، فقد جمعنا الاسم واختلف المعنى، وأما الخبير فالذي لا يعزب عنه شئ ولا يفوته شئ، ليس للتجربة ولا للاعتبار بالأشياء فيفيده التجربة والاعتبار علما لولاهما ما علم، لأن من كان كذلك كان جاهلا، والله لم يزل خبيرا بما يخلق والخبير من الناس المستخبر عن جهل المتعلم، وقد جمعنا الاسم واختلف المعنى، وأما الظاهر فليس من أجل أنه علا الأشياء بركوب فوقها، وقعود عليها، وتسنم لذراها، ولكن ذلك لقهره ولغلبته الأشياء ولقدرته عليها كقوله الرجل: ظهرت على أعدائي وأظهرني الله على خصمي، يخبر عن الفلج والغلبة، فهكذا ظهور الله على الأعداء . ووجه آخر أنه الظاهر لمن أراده، لا يخفى عليه شئ  وأنه مدبر لكل ما برأ، فأي ظاهر أظهره وأوضح من الله تعالى، وإنك لا تعدم صنعه حيثما توجهت، وفيك من آثاره ما يغنيك، والظاهر منا البارز بنفسه والمعلوم بحده، فقد جمعنا الاسم ولم يجمعنا المعنى، وأما الباطن فليس على معنى الاستبطان للأشياء بأن يغور فيها ولكن ذلك منه على استبطانه للأشياء علما وحفظا وتدبيرا، كقول القائل أبطنته، يعني خبرته وعلمت مكتوم سره، والباطن منا بمعنى الغائر في الشئ والمستتر به فقد جمعنا الاسم واختلف المعنى، وأما القاهر فإنه ليس على معنى علاج ونصب واحتيال ومداراة ومكر، كما يقهر العباد بعضهم بعضا، فالمقهور منهم يعود قاهرا، والقاهر يعود مقهورا، ولكن ذلك من الله تبارك وتعالى على أن جميع ما خلق ملتبس به الذل لفاعله وقلة الامتناع لما أراد به، لم يخرج منه طرفة عين غير أنه يقول له: كن فيكون، والقاهر منا على ما ذكرته ووصفت، فقد جمعنا الاسم واختلف المعنى، وهكذا جميع الأسماء وإن كنا لم نسمها كلها، فقد يكتفي للاعتبار بما ألقينا إليك، والله عوننا وعونك في إرشادنا وتوفيقنا. 
2. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq  said: Muhammad ibn Ya`qub alKulayni said: `Ali ibn Muhammad, said, on the authority Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Khalid that Abu al-Hasan al-Rida  said: May Allah bestow upon you knowledge of what is good! Know that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is Eternal. Eternity is an attribute through which the wise understand that there was nothing before Him in eternity, and that there is nothing alongside Him in eternity. Even the common folk acknowledge that nothing existed before Allah, and that nothing exists alongside Him. At the same time, it invalidates the claim that there was something before Him. Had there been something eternal along with Him. He would not have been the Creator of that thing. If something existed along with Him, how then would He have been its Creator? Had there been something existing before Him, then that thing would have been worthier of being His Creator because it existed before Him. The blessed and Exalted ascribed certain names to Himself. When He created his creatures, He enabled them to serve Him, and told His creatures to call Him by those names. He called Himself the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Powerful, the Riser ]qa`im], the Manifest, the Hidden, the Subtle, the All-Aware, the Powerful, the Honorable, the All-Wise, and the All-Knowing, among other similar names. When the lying exaggerators [ghalun] heard us talk about such names, that there is nothing similar to Him, and that none of the creatures are like unto Him, they said: “When you say that there is nothing like unto Him, and nothing is similar to Him, then how can you share with Him His Most Beautiful Names, and apply them to yourselves? Thus, this is proof that you are similar to Him in all conditions or in some conditions because you share the same purified names.” It is said to them: Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has named His Servants with some of His own Names but with differences in meaning just like one name may have two different meanings. The proof of this can be found among he common people. This is the way in which Allah, the Mighty and High, has addressed the creation. He has spoken to them by means of things that they understand so that the will have no excuse for their misdeeds. A man is sometimes called a dog, a donkey, a bull or a lion just like he can be called sweet or bitter. All of these words are used with a n allegorical meaning which differs from their literal meaning. A man cannot literally be a lion or a dog. Please pay close attention to this, May Allah have mercy on you! Verily, we say that Allah is AllKnowing, and not that He crated knowledge. It does not mean that He uses his Knowledge in order to record His Future Commands or His Process of Creation and Destruction because had that knowledge not been present that would imply ignorance or weakness. Likewise, the learned among creation are called knowledgeable because they possess created knowledge, which they did not have at some time in the past. They may lose their knowledge at some point and become ignorant again. However, Allah is called All-Knowing because He is not ignorant of anything. Thus, the Creator and the created are both called knowing, but the meaning is different as you have noticed.Our Lord is called All-Hearing. However, this is not through a body part or sensory organ without which He could not hear the sound as is the case with us. We cannot see with the part with which we hear. However, He has told us that no sound is hidden from Him. His hearing is not limited, as it is in our case. Here again the name hearing is used in both cases, but its meaning is different. The same applies for seeing. He does not see by means of an eye as we do. We see using a body part which serves that sole purpose. However, Allah is All-Seeing, and is never unaware of any individual. Again, the same name is used in both cases, but its meaning is different. He is Standing, but not in the sense of standing of His Les as would be the case for other beings. However, He informed us that He is Sanding, and that He is the Guardian. This is like the saying “A man is standing behind our affairs.” He is Standing behind every soul watching what is gains. As used by people, the word “standing” also has meanings like `sufficing.’ As you may say to a man, “Stand up for the affairs of so and so” which means to deal with them in a sufficient manner. Standing for us means that we stand on our legs. Therefore, the name is similar but its meaning is different. As for the term Subtle, it is Subtle, it is not used in the sense of smallness or being infinitesimal. Rather, it is used to express how difficult it is to perceive things. As an example, it may be said: “It has become very delicate for me,” and that “so and so is very delicate in his manners and dealings.” This means that it is profound for the intellect, and it is very difficult to understand. It has become so delicate that it cannot even be perceived by means of the imagination. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is far more Subtle than to be comprehended through definitions or be limited by an attribute in the way we are subtle, small and delicate. Names can be the same but they can differ in meaning. As for the All-Aware, it means that He is the One who Knows all Things, Completely, but not through study or experience, without which He would know nothing. One without experience and training is ignorant. Allah is always All-Aware of what He ha created. The people who are well are those people who are learning to overcome their ignorance. Thus, names are the same but again, they differ in meaning. As for the Manifest, it does not mean that He is over and above all things or sitting on the uppermost part of them. Rather, it refers to His Dominion and His Power over All Things. An example of this would be when a person says, “I overcame my enemies” or that “Allah granted me victory over my enemies.” In this case, there is a report of failure and victory. Thus, this shows Allah’s Dominion over all enemies.Another illustration that He is Manifest is that for those who intend Him, nothing is hidden form Him, and He is the Planner of all that can be seen. What can be clearer or more manifest than Allah, the Exalted? No matter where you look, His Presence will never vanish. Even within you, His Traces are sufficient proof for His Existence. However, what is manifested in us is apparent, and its limits are known. Therefore, the names are thee same, but their meanings differ. As for the Hidden, it does not mean that He is inside things. Rather, it refers to His Inner Knowledge of all things from their planning to their preserving. As one may say, “I tried to get to the inside of the matter,” that is, “I came to learn and discover his secrets.” For us, what is hidden is what is unseen and covered. Once again, the names are the same, but they differ in meaning. As for the Subduer, it does not refer to plotting, using certain devices, speaking seductive words, or using cunning means as some people do to subdue one another. The victorious among the people may become subdued, and vice versa. However, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted,, all creatures are weak. Due to the absence of obstacles in what He wills for them, it takes less than a blinking of the eye for Him to say “Be and it is.” Subduing in our case is how I mentioned and explained. Thus, names are alike but their meanings differ. That is the case for all the names, although we have not mentioned all of them. We will suffice with this for learning purpose. May Allah be our Helper and your Helper assuring our guidance and success!