٦ - قال وهب بن وهب القرشي: سمعت الصادق عليه السلام يقول: قدم وفد من أهل فلسطين على الباقر عليه السلام فسألوه عن مسائل فأجابهم، ثم سألوه عن الصمد، فقال: تفسيره فيه، الصمد خمسة أحرف: فالألف دليل على إنيته وهو قوله عز وجل: ﴿شهد الله أنه لا إله إلا هو﴾  وذلك تنبيه وإشارة إلى الغائب عن درك الحواس، واللام دليل على إلهيته بأنه هو الله، والألف واللام مدغمان لا يظهران على اللسان  ولا يقعان في السمع ويظهران في الكتابة دليلان على أن إلهيته بلطفه خافية لا تدرك بالحواس ولا تقع في لسان واصف، ولا أذن سامع، لأن تفسير الإله هو الذي إله الخلق عن درك ماهيته وكيفيته بحس أو بوهم، لا بل هو مبدع الأوهام وخالق الحواس، وإنما يظهر ذلك عند الكتابة دليل على أن الله سبحانه أظهر ربوبيته في إبداع الخلق وتركيب أرواحهم اللطيفة في أجسادهم الكثيفة، فإذا نظر عبد إلى نفسه لم ير روحه كما أن لام الصمد لا تتبين ولا تدخل في حاسة من الحواس الخمسة، فإذا نظر إلى الكتابة ظهر له ما خفي ولطف، فمتى تفكر العبد في ماهية البارئ وكيفيته أله فيه وتحير ولم تحط فكرته بشئ يتصور له لأنه عز وجل خالق الصور، فإذا نظر إلى خلقه ثبت له أنه عز وجل خالقهم و مركب أرواحهم في أجسادهم. وأما الصاد فدليل على أنه عز وجل صادق وقوله صدق وكلامه صدق ودعا عباده إلى اتباع الصدق بالصدق ووعد بالصدق دار الصدق وأما الميم فدليل على ملكه وأنه الملك الحق لم يزل ولا يزال ولا يزول ملكه. وأما الدال فدليل على دوام ملكه وأنه عز وجل دائم تعالى عن الكون والزوال بل هو عز وجل يكون الكائنات، الذي كان بتكوينه كل كائن، ثم قال عليه السلام: لو وجدت لعلمي الذي آتاني الله عز وجل حملة لنشرت التوحيد والإسلام والإيمان و الدين والشرائع من الصمد، وكيف لي بذلك ولم يجد جدي أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام حملة لعلمه حتى كان يتنفس الصعداء ويقول على المنبر: (سلوني قبل أن تفقدوني فإن بين الجوانح مني علما جما، هاه هاه إلا لا أجد من يحمله، ألا وإني عليكم من الله الحجة البالغة فلا تتولوا قوما غضب الله عليهم قد يئسوا من الآخرة كما يئس الكفار من أصحاب القبور). ثم قال الباقر عليه السلام: الحمد لله الذي من علينا ووفقنا لعبادته، الأحد الصمد  الذي لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفوا أحد، وجنبنا عبادة الأوثان، حمدا سرمدا وشكرا واصبا، وقوله عز وجل: (لم يلد ولم يولد) يقول: لم يلد عز وجل فيكون له ولد يرثه  ولم يولد فيكون له والد يشركه في ربوبيته وملكه (ولم يكن له كفوا أحد) فيعاونه في سلطانه . 
6. Wahab ibn Wahab al-Qurashi related I heard al-Sadiq  saying that a delegation from Palestine came to al-Baqir  and enquired about issues so he answered them. Then they asked him about the Needless [alSamad]; hence, he said: The meaning of the Needless [al-Samad] is found in the five letters of the word itself: Alif means to ascertain His Essence [inniyyat], as in the Word of the Mighty and High: Allah bears witness that there is no god but He,1 which means that he is not subject to sensory perception. The lam stands for divinity [ilahiyyah] and means that He, and only He, is Allah. The Alif and Lam are not pronounced by the tongue, and are not heard in listening; however, they appear in writing, demonstrating that His Divinity is a Secret of His Benevolence. The senses do not perceive them. They are not perceived in the words of the speaker, and they are not heard by ears of the listener. This is because the meaning of the word God [ilah] is: the One whose Essence and Nature cannot be perceived by the imagination or the senses. On the contrary, their [alif, lam] appearance in writing is an indication that Allah, Glory be to Him, manifested His Lordship through the creation of subtle spirits and unsubtle bodies. When a servant looks at himself, he does not see his spirit in the same way that the lam does not become evident, and is not perceived y any of the five sense. However, when he looks at the written form, what is hidden and elegant becomes evident to him. Thus, whenever a servant ponders the Essence of the Maker [al-bari’] and His Nature, he is overwhelmed and amazed, as his thoughts cannot grasp the concept of God, because He, the Mighty and High, is the Creator of Concepts. When he looks at the creation, however, he is forced to acknowledge that the Mighty and High is the creator and Composer of both spirits and bodies. As for the sad, it symbolizes that He, the Mighty and High, is al-Sadiq, the Truthful. His Words are the Truth. His Speech is the Truth. He calls upon His Servants to follow the truth, and He has promised in truth the place of Truth. The mim symbolizes His Kingdom [mulk], and that He is the Righteous King who surrenders not, and whose Kingdom never declines. And the dal symbolizes the eternity [dawam] of His Kingdom and that He, the Mighty and High, is Eternal. Exalted be He, the Mighty and High, from being created or from declining. He originated the Universe, and created all beings. He  then added, If I had found a bearer for my knowledge, bestowed upon me by Allah, the Mighty and High, I would have certainly spread Divine Unity, Islam, Faith, Religion, and Islamic law on the basis of the word `the Needless’ [al-Samad]. And how could it be possible for me to find someone to carry my knowl3edge, when even my grandfather, the Commander of the Faithful  did not find any bearer for his knowledge, causing him to sigh deeply, and proclaim the following from the pulpit: Ask me before you lose me, for verily I am full of knowledge. Alas I cannot find any hone who can bear it. Beware! I am the Proof of Allah upon you. Hence, do not support the people with whom Allah is angry. Do not support people who have no hope in the Hereafter just like the unbelievers are hopeless like the dead. Then al-Baqir  added: Praise be to Allah who granted us favor, and success in serving Him, the Unique, on who all depend, who begets not, nor is He begotten, and none is like Him. He kept us away from worshipping idols. Everlasting praise be to Him, and permanent thanks be to Him. The interpretation of His Word, the Mighty and High: He begets not, nor is He begotten, is as follows: He, the Mighty and High, has not given birth to have a son as an heir, nor is He begotten so that He would have a father who would share His Lordship and Kingdom; and none is like Him, so that another would assist Him in His Rule.