10. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq (RA) said: Muhammad ibn Ja`far Abu al-Husayn al-Asadi said: al-Husayn ibn al-Ma`mun al-Qarashi said, on the authority of `Umr ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, on the authority of Hisham ibn al-Hakam that Abu Shakir al-Daysani said to me: “Verily, I have a query; I want you to take permission for me from your companion. For I have certainly asked about it from many scholars. They have not been able to answer me with a satisfactory answer.” So I said: “Would you like to tell me the query. Perhaps I have an answer that would please you.” He replied, “I would certainly like to meet Abu `Abd Allah (AS) with this query.” So I obtained the permission for him and he entered his presence and asked him (AS), “Do you permit me to ask a question?” The Imam (AS) replied, “Ask what has come to you.” He asked, “How can you prove that you have a Creator?” Consequently, he (AS) responded, I found myself not free from one of two possibilities: either I have crated myself, or someone else has created me. If I have created myself, then I am not free from one of the two meanings: either I created myself while I was already existent, or I created myself while I was on nonexistent. Hence, if I created myself, and I already exited, then I was self-sufficient of giving existence to myself. And if I was nonexistent, then you know that the nonexistent cannot bring about a thing. Therefore, the third meaning is proved that I have a Creator and that is Allah, the Lord of the Universe. Al-Daysani got up and did not negate the answer. The Compiler of this book says: The correct statement in this chapter is to say: we have recognized Allah through Allah, because if we recognized Him through our intellects then He, the Mighty and High, is the Bestower of our intellects. And if we recognized Him, the Mighty and High, through His Prophets, Messengers and Proofs (AS) then He, the Mighty and High, is the One that delegates them, sends them, and the One who has taken them as His Proofs. If we have recognized Him though ourselves then He, the Mighty and High, is the One who brought us about. Thus, through Him we have recognized Him. Al-Sadiq (AS) has said: “If Allah did not exist then we (Imams) would not have been known, and if we were not there, then Allah would not be recognized.” The meaning of that is that if the Proofs did not exist, then Allah would not be recognized the way He deserves to be recognized, and if Allah did not exist, then the Proofs would not have been known. I have heard some theologians say: “Even if a person were born in a desert on earth and even if he found nobody to guide him until he becomes big, contemplating the heaves and the earth would be sufficient to guide him to the fact that there is One Creator who brought them about.” I would respond: Verily, this is something that has not happened, and it relates the news of something that has not happened. If it has happened, how could it be? If such a thing ever took place, then that man must have been a Proof of Allah, may His Remembrance of Himself be Exalted, or a Prophet (AS). Allah sent different type of Prophets. Some were individual Prophets, who were individually guided. Some were sent to their families, and children. Some were sent to the people in their region. Some were sent to the people in their city. And some were sent to all of humanity. As for the reasoning of Ibrahim (AS), the Friend of Allah, when he looked at Venus, the Moon, and the Sun, when they set he said: O people! Verily, I am free from the partners you ascribe to Allah. He (AS) was a Prophet who had inspiration, was delegate and sent by Allah. All of his words were through the inspiration of Allah, the Mighty and High. As we see in the Word of the Mighty and High: This is Our argument which We gave to Abraham rebutting his people. People are not all like Ibrahim (AS). If it were sufficient to simply think about Allah without the guidance and Direction of Allah, the Mighty and High, then why did Allah, the Mighty and High, reveal what He revealed of His Word: So know that there is no god but Allah, and His Word: Say: He Allah is One, and His Word: Wonderful Originator of heavens and the earth! How could He have a son when He has no consort and He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware. Also the last verse of the chapter “The Banishment,” and other verses about Divine Unity.
IsnādAli ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Imran al-Daqqaq a rapporté: Muhammad ibn Ja'far Abu al-Husayn al-Asadi nous a informés, qui a dit: Al-Husayn ibn al-Ma'mun al-Qurashi a rapporté d'Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, de Hisham ibn al-Hakam, qui a dit: Abu Shakir al-Daysani m'a dit: "J'ai une question que je voudrais te poser à propos de ton compagnon. J'ai interrogé un groupe de savants à ce sujet, mais ils ne m'ont pas donné de réponse satisfaisante. J'ai donc demandé: 'Peux-tu me donner la réponse, peut-être que j'aurai une réponse qui te conviendra?' Il a répondu: 'J'aimerais poser cette question à Abu Abdullah (paix soit sur lui).' J'ai donc demandé la permission pour lui, il est entré et lui a dit: 'Me permets-tu de poser la question?' Il lui a répondu: 'Demande ce qui te semble juste.' Il lui a demandé: 'Quelle preuve as-tu que tu as un créateur?' Il a répondu: 'Je me suis trouvé dans une situation où il n'y a que deux possibilités: soit je l'ai créé moi-même et elle existait, soit je l'ai créée et elle n'existait pas. Si je l'ai créée et qu'elle existait, alors son existence m'a dispensé de la créer, et si elle n'existait pas, tu sais que ce qui n'existe pas ne peut rien créer. Ainsi, la troisième possibilité est confirmée: j'ai un créateur, et c'est Allah, le Seigneur de l'univers.' Il s'est levé sans hésiter dans sa réponse."
L'auteur de ce livre a dit: "La réponse correcte dans ce domaine est de dire: Nous connaissons Allah par Allah, car si nous le connaissons par nos esprits, c'est parce qu'Il les a dotés, et si nous le connaissons par Ses prophètes, Ses messagers et leurs preuves, c'est parce qu'Il les a envoyés et les a établis comme preuves. Et si nous le connaissons par nous-mêmes, c'est parce qu'Il nous a créés. Ainsi, nous le connaissons par Lui-même. Le véridique (paix soit sur lui) a dit: 'Si ce n'était pas pour Allah, nous ne Le connaîtrions pas, et si ce n'était pas pour nous, Allah ne serait pas connu.' Le sens est que sans preuves, on ne connaîtrait pas Allah comme Il mérite d'être connu, et sans Allah, les preuves ne seraient pas connues." Il a entendu certains théologiens dire: "Si un homme était né dans une vallée de la terre sans personne pour le guider jusqu'à ce qu'il grandisse, réfléchisse et regarde le ciel et la terre, cela lui indiquerait l'existence d'un créateur et d'un initiateur. J'ai dit: "C'est quelque chose qui n'était pas, c'est une information sur ce qui n'était pas, sur comment cela aurait été. Et s'il en était ainsi, cet homme ne serait que la preuve d'Allah, comme les prophètes, parmi lesquels certains ont été envoyés à eux-mêmes, d'autres à leur famille et leurs enfants, d'autres à leur communauté, d'autres à leur ville, et d'autres à l'humanité entière. Quant à l'argumentation d'Abraham (paix soit sur lui) en regardant la fleur, puis la lune, puis le soleil, et en disant lorsqu'ils disparurent: 'Ô mon peuple, je me désavoue de ce que vous associez à Allah', c'était un prophète inspiré, envoyé et missionné, et tout ce qu'il disait était par l'inspiration d'Allah. C'est ce que dit Allah: 'Et c'est ainsi que Nous avons donné à Abraham sa preuve contre son peuple.' Il n'y a pas d'autre comme Abraham (paix soit sur lui). S'il était suffisant de connaître l'unicité en regardant sans l'enseignement et la définition