2. [2/231] al-Kafi: From him (Ahmad b. Idris) from Ahmad b. Ishaq who said: I wrote to Abi al-Hasan the Third عليه السلام asking him about the vision (of God) and the differences of people about that - he wrote: Vision is impossible when there is no air between the viewer and the viewed. Air which the eye can penetrate through. If there is no air between the viewer and the viewed - vision cannot take place. And this (needing air in between) would entail likening (Allah to His creatures). Because whenever the viewer becomes equivalent with the viewed in terms of sharing the condition necessary for vision between them (to occur) then they would necessarily be alike (in some manner) and that would be anthropomorphism. For causes are necessarily linked to effects.

3. [3/322] al-Kafi: Ahmad b. Idris from Muhammad b. Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan b. Yahya from A’sim b. Humayd from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام. He said: I talked to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about what they (proto-Sunnis) narrate concerning the vision (of God). He said: The sun is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Chair. The Chair is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Throne. The Throne is one-seventieth parts of the light of the Veil. The Veil is one-seventieth part of the light of the Covering. If they are truthful then let them stare with their eyes at the sun on a cloudless day.

4. [4/323] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya and other than him from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Nasr from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام who said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله said: When I was made to ascend to Heaven - Jibril led me to a place where Jibril had never tread on. (The Imam says:) It was then unveiled for him (the prophet) and Allah showed him of His Light of Grandeur what He wished.

5. [5/324] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Isa from Ibn Abi Najran from Abdallah b. Sinan from Abi Abdillah عليه السلام about His words: “sights (Absar) do not reach Him” (6:103) - he (the Imam) said: (It means) comprehension by the imagination (is impossible for Him). Do you not see His words: “There have come to you insights (Basair) from your Lord” (6:104) - He does not mean sighting of the eyes. “Whosoever will see (Absara) then it will be for his own self” (6:104) - He does not mean by (the word) ‘see’ through his eye. “and whoever is blind is against it” (6:104) - He does not mean the blindness of the eyes. He means comprehension by the imagination - as is said: So-and-so is insightful (Basir) in poetry, So-and-so is insightful in jurisprudence, So-and-so is insightful in coins (telling forgeries from the real thing), So-and-so is insightful in clothes. Allah is greater than to be seen by the eye.

6. [6/325] al-Kafi: Muhammad b. Yahya from Ahmad b. Muhammad from Abi Hashim al-Ja’fari from Abi al-Hasan al-Ridha عليه السلام. He (Abi Hashim) said: I asked him about Allah - can He be described? He said: Don’t you read the Qur’an? I said: Yes (I do). He said: Don’t you read His words the Elevated: “sights do not reach Him but He reaches the sights” (6:103)? I said: Yes (I do). He said: Do you know the sights (meant)? I said: Yes. He said: What are they? I said: The sighting of the eyes. He said: The imaginings of the heart are greater than the sighting of the eyes - thus He is such that imaginations do not reach Him while He reaches the imaginations.

7. [7/326] al-Tawhid: al-Hamdani from Ali from his father from al-Harawi who said: I said to Ali b. Musa al-Ridha عليه السلام: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - what do you say about the report narrated by the Ahl al-Hadith that “the believers will visit their Lord from their homes in Paradise”? He عليه السلام said: O Aba Salt - Allah Blessed and Elevated favoured his prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه واله over all his creations including the (other) prophets and the angels. He made obedience to him (the prophet) equal to His obedience, pledging allegiance to him (the prophet) equal to pledging allegiance to Him and visiting him (the prophet) in the world and the hereafter equal to visiting Him. This is when He Mighty and Majestic said: “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah” (4:80) and also: “Those who pledge allegiance to you are in fact pledging allegiance to Allah, the hand of Allah is over their hands” (48:10). The prophet said: “Whoever visits me in my lifetime or after my death has visited Allah”. The station of the prophetصلى الله عليه واله in paradise is the highest station, so whoever visits him in this station of his in paradise (setting out) from his home then he will have visited Allah Blessed and Elevated.He (Abu Salt) said: I said: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - what is the meaning of the report which they narrate that “the reward of ‘there is no god but Allah’ is looking at the face of Allah”? He said: O Aba Salt - Whoever describes Allah as having a face like the typical faces has disbelieved. Rather, the face of Allah is His prophets, messengers and proofs صلوات الله عليهم. They are the ones through whom (one) turns (lit. his face) towards Allah Mighty and Majestic, His religion and recognition of Him. Allah Mighty and Majestic said: “Whoever is on it will perish and will remain the face of your Lord” (55:26-27) and He Mighty and Majestic also said: “Everything is to be destroyed except His face” (28:88), thus, looking at the prophets of Allah, His messengers and proofs عليهم السلام in their stations is a great reward for the believers on the day of judgment. The prophet صلى الله عليه واله said: “Whoever hates the people of my Household and my descendants will never see me nor will I see him on the day of judgment” and he صلى الله عليه واله also said: “There is among you one who will never see me (again) after separating from me (in this world)”. O Aba Salt - Allah Blessed and Elevated is not described as being in space and neither sights nor imaginations can reach Him. He (Abu Salt) said: I said to him: O the son of the Messenger of Allah - inform me about Paradise and the Fire - are they already created at this moment? He said: Yes. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه واله entered Paradise and saw the Fire when he was made to ascend to Heaven. He (Abu Salt) said: I said to him: There is a group which says that ‘they (Paradise and Hell) are only destined to be at this moment but not yet created’. He said: Such (people) are not from us nor are we from them. Whoever denies the creation of Paradise and the Fire has belied the prophet and has belied us. Such a one has nothing to do with our Wilaya and will abide forever in the Fire of Hell. Allah Mighty and Majestic says: “this is Hell which the criminals deny. They will go around between it and scalding water” (55:43-44) and the prophet صلى الله عليه واله said: “When I was made to ascend to Heaven, Jibril took me by the hand and made me to enter Paradise. He handed me one of its fruits. I ate it and it formed seed in my loin. When I returned to the earth I met with Khadija and she became pregnant with Fatima - a human Houri. Whenever I desire to smell the scent of paradise I smell the scent of my daughter Fatima”.

8. [8/327] al-Tawhid: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from al-Yaqtini from Ibn Abi Najran who said: I asked Aba Ja’far the Second عليه السلام about Tawhid saying: Should I imagine a thing (when conceiving of God)? He said: Yes, (something) neither cognisable nor delimited. Whatever your imagination falls upon is different than He. Nothing is like Him and imaginations do not reach Him. How can imaginations reach Him when He is other than what can be cognised and other than what is represented (image formed) in the imaginations? It is imagined something neither cognisable nor delimited.