Imam Al-Sadiq

detailed proofs, as in 'Tawhid Al- Mufaddal', sometimes giving brief proofs with full
meaning. For example, when he was asked about the evidence for the Creator, he answered:
"As long as men have needs."(200)
I (the author) say: What brief this sentence is! And what great proof it is! That is because men
always face many needs. These needs indicate that they always search for an authority to
fulfill their needs. And these needs indicate that this authority is One; otherwise the
movement and regulation of the universe is disorderly.
One day, Hisham b. al- Hakam asked al- Sadiq: "what is the proof that Allah is one?" Al-
Sadiq, peace be on him, answered: "The united regulation and the perfect creation."(201)
I (the author) say: Indeed, each one of these two phrases is enough to be a separate proof.
That is because the united regulation is evidence for the oneness of the Regulator, for if there
were two or three regulators in the cosmos, surely they would conflict with each other, so
there would be no connected regulation. Also the perfect creation is another proof for the
oneness of the Regulator, for the equal regulators are not always in agreement on everything
as it is in the persons who run a certain country. When they disagree even for a while, they
corrupt the creatures, then where is the perfect Creation? So, the perfect creation is a separate
proof, too.
Abu Shakir al- Daysani asked al- Sadiq: "What is your proof that you have a Creator?' Al-
Sadiq, peace be on him, said: "I have found myself before two ideas- either I have created it
or other than me has created it. If I had created it, then I would be before two Ideas- either I
created it and it was existent, surely it would be in no need of its creator because of its
existence .or it was nonexistent, surely you know that the nonexistent cannot create anything.
So, the third idea has been proved, which is that I have a creator, Who is the Lord of the
worlds."(202)
One day, al- Sadiq, peace be on him, asked b. Abu al- , Awja"' Are you created or not
created?" Ibin Abu al- 'Awja' said: "I am not created." Al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said to him:
"Describe to me, Ifyou were created, how would you be?"
Ibin Abu al- 'Awja' lowered his head for a long time. He was not able to answer. There was a
piece of wood in his hand. He began playing with that piece of wood and saying: "Long,
wide, deep, short, moving, motionless, all these are among the qualities of his creation." Al-
Sadiq, peace be on him, said to him: "If you do not distinguish the qualities of the created
from the qualities. of the non created, then regard yourself as created." Ibin Abu al- 'Awja'
said: "You have asked me a question of which no one had asked me before, and no one will
ask me after you."(203)
I (the author) say: All these qualities indicate that man is created; therefore the created is in