Imam Al-Sadiq

things'. Everything is under His full supervision, control and power.' 'From Him is not hidden,
the weight of (even) an atom in the heavens and nor in the earth, nor is there aught less than
this and nor aught greater.' Allah encompasses all things (and nothing can be hidden from
Him) with His full supervision and knowledge and not by His entity, since the space (which
encompasses everything materially) is confined to four boundaries. If Allah had encompassed
all the things by His Own entity, He Himself would have been subject to the limits of the
boundaries."(209)
In another tradition, al- Sadiq (peace be on him) says: "Whoever claims that Allah is from
something, has determined Him as being originated (after non- being). Whoever claims that
Allah is inside something, has determined Him as being confined. Whoever claims that Allah
is on something has determined Him as something which can be carried."(210)
Mohammed b. al- Nu'man asked al- Sadiq about the following Words of Allah, the Exalted:
"And He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth."(211) al-Sadiq, peace be on him, said:
"Such is Allah everywhere." Mohammed asked: "With His Entity?" al- Sadiq, peace be on
him, said: "Woe unto you! Indeed, places have boundaries. If you say that Allah is inside a
place with His Entity, then you should say that Allah is inside boundaries and the like, while
Allah is totally different from His creatures. He encompasses what He has created (with) His
knowledge, power, encompassment and authority. His knowledge of that which is in the earth
is not less than (His knowledge) of that which is in the heavens. Nothing is far from Him. All
things are equally known, controlled, owned, and encompassed by Allah."(212)
Sulayman b. al- A'mash(213) asked al- Sadiq: "Is it possible to say that Allah is inside a
place?" Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, answered: "Allah is far above that. If He was inside a
place, he would be originated, for the thing which is inside a place needs the place. Need is
not among the qualities of the Eternal."(214)
Al- Sadiq said to Abu Basir(215): "Indeed, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, cannot be
described with time, space, movement, and stillness. Rather, He is the Creator of time, space,
movement, and stillness. Allah is very far above what they say."(216)
Al- Sadiq, peace be on him, said to Abd Allah b. Sanan(217): "Allah cannot be described in
terms of any modality, space, and direction. How can I describe Him in terms of any modality
when He Himself has created modal existence, so that it has come into being and we have
known a modality through the modal existence which He had fixed for us. How can I describe
Him in terms of the space since He Himself had made space, so that it (the space) has come
into being and we have known space through the space which He had fixed for us. How can I
describe Him in terms of direction when He Himself has made direction, so that it (direction)
has come into being and we have known direction through the direction which He had fixed
for us. Hence, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is inside every place but is out of every thing.
'The eyes attain Him not, but He attains the eyes."'