much one strives these discrepancies will always exist in every society. However, the measures of effluence and paucity are different in different cultures.
8. EIGTH BENEFIT: Belief in God sanitizes a society in terms of moral purification and sense of responsibility, where law is respected and all members appear as beads in a common thread. When a man considers that he cannot escape the immeasurable kingdom of God and keeps in mind that the minute details of his actions cannot remain hidden from him, and he has to appear before him one day, where probing would be very tough despite his compassion; the impact on his personality and moral fibre is self evident.
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO KNOW THE ESSENCE OF GOD
Whatever we have expressed so far was with intent to prove that the Universe, with all its components is in attendance only due to the presence of God, whose belief is natural and logical. However, if someone asks us to exhibit the nature of God‟s essence, then it is not possible.
Leading scholar Sheikh Bahai writes in his research paper that human approach to understand God‟s essence is not possible and same is the opinion of Allama Majlisi.
It is such a critical avenue, where even the Prophets and their successors are humbled, and it is true that human mind is too limited to indulge in such an effort. Imam Ali (AS), in his supplication known as
Dua‟e Mashlool says, “Glorious is He whose essence is not known to anyone.”
The holy Prophet says, “God‟s essence is hidden from human intellect in a way the objects are veiled from one‟s sight. The heavenly bodies search for Him as you do on the earth.”
Amir-ul-Momeneen says, “All praise is reserved for the God alone, Whose station of approbation cannot be reached by the worshippers nor can counters estimate his favours or pay back His rights. Efforts of explorer cannot comprehend His position or the profundity of intellect and skill can gauge His Essence. There are no limits for Him and no bounds for His praise. There are no time confines for His initiation or end.”
Similarly, Imam Zainul Aabedin in his Dua‟e Tehmeed says, “All praise is due to the Lord, who is that first, which cannot be preceded by anyone and that last, which cannot be followed by anyother one. He is so exalted and refined that sight cannot circumvent him and extols of the eulogisers and their fantasies are well below his prominence.” He further says in Dua‟e Dushanbe, “Language is inadequate to express His Attributes and intellect is incapable to access His reality.”
Imam Muhammad Baqar (AS) says. “Anyone who constructs God in his
own mental mould must remember that God is something else, because a configuration, which is depicted in mind, is his own creation and that cannot be God as He is a creator not a creation.”
Sadeq‟e Aale Mohammed (AS) says,
“How can I associate God with a concept, a state or a thing, since God Himself has created states that have manifested into shapes and through those we have recognised the notion of state? Therefore, how a creator and creature can be coupled in the same attributes?”
That is why Imam Ali (AS) has warned us by saying that we should not
let our intellect to ramble on this racing track, which can lead us to destruction. It is for this reason the religious guides i.e. Imams, have prohibited the believers from indulging in this exercise. Several traditions of this subject are recorded in Osool‟e Kaafi and other
authentic religious books. Imam Baqir has said that if people wanted to ponder about the essence of God, then they must view His majesty in His creation. He further emphasised that people could talk as much as they want about His creatures but restrain themselves from entering His personal domain, which can only exacerbate the situation that can lead to mental chaos and ambiguity.
Similarly, it is narrated on the authority of Imam Jaffer‟e Sadiq that one should not discuss the Essence of God and ask the questions about His physicality, in terms of shape and size, as issues like these would lead him off course to the wilderness of disbelief. Therefore, if discussion on a subject widens and reaches God, it is then wise to remain silent, as afore mentioned belief about the Creator is sufficient that He is the originator of the Universe, capable of every pinnacle of eminence and free of vile attributes. There is nothing in the Universe that resembles Him. He is unique and independent. Nothing has evolved from Him and vice versa and there is none to compare Him with.
Imam Raza (AS) says that whoso has recited Sura Akhlas with
understanding got the feel of monotheism. Imam Zainul Aabedin said that God the Almighty has known that towards the end of time some people will discuss deeply the Person of God; that is why, He revealed Sura Akhlas and the first few verses of Sura Al Hadid, therefore, anyone who strived for more than what has already been said would be lost.
It is related from Hisham that an atheist asked Imam Sadiq (AS)
about the nature of God. Imam replied, “He is a thing different from all other things. When he labelled Him with the word thing, he meant that He is a thing in reality, as he is essential and all the other things are probable He has no carcass or shape nor He can be perceived through outward and inward sensors, including the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing nor imagination can get round him, and He does not change with time.”
Imam Raza was asked that how much understanding of the God was required. He replied, “One should accept that there is no
deity other than Him. He is unique and incomparable to any other thing. He is eternal and will remain forever and no one is analogous to Him.”
Ibne Abil Hadid Motazeli has depicted this idea in beautiful verses. He writes,
“O, the wonder of the Cosmos, thoughts and intellect are meagre in your presence. You have made the intellectuals and scholars dilapidated. When I sharpen my brain to advance an inch towards You it goes on the back track by a mile and I do not see any way forward.”
Imam Ali (AS) has narrated a Hadith from the holy Prophet,
which states, “Anyone who enquires about the nature and essence of