Theology and Creed

The Greatest Veil is connected to the Greatest Names. The relationship of pure delight and beauty with the Creator transcends beauty and delight. At the beginning of creation, the Divine Will is the Greatest Name; because it is created, it serves as a veil. The Essence of Allah cannot be pointed to, and the Will is a veil that guides the servant toward knowledge of Allah.

Serving God’s creation is only a small part of what worship entails, not the whole of it. The essence of worship is the unique relationship between the worshipper and the One worshipped—a relationship in which no one else shares. We must not confuse the means and duties associated with worship with worship itself; doing so amounts to associating partners with God in worship.

The first created being possessed the highest degree of knowledge, not gnosis. Gnosis takes on meaning through the creation of ignorance, or through the veil of ignorance. This veil makes knowledge within a person’s very being hidden and imperceptible, even though it is still there.

At the beginning of creation, creatures possessed “absolute knowledge,” not the highest degree of gnosis. The need for gnosis and the creation of veils arose after separation, when each creature’s striving to attain sensory awareness and delight began. Our original identity can be recovered by holding fast to the Two Weighty Things and following the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Family.

Calling upon God by His names is, in essence, an expression of the Lord’s attention and care for His servant. Whoever calls upon God is answered. The first response is the Lord’s turning His attention to the servant; the fulfillment of a request, however, depends on observing the conditions of supplication, affirming God’s oneness, knowing Him, and submitting to His commands. Otherwise, the answer may come sooner or later, or take a different form.

The principle that “the Essence of God is not subject to change or transformation” rests on the argument that any change or transformation entails imperfection, limitation, and dependence on time and place. The Essence of God Most High is perfect, self-sufficient, and exalted above such attributes; His will is realized beyond time and place.

When Imam Ali (AS) said, “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have triumphed,” he alluded to the spiritual reality of the Kaaba and to his own role as a guide for God’s servants. His words proclaimed his triumph at the moment of martyrdom and answered the slanders of his enemies.

The authority of Imam Ali (AS) does not extend to the Prophet (PBUH). Rather, the Prophet (PBUH) holds precedence, leadership, guardianship, and authority over Imam Ali (AS). The Messenger of God’s (PBUH) authority over the believers takes precedence over Imam Ali’s (AS), and he is also Imam Ali’s commander.

In Islam, hijab is a covenant of devotion to God, an ongoing act of worship, and a banner of divine love. By observing hijab, a woman affirms her steadfastness in that covenant, expresses her love for God, and continually sends the message “I love You” to the Eternal Beloved. In doing so, she will become a beautiful butterfly in Paradise.

The realization of a divine act involves several stages, including knowledge, will, volition and determination. God’s knowledge precedes existence; *mashīʾa* (will) is the first manifestation of that knowledge, while *irāda* (volition) is its second manifestation, bringing distinction and detail to things. Will is the seed of knowledge, and volition the seed of will.

Both mashīʾa (divine decree) and irāda (divine will) express divine knowledge: mashīʾa is its primary expression, while irāda is its secondary expression. Mashīʾa interprets knowledge, and irāda interprets mashīʾa. Mashīʾa is the “first willing,” and irāda the “second willing.” In Persian, both are translated as “willing,” but they have clear conceptual differences.

The Prophet’s (PBUH) message transcends time and place in that he encompasses time and space and perceives their beginning and end. This communication takes place through human nature, in a language familiar to everyone. We do not directly witness it because of our attachment to worldly life. The message is being received even now, and its traces are preserved in everyone’s soul.

Imam Ali (AS) warned the ignorant and usurpers about knowledge they lacked the capacity to understand. This knowledge included divine mysteries and future events; revealing it to those unqualified to receive it could cause them anxiety and distress. By sharing this knowledge, he enlightened those who did not understand why he had exercised restraint.

The hidden knowledge mentioned in Sermon 5 of Nahj al-Balāgha refers to the particular, concealed knowledge of Imam Ali (AS)—knowledge that, if revealed, would make his listeners tremble. It includes the mysteries of the unseen realm, the inner reality of matters and events, and the interpretation of the Qur’an. Only a select few can grasp such knowledge; sharing it with the general public would cause distress and bewilderment.

Imamate is the culmination of divine oneness, and the Imam is one who has attained it and walks the path of servitude to God. By accepting the Imam’s authority, a person sets out on the path of divine oneness and comes to recognize God’s unity. The Hadith of the Golden Chain beautifully explains this meaning: God says, «لا إله إلا الله حصنی فمن دخل حصنی أمن من عذابی», and Imam Reza (AS) says, «و أنا من شروطها».

The idea of a purpose has no meaning for God, who knows the beginning and end of all things, and for whom the unseen and the seen are one and the same. Purpose applies to beings endowed with free will, whose duties lead them toward an end. For such creatures, purpose is realised through God’s prescriptions; these prescriptions are God’s way of bringing about what He wills in the realm of human choice. Humankind and the jinn were created to worship the Almighty, and fulfilling this purpose of servitude defines the aim of their creation.

On the Day of Judgment, family ties will count for nothing; what matters is one’s deeds. Noah’s son and Abraham’s uncle were not saved because of their actions. No family connection can shield anyone from the consequences of evil deeds, and intercession is granted only when a person has the necessary basis in their deeds and beliefs. There is no kinship between God and anyone; His friendship can be attained only through obedience.

Comparing God to His creatures is an unmistakable affront to the Divine Essence and a false attribution that places a person among the polytheists. Injustice and ignorance are traits of dependent beings; to attribute them to the One without equal is the most brazen form of comparison. Comparing God to a mountain reduces the Divine Essence to the level of a mountain, and such talk is ignorant and base.

To compare God with His creatures—in His existence, attributes, the way a name applies to Him, or His nature—is to associate partners with Him. Likewise, denying God’s power or attributing to Him things He has forbidden is considered disbelief. These hadiths emphasise the necessity of affirming God’s oneness and avoiding both anthropomorphism and denial of His power.

Divine power extends to impossibilities and is not limited by human ability. Bringing the universe into existence from nothing, placing the world inside an egg without changing their dimensions, and transcending time and space are examples of what God can accomplish. It is mistaken to compare divine power with human power; understanding it requires looking beyond time and space.