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In the name of All°h, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

Questions asked by the people and Answers given by
Im°m Ja`far ibn Mu¶ammad as-as-Æ°diq (prayers be upon him)
[ Installment 2 ]
Compiled by Øujjatul Isl°m wal Muslim¢n A¶mad Q°§h¢ Z°hid¢
Published by Sayyidah Ma`•£mah Publications [Qum, Iran]
Translated by Saleem Bhimji – www.al-mubin.org – al-mubin@al-mubin.org

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Topic: Where were you (the Ahl al-Bait) before
the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth?

It has been narrated in a Øad¢th found in Bi¶°r al-Anw°r1 that the following discussion took place between
Im°m Ja`far ibn Mu¶ammad as-Æ°diq (prayers be upon him) and Mufa§§hal ibn `Umar (may All°h be pleased
with him):

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It has been narrated that Al-Mufa§§hal (ibn `Umar) asked as-Æ°diq (prayers be upon him): “Where were you
(the Ahl al-Ba¢t) before All°h created the Heavens and the Earths?”

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He (Im°m Ja`far ibn Mu¶ammad as-Æ°diq, prayers be upon him) said, “We (the Ahl al-Ba¢t) were divine lights
(anw°r) circling the Throne (of All°h), glorifying All°h and extolling His sacredness until the time that All°h,
Glory be to Him created the Angels. Then All°h (Glory and Greatness be to Him) said to the Angels, ‘Glorify
Me’ to which the Angels replied (to All°h), ‘O’ Our Lord! We do not possess the knowledge (on how to glorify
You)!’ So then All°h said to us (the Ahl al-Ba¢t), ‘Glorify Me’ so then we (the Ahl al-Ba¢t) glorified All°h and the
Angels glorified All°h just as we had glorified Him.

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Surely, we (the Ahl al-Ba¢t) were created from the divine light (n£r) of All°h and our Sh¢`a (followers) were
created from other than this divine light (n£r - of a lower grade). So then when the Day of Judgment takes
place, the lower grades will be joined with the higher grades (of light).

1 Bi¶°r al-Anw°r, Volume 25, Page 21, Section 34

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Then he (prayers be upon him) put his two fingers together (index and middle finger) and said to him (al-
Mufa§§hal), “Just like this (will these two divine lights be joined together).”

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The Im°m (prayers be upon him) then said to him (al-Mufa§§hal): “O’ Mufa§§hal! Do you know why the Sh¢`a
have been call Sh¢`a? O’ Mufa§§hal our Sh¢`a (true followers) are from us (from our divine light) and we in turn
are from our Sh¢`a. Do you see where this sun rises from?”

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I (al-Mufa§§hal) said, “It rises from the East.”

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The Im°m (prayers be upon him) then asked, “And where does it return to?”

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I (al-Mufa§§hal) said, “It sets in the West.”

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The Im°m (prayers be upon him) then said, “Our Sh¢`a are just the same as this (the way the Sun rises and sets).
They have come from us (our direction) and thus, they will return to us (our presence).”

…and all praise belongs to All°h, Lord of the Worlds, only the mistakes are mine. (Tr.)