Hadith 11-8

حَدَّثَنا عَبْدُ اللَّه بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْد الوَهَّابِ القُرَشِيِّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الفَضْلِ بْنِ المُغَيرَةِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَبُو نَصْرٍ مَنْصُورُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّه بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ الإصبَهانِيَّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىُّ بْنُ عَبدِ اللَّهِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا الحُسَيْنُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، عَنْ أَبي الحَسَنِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضاعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ قالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ أَيَعلَمُ اللَّهَ الشَّي‏ءَ الَّذِي لَمْ يَكُنْ أَن لَوْ كانَ كَيْفَ كأَنْ يَكُونُ؟ قالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعالى‏ هُوَالعالِمُ بِالأَشياءِ قَبْلَ كَوْنِ الأَشْياءِ، قالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: «إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسْتَنْسِخُ ما كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ». وَقالَ لأَهْلِ النَّارِ: «وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعادُوا لِما نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكاذِبُونَ» فَقَدْ عَلِمَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَّهُ لَوْ رَدَّوهُم لَعادُوا لِما نُهُوا عَنْهُ. وَلِلمَلائِكَةِ لَمّا قالَتْ: «أَ تَجْعَلُ فِيها مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيها وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّماءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ» قالَ: «إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ ما لا تَعْلَمُونَ» فَلَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عِلمُهُ سابِقاً لِلأَشيـاءِ قَدِيماً قَبْلَ إِنِّي يَخلُقَها، فَتَبارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّنا وَتَعالى‏ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً، خَلَقَ الأَشْياءَ وَعِلمُهُ بِها سابِقٌ لَها كَما شاءَ، كَذلِكَ رَبُّنا لَمْ يَزَل عالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً.

Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab al-Qurashi narrated that Ahmad ibn Al-Fadhl ibn al-Mugheerat quoted on the authority of Abu Mansoor ibn Abdullah ibn Ibrahim al-Asbahani, on the authority of Ali ibn Abdullah, on the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Bashshar, on the authority of Abil Hassan Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha’ (a.s.), “Does God know how things which do not exist would have been if they were created?” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “The Sublime God knows how things are before they are created. The Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘…For We were wont to put on Record all that ye did.’ [11] God also said the following about the People of Hell, ‘…But if they were returned, they would certainly relapse to the things they were forbidden, for they are indeed liars.’ [12] Thus God knows that if they are brought back to this world, they would go back and do what they had done before. Also when the angels said, ‘…Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? whilst we do celebrate Thy Praises and glorify Thy Holy (Name)?’ [13] God replied, ‘I know what ye know not.’ [14] Therefore, the Honorable the Exalted God always knows about things before creating them. Therefore, Blessed is our Lord. High indeed is He Exalted. He is High and Great. He has created things, and knew about them before they were created, just as He willed. Thus is our Lord! He is the All-Knowing, All-Hearing and All-Seeing.