Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) had debated many atheists and
other questioners. There was one atheist Abu Shakir who came to the Imam (a.s.)
and asked many questions. Some of the answers are reproduced below:
Allah has placed tiny living beings in your body which keeps
you alive. They are in large numbers like sand particles in the desert. They
are born, multiply, work and die in your body. It is true that one who knows
himself knows Allah. There is motion inside the stone. A time will come when
learned people would see the motion inside a stone. You say that you do not
believe in Allah because you cannot comprehend Allah (s.w.t.) by the six senses,
can you see the air which is so vital for life? When a wise man thinks of
himself, he finds that his own body needs a controller so that all its organs
and systems may function properly. He then realizes that this vast universe
also needs a controller. Everything in this universe is in motion. Even there
is motion inside our bodies. The stones we see now were in liquid state
thousands of years ago. Gradually it cooled down and Allah solidified it.
He asked Hisham bin Hakam, “Is it possible for God to house
the whole world in an egg?” Hisham requested the Imam (a.s.) to respond. The
Imam said, “yes. Another example is the iris of the eye in which the world is
minimized.”
Every living thing worships Allah; human beings, animals,
plants, birds etc. Plants worship Allah by obeying His laws instinctively. The
light which comes from the sun also worships Allah by obeying His laws, which
are very stringent and exact. It comes into being by the combination of two
opposite forces. These forces also obey the laws of Allah and worship Him,
otherwise they cannot produce light.
The sentence, “There is no Allah” is meaningless. The
existence of Allah is a must. If attention of Allah is diverted, even for a
moment from the affairs of the universe to something else, it would break up.
Everything in the universe obeys His Laws, which are permanent and eternal
.
Similarly, in an encounter with Imam Abu Hanifa, who relied
on “deductive analogy” (Qiyas), the Infallible Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq
(a.s.) asked him, “Is adultery more important or killing of a soul? “Abu
Hanifa replied, “Killing of a soul.” Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “God
commanded four witnesses in adultery and two witnesses in murder for proof of
allegation and this is contrary to condition of Qiyas. Then Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) asked, “Is prayer more important or fasting?” Abu Hanifa replied,
“Prayer” Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “A woman is not obligated to fulfill
the prayers missed during menstruation but still must complete the fasts not
made and this cannot be rationalized with Qiyas.”
Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) himself describes an encounter
with a person who followed his own desires and ideas. He (a.s.) narrated, “I
followed him to a baker from where he stole two loaves of bread, then he passed
through a pomegranate seller and he stole two pomegranates from him then he went to sick person and gave it to
him. I asked him about this act. The man replied, “Whoever brings virtue shall receive ten times; but whoever brings vice shall not be requited except with its like, and they will not be wronged.” (6:160) When I stole two loaves of bread, they
were two evil deeds. And when I stole two pomegranates, they were two evil
deeds. So, these are four evil deeds. When I gave each one of them as alms,
Allah has subtracted four evil deeds from forty good deeds. So, I have thirty-six
good deeds. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “Allah accepts deeds from pious only.”
When you stole four loaves of bread, they were two evil deeds. And when you
stole two pomegranates, they were two evil deeds. And when you gave them to
other than their owners without the permission of their owners, you have added
four evil deeds to four evil deeds.
Sources:
Imamreza.net, Fourteen Stars by Allama Sayyid Najmul Hasan Karrarvi, Speakingtree.in
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