The Million Dollar Question

[Ksa]

A man came to Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) saying, ‘Tell me about your Lord. When did He come into existence?’" The Imam (a.s.) replied, "Woe upon you! Such question is asked only about a thing that did not exist. My Lord, all Glory belongs to Him is and will be eternally. He lives and no How question applies to Him. He did not have any coming into existence and nor there was any being for His coming into being. This does not apply to Him because He is not subject to the effects of space. He was not in any thing or on any thing nor did He invent any space for His own space. He did not become stronger after making all things nor was weak before giving being to the beings. He was not lonely before His inventing all things. He is not similar to any thing that could be called a thing. He was also not without Kingdom before the creation and nor will He be without it after all things. He lives eternally without life and the powerful king before His invention of the things and He is an all powerful king after the creation of all things. To His existence no How or Where question is applicable. There is no limit for Him nor is He definable by analogy. He does not become old due to eternal living. He doe not become alarmed because of any thing but that all things are fearful of His (disappointment). He lived without newly emerging life. He is not a describable being or that could be limit with conditions or that would have a space to depend on. He does not have a place so that He can be considered as neighboring something. He is living and one can know Him. He is the eternal King. He has the power and the kingdom. He has created all that He wanted and when He decided by His will. He can not be limited. He can not be divided or destroyed. He was before everything but no How question would apply to Him. He will be the last but no Where will apply to Him. All things will be destroyed except He. The creation belongs to Him and His is the command. He is the Holy Lord of the worlds. O inquirer, imaginations can not encompass my Lord and He does not face any confusions or bewilderment. Nothing is able to escape Him and nothing happens to Him. He can not be held responsible for anything and He does not become regretful. Neither slumber nor sleep overcomes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth and all that is between them and under the soil.

The problem with giving such a definition of God is that it is tainted in idol worship. Idol worshipers believe that everything is God. If you say God is one, he can never have that definition. He has to be the white beard father, you know, a bit like Santa Claus, sitting on the eternal throne with his son by his right hand and holy spirit in his left hand.

If you say God is not space bound and time bound, you are talking about an entity that can never appear in this world under any form, so it is a handicapped God, like without a hand or a limb. How can you control space/time if you're not part of it? It's like saying Putin controls America...he may lately lol but as long as he's not conquered USA he cannot control it. He has to be there, you get it? Or he has no influence. According to your definition, God doesn't have more control over this world than dead ones do. Because when you die, you also exit time/space...you no longer have a notion of time, and space no longer confines you since you no longer exist in that space.

If God is space-less and timeless, he can't control either one, since one can only control elements that define him.