The Being of God, The Location of God & The Time of God's Existence

There are a few common questions that are often asked with regards to God's nature and God's existence.

Where is God located?

When did God come into existence?

How is the state of being when it comes to God?

These are legitimate questions.

The answers to these questions are and are not simple.

God is eternal.

#1)

Arabic Text:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَأَلَ نَافِعُ بْنُ الْأَزْرَقِ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ اللَّهِ مَتَى كَانَ فَقَالَ مَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ حَتَّى أُخْبِرَكَ مَتَى كَانَ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ وَ لَا يَزَالُ فَرْداً صَمَداً لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَ لَا وَلَداً

Farsi Text:

نافع بن ازرق بامام باقر (ع) عرضكرد: بمن بفرمائيد: خدا از چه زمانى بوده؟ فرمود: مگر چه زمانى نبوده تا بتو گويم از چه زمانى بوده، منزه باد آنكه هميشه بوده و هميشه باشد، يكتا و بى‏ نياز است، همسر و فرزند نگيرد.

English Text:

Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Abu Hamzah who has said the following.

Nafi' ibn al-Azraq asked Imam abu Ja' far (a.s.). "Please tell me when did Allah come into existence?" The Imam replied, "(Tell me) when did Allah not exist, so that I could tell you when He came into existence. Glory belongs to Him, Who existed and will exist eternally. The One Self-sufficient (the Eternal, the Absolute), Who has held for Himself neither any female companion nor any child."

  

#2)

Arabic Text:

 

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع مِنْ وَرَاءِ نَهَرِ بَلْخَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَإِنْ أَجَبْتَنِي فِيهَا بِمَا عِنْدِي قُلْتُ بِإِمَامَتِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ رَبِّكَ مَتَى كَانَ وَ كَيْفَ كَانَ وَ عَلَى أَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ كَانَ اعْتِمَادُهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَيَّنَ الْأَيْنَ بِلَا أَيْنٍ وَ كَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ بِلَا كَيْفٍ وَ كَانَ اعْتِمَادُهُ عَلَى قُدْرَتِهِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّجُلُ فَقَبَّلَ رَأْسَهُ وَ قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً وَصِيُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ الْقَيِّمُ بَعْدَهُ بِمَا قَامَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ أَنَّكُمُ الْأَئِمَّةُ الصَّادِقُونَ وَ أَنَّكَ الْخَلَفُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ

Farsi Text:

مردى از پشت نهر بلخ آمد و خدمت حضرت رضا (ع) رسيد و عرضكرد: من از شما مسأله‏اى ميپرسم، اگر چنانچه ميدانم جواب گوئى بامامتت معتقد شوم. امام فرمود: هر چه خواهى بپرس، عرض كرد: بمن بگو پروردگارت از كى بوده [و كجا بوده‏] و چگونه بوده و تكيه‏ اش بر چيست؟ امام فرمود: خداى تبارك و تعالى مكان را مكان كرد بى ‏آنكه خود مكانى داشته باشد و چگونگى را چگونگى ساخت بى‏ آنكه خود چگونگى داشته باشد و بر قدرت خود تكيه دارد، آن مرد برخاست و سر آن حضرت را بوسيد و گفت گواهى دهم كه شايان پرستش جز خدا نيست و محمد فرستاده اوست و على وصى پيغمبر و سرپرست دعوت او پس از وى ميباشد و شمائيد پيشوايان راستگو و توئى جانشين بعد از آنها.

English Text:

A group of our people from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr who has said the following. A man from Ma Wara' Nahr Balkh (Transoxania) came to abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), and said, 'I have a question for you. If your answer is the same as I already know, I will accept you as my Imam (leader with divine authority).'" Imam abul-Hassan (a.s.) replied, "Ask whatever you wish." The man said, "Tell me when did your Lord come into existence, how has He been and on what did He depend?"

Imam Abul-Hassan (a.s.), replied, "Allah, the Blessed, the Almighty, is the maker of space, Who Himself is not subject to space. He is the maker of "how" and Himself is not subject to "how," and He depends on His own power." The man stood up and kissed the head of the Imam (a.s.) and then said, "I testify that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad (s.a.) is the Messenger of Allah and that Imam Ali (a.s) is the successor of the Messenger of Allah and the Guardian and protector of what the Messenger of Allah has brought from Allah and that your forefathers are the leaders with divine authority and that you are a successor to them."

  

SOURCE:

Al-Kafi, Volume 1, The Book of Tawheed, Chapter 6, Traditions #1, #2