Hadith 44

(The book) ‘Al Tawheed’ – From Ali Bin Ahmad al Daqqaq, from Muhammad Bin Ja’far Al Asady, from Muhammad Bin Ismail Al Barmakky, from Al-Husayn Bin Al-Hassan, from Abu Sumeyna, from Ismail Bin Aban, from Zayd Bin Jubeyr, from Jabir Al Jufy who said, ‘A man from the scholars of the people of Syria came to Abu Ja’far-asws. He said, ‘I have come to ask you-asws about an issue. I have not found anyone who can interpret it for me, and I have asked three types of people! Every type said other than what the other had said’. Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘And what is that? ’
He said, ‘I ask you-asws, what was the first of what Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Created from His-azwj creation? Some of the ones I asked said, ‘The Power’, and some of them said, ‘The Knowledge’, and some of them said, ‘The Spirit’. Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘They have not said anything! I-asws shall inform you. Allah-azwj, Exalted is His-azwj Mention, existed and there was nothing other than Him-azwj. He-azwj was Mighty and there was no might before He-azwj existed before might, and that is His-azwj Word: Glorious is your Lord, the Lord of Might, from what they are ascribing [37: 180]. And He-azwj was a Creator and there was not creation, so the first thing He-azwj Created from His-azwj creation was the thing which entirety of the things are from it, and it is the water’. The questioner asked, ‘So the thing, did He-azwj Create it from a thing or from nothing? ’
He-asws said: ‘He-azwj Created the thing, not from a thing. He-azwj existed before it, and had He‑azwj Created the thing from a thing, when there would be not termination for it, ever! (Infinite chain). And Allah-azwj would not be eternal and there would be something with Him‑azwj. But, Allah-azwj existed and there was nothing with Him-azwj. He-azwj Created the thing which entirety of the things are from it, and it is the water’’. [48]