Martyrdom Anniversary of Imam Ali al-Hadi (p), 1447 A.H.

The 3rd of Rajab 1447 A.H. marks the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Ali al-Hadi (p)

Beyond Sight, Beyond Thought, Yet So Near

How do we speak about God when our words, senses, and imagination are all limited? Imam Ali al-Hadi (p) offers us a reminder that the Divine cannot be captured by human description, confined by human thought, or reached by human perception.

He says, “Indeed, God cannot be described except by what He has described Himself, and how can He be described while the senses cannot comprehend Him, illusions cannot reach Him, what comes to mind cannot limit Him, and eyes cannot encompass Him? He is far in His nearness, and close in His farness” (Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, p. 510).

1. God Is Beyond the Limits of Human Perception

Imam al-Hadi (p) teaches that our senses, sight, hearing, and touch, are created tools. They allow us to navigate the physical world, but they cannot grasp the Creator.

• The senses cannot comprehend Him.
  Nothing we see or touch can represent Him.
• Illusions cannot reach Him.
  Imagination cannot form a picture of Him.
• Thought cannot limit Him.
  Any idea we have of God is already too small.
• Eyes cannot encompass Him.
  He is not an object to be observed.
  
  This It frees us from reducing God to our assumptions and allows us to seek Him as He truly is.

2. Only God Describes God

This is why the Imam begins with, “God cannot be described except by what He has described Himself.”

Our words are shadows; His words are truth.
The Quran becomes the only safe language for speaking about the Divine, not to limit Him, but to guide us toward Him.

When God calls Himself “The Most Merciful, The Light, The All-Knowing, The Subtle, The Near,” He is revealing Himself in a way that human beings can understand, without confining His essence.

3. “Far in His Nearness, and Close in His Farness”

This beautiful paradox captures the mystery of God:

• He is far because no mind can grasp Him.
• He is near because He is closer to us than our jugular vein.

He is utterly beyond creation, yet deeply present in every breath, every heartbeat, every moment of turning toward Him.

We cannot imagine Him, but we can feel His nearness in guidance, mercy, and answered prayers.

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For more information on Imam Ali al-Hadi (p), click here.