The study of the divine existence of God is more in-depth than the study of the creations in the universe to recognize God. We should reach Him through His existence only and this has been presented in the Islamic traditions and prayers by the infallible ones. This is the long and short of the proof of truth.
We do not subscribe that we cannot recognize God through the creations of this universe and we do not claim that the enlightening and spiritual verses and signs are not the proof of His greatness and knowledge because it has been explained at length in the Qura’n. We say that thee is a very profound and great pathway and that is the study of the actual existence, the recognition of God through His existence and this is the path adopted by the elite and the Gnostic. We set a few examples:
The famous Dua-e-Saba that says:
O You whose entity is the proof of itself and You are free from similarities with the created ones.
2. The famous prayer of Abu Hamza Shumali says:
I have recognized You through yourself and You have guided me towards You.”
3. The prayer of A’rfa says:
All creations are dependent on You for their existence so how can they become the proof of your existence? Is the manifestation of others greater than yours that they will become the cause for your manifestation?
4. In the same prayer of A’rfa it further says:
When are you hidden that we need a source to recognize you, when are you far that we have to find you through signs; blind are the eyes that does not consider You to be a witness upon them.
5. There is a tradition that reports that a disciple of Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS), Mansoor bin Hazim said that he told his opponent in a debate that:
God is far greater than to be recognized through His creations; the creations instead are recognized through Him.
Imam Sadiq confirmed his ideas and said, “May God have mercy upon you, you have said the right thing.” (1)
6. There is a saying of Amirul Mominin Imam Ali (AS):
Recognize God through God Himself and recognize the Holy Messenger through his Ministry, and recognize the anointed ones through Amr bil Ma’ruf and Nahi An Munkar (Through their good deeds and stopping others from evil deeds) and their justice and mercy. (2)
7. There is a tradition that narrates that once a person asked Amirul Mominin how he recognized God? The Imam answered, “I recognized him the way I recognized my soul” (3)
Yes God is recognized through Himself (i.e. the sun is the proof of the rising of the sun). His entity is the proof of His recognition and enlightenment. He needs no one to introduce Him. If he is hidden from some eyes it is because of His powerful manifestation because if the light is very bright then a person cannot see anything in it.
1. Usul Kafi Vol. 1 Page 86
2. Usul Kafi Vol.1 Page 85 Hadith 1
3. Usul Kafi Vol.! Page 85 Hadith 2
