Al-Tawḥīd 1, narration 68

Translation

33. Abu Sa`id Muhammad ibn al-Fadl ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Mudhakkir famous as Abu Sa`id the teacher [al-Mu`allim] in Naysabur said: Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan said: `Ali ibn Salmah al-Layfi said: Isma`il ibn Yahya ibn `Abd Allah related to on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Talhah ibn Hujaym that Abu Sinan al-Shaybani Sa`id ibn Sinan said on the authority of al-Dahhak, on the authority of al-Nizal ibn Sabrah that A Jewish man came to `Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS) and asked: “O Commander of the Faithful! Since when has our Lord existed?” `Ali (AS) replied: It is certainly said `when was it’ for a thing that was not there and then was there. However, our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, had existed, does exist and will exist without occurrence. He existed without quality. He has always existed with eternity and without quality. He has always existed. There is no beginning for Him. He is prior to the beginning. He is without a beginning and an end [ghayah]. He is the End and there is no end to Him. He is the End that ends all. Thus, He is the End of all Ends.

Translation: Sayed Ali Raza Rizvi — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.