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The doctrine of Divine innovation (Bada)
From: Usul al-Kafi
Translator’s note: The expression ‘Divine Innovation’ requires a brief explanation. Sometimes it appears that God, the Almighty, the Magnificent, has made a change or amendment in His great scheme of things. But it only appears so because our perspective has its own limitations while His knowledge is All-Pervading. The change or amendment thus understood was already in His perfect knowledge since eternity and therefore was not a change at all. Further understanding and inspiration can be gained from the following traditions.
255 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was requested to explain the meaning of the verse: “God effaces what He wills and establishes what He wills . . .” (Q, 13:39)
The Imam (p): A Divine Decree will be effaced only if established beforehand, and is established only if it was not in existence previously.
256 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): God has not raised any prophet before taking three covenants from him. The pledge of exclusive devotion to God, the pledge of negation of any partners to God, and the exclusive privilege of God to give priority to whatever He wills, and posteriority to whatever He wills.
257 Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p) was requested to explain the meaning of the verse: “Then He decreed a term and a term stated is with Him” (Q, 6:2).
The Imam (p): There are two kinds of terms: the compulsive (which is final) and the suspended (which is conditional).
258 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was requested to explain the meaning of the verse: “But does not a man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?” (Q, 19:67).
The Imam (p): Neither determined nor created. This means that these words refer to the time when man’s being was neither being determined nor had he been brought into existence.
The Imam (p) was then requested to explain the verse: “Had there ever come upon a man a moment when he was not a thing to be mentioned?” (Q, 76:1)
The Imam (p): This verse refers to the time when man’s being was determined but had not been mentioned.
259 Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p): Knowledge of God is of two kinds. One is hidden with Him about which none of His creatures know anything about it. The other is the knowledge given to His Apostles and Angels that will come to pass. He never falsifies Himself nor do His Angels or Apostles. But as regards the knowledge hidden with Him, He gives precedence to what He wills and with draws to what He wills and establishes what He wills.
260 Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p): Out of the divine decrees, some are in a state of suspension with God. Among such decrees He gives priority and posterity to whichever He likes.
261 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): The knowledge of God consists of two kinds: the knowledge which is a hidden treasure with Him and no one knows it except Him (God) and this kind of knowledge includes the Divine Innovation (Bada), and the other knowledge is that which has been given by Him to the Angels, Prophets and Apostles and we know this knowledge.
Translator’s note: The doctrine of Bada (God’s Innovation) means God’s power to innovate a decree, still unexecuted, with another decree later in time but different from the first. This doctrine can be explained in the light of the verse: “God effaces whatever He pleases and similarly He confirms: and with Him is the Mother of the Book (the basic source)” (Q, 13:39).
262 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): God does not originate anything but He knows it before effecting that innovation.
263 A person asked Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Can anything happen today that was not in the knowledge of God yesterday?
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Never! May God humiliate him who says so.
The person: And what happened in the past and what is going to happen till the Day of Judgment? Is it not in the knowledge of God?
The Imam (p): Surely. Even before He brought His creations into actual creation.
264 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): No prophet has ever been given prophet hood unless he had affirmed five basic principles. The privilege of God for originating, Divine purpose, prostration, complete surrender to God and obedience to Him.
265 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Verily, God, the Almighty, the Majestic, has informed Prophet Muhammad (p) of all that has happened from the beginning of this world and also of all that will happen till the end of the world. God has informed him (p) of the irreversible decrees, only excluding the rest (unclear as to what this last few words mean).
Chapter 25: Nothing can come into existence in the heavens and earth without seven pre-existing entities:
266 Imam Musa al-Kazim (p): Nothing in this vast and mysterious universe exists without seven causes which are: The Decree of God, His Measure, His Resolution, His Will, Record in His Guarded Tablet, Predestined Term, and His Permission. Anyone who thinks otherwise attributes falsehood to God and denies the authority of God, the Mighty, the Majestic.
Divine will and intention
267 Imam Musa al-Kazim (p): Nothing can come into existence except by God’s will, intention, foreordaining and accomplishment…
He was asked: What is meant by God’s will?
Imam Musa al-Kazim (p): It is the commencement of an action.
Again, he was asked: What is the meaning of God’s foreordaining?
The Imam (p): It means an estimate of the object’s dimensions.
He was further asked: What is meant by God’s accomplishment?
The Imam (p): When a decree is accomplished, it is issued. This is the stage when it can never be cancelled.
268 Imam Ali ar-Reza (p): God the Almighty said (in a Divine Tradition*): O son of Adam, it is on the basis of the powers invested by Me that you can will whatever you like for yourself, and on the authority delegated by Me to you, you can perform your duties as levied on you. And it is on the basis of My delegation that you have become capable of disobeying Me. I have bestowed upon you the ability to hear, to see and to be strong. Whatever good things you received, you received from God. And whatever evil befalls you is because of your own self. So to your good deeds, I am closer to them than you yourself are. And to your evil deed you are closer to them than I am. This is the reason why I am not accountable for what I do and for that very reason it is they (the creatures) who are accountable.
*A Divine tradition is a revelation of God to his Holy Prophet Muhammad (p) which is not included in the Glorious Noble Quran. In Arabic terminology, this kind of tradition is called Hadees al-Qudsi
Tests and trials of mankind
269 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): With each and every scarcity and abundance is associated Divine Will, Judgment and test.
Translator’s note: This saying of the Imam (p) may briefly be explained as follows: God never compels anyone to commit sins and indiscretions, nor does He like those who commit sins and indiscretions but as He has bestowed free will to mankind to certain defined limits, men commit sins for which they are solely responsible.
Chapter 28: Good and evil
270 Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): A part of the revelation made by God to Prophet Musa (p) (Moses) and revealed in the Old Testament (Torah) was: Verily I am the only God and there is no other god except Me. I have brought the creatures into existence and have created the good. I have unfolded the good through the hands of those whom I liked. Thus fortunate is the person through whose hands I have unfolded the good and I am God, there is no god except Me ...
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