SEEING THE LORD ALMIGHTY
﴿ لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَـٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَـٰرَ ۖ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ ﴾
No vision can encompass Him, but He encompasses all vision.
For He is the Most Subtle, All-Aware. [6:103]
There are differing views of the scholars regarding this verse.
- No vision can encompass Him in this world, although it can in the Hereafter.
The proponents of this view cite Aḥādīth to support their position among which is the Ḥadīth of ‘Ā’ishah i:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ i ، قَالَتْ: مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ
فَقَدْ كَذَبَ وَهْوَ يَقُولُ ﴿ لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَـٰرُ ﴾ .
If anyone tells you that Muḥammad g has seen his Lord,
he is a liar, for Allah f says: “No vision can grasp Him.”
However, ‘Ā’ishah i and the majority of scholars, believe that the impossibility of seeing Allah f is confined to this mortal world. However, it will be possible to see the Lord in the Hereafter as exemplified in the following verse of the Qur’ān:
﴿ وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَة ﴾
Faces that Day (will be) radiant, looking towards their Lord. [75:22-23]
and in many Aḥādīth, including the following Ḥadīth:
عن جرير بن عبد الله البجلي ، قال :
كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ رَسولِ اللهِ ﷺ ، إذْ نَظَرَ إلى القَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ البَدْرِ ، فَقالَ :
« أَما إنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ كما تَرَوْنَ هذا القَمَرَ، لا تُضَامُّونَ في رُؤْيَتِهِ ، فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ
أَنْ لا تُغْلَبُوا عَلَى صَلَاةٍ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ ، وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا » يَعْنِي : العَصْرَ وَالْفَجْرَ ،
ثُمَّ قَرَأَ جَرِيرٌ : ﴿ وَسَبِّحْ بحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا ﴾
Jarīr b. ‘Abd-Allah h reported: We were with the Prophet g and he looked at the full moon one night.
The Prophet g said, “Verily, you will see your Lord just as you see this moon. There will be no crowd to block your vision. Thus, if you are able not to miss prayer before the rising of the sun and its setting, then do so.”
Then, the Prophet g recited the verse, “Glorify your Lord with praises before the rising of the sun and its setting” [50:39].” [1]
- Ibn ‘Abbās h differs from ‘Ā’ishah i et al. and states that the Prophet Muḥammad g saw his Lord twice with his heart during his lifetime, hence he believes that the vision can grasp him in this world as well as the Hereafter.
- The Mu‘tazilites [2] claim that it is not possible to see Allah f in either this world or the Hereafter.
They differ from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah (Sunnī Muslims) in this regard.
Furthermore, with regard to the differences of opinions which arose in relation to the matter of Prophet Muḥammad g seeing Allah f, we must not forget that Mūsā n also spoke to Allah f.
Mūsā n desired to see Allah f, however Allah f stated that he would not have the ability to see Him. Scholars have mentioned the reason as to why Mūsā n requested to see Allah f.
One view is that it was due to the fact that he doubted whether someone in this world could possess the capability of seeing Him.
Additionally, an alternative explanation for the reason behind Mūsā n yearning to see Allah f was that he longed to possess further blessings of talking to Allah f directly.
A sign of true love is to continuously yearn to see your beloved and to speak to them at every given opportunity.
With regards to Allah f, the way you demonstrate your true love for Him is through continuous supplication, remembering Him and by the recitation of the glorious Qur’ān.
If we yearn to see Allah f in this world and on the Day of Judgement, we will possess the blessing of witnessing Allah in person.
Mentioned below is another āyah (verse) which affirms this fact, where Allah f says:
﴿ لِلَّذِینَ أَحْسَنُواْ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِیَادَةٌ ﴾
For those who do good is the best and more [10:36]
Best in the above verse means Jannah and the phrase ‘more’ indicates the bounty of seeing Allah f (in the Hereafter).
That is the view of a group of scholars including Abū Bakr, Ḥuzaifah, Abū Mūsā, ‘Ubādah b. al Ṣāmit j, and that is also the view of Ḥasan, ‘Ikrimah, ‘Aṭā’, Muqātil, Ḍaḥḥāk s et al. [3]
There is no blessing better than witnessing the beauty of our Lord. He is our creator, our beloved. Seeing Him will no doubt be the prominent highlight in Paradise. The Prophet g states:
« إِنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ لأَهْلِ الجَنَّةِ: يَا أَهْلَ الجَنَّةِ ، فَيَقُولُونَ : لَبَّيْكَ رَبَّنَا وَسَعْدَيْكَ . فَيَقُولُ : هَلْ رَضِيتُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ : مَا لَنَا لاَ نَرْضَى وَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتَنَا مَا لَمْ تُعْطِ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ . فَيَقُولُ : أَنَا أُعْطِيكُمْ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ . قَالُوا : وَأَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ : أُحِلُّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِضْوَانِي ، فَلاَ أَسْخَطُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَبَدًا »
Indeed, Allah f will say to the people of Paradise: “O people of Paradise!” They will say: “We respond to You, O our Lord, and we are at Your service.”
Then He will say: “Are you pleased?”
They will say: “Why should we not be pleased when You have given us what You have not given anyone from Your creation.”
So, He will say: “I shall give you what is greater than that.”
They will say: ‘And what is greater than that?”
He will say: “I shall cover you in My Pleasure and I shall not become angry with you ever.” [4]
Conversely, those who disobeyed Allah f in this world will be partitioned from Him and not be able to see Him in the Hereafter where they will face the punishment they deserved. Allah f states:
﴿ كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ ﴾
Nay! Indeed, they will surely be separated from their Lord that Day. [83:15]
May Allah f bestow us with blessing of seeing our Lord in the Hereafter and grant us His love, so we always yearn to see Him. Āmīn.
[1] Bukhārī, 554; Muslim, 1434.
[2] Members of a medieval theological sect which maintained that nothing but eternity could be asserted regarding Allah f, that the eternal nature of the Qur’ān was questionable, and that humans have free will.
[3] Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-‘Aẓīm, 4:262.
[4] Tirmidhī, 2732.
“
“The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
