`Abd al-Husayn Objects to the Phenomena of Viewing the Countenance of Allah on the Day of Qiyamah

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‘Abdul Hussain Objects to the Phenomena of Viewing the Countenance of Allah on the Day of Qiyamah

 

‘Abdul Hussain quotes the second hadith on pg. 64 under the heading, “viewing Allah with the physical eye in different forms”.

 

أخرج الشيخان الإسناد إلى أبي هريرة قال: قال أناس: يا رسول الله هل نرى ربنا يوم القيامة؟ فقال: هل تضارون في الشمس ليس دونها سحاب؟ قالوا: لا يا رسول الله قال هل تضارون في القمر ليلة البدر ليس دونه سحاب قالوا:لا يا رسول الله، قال فإنكم ترونه يوم القيامة كذلك. يجمع الله الناس فيقول من كان يعبد شيئا فليتبعه فيتبع من كان يعبد الشمس ويتبع من كان يعبد القمر ويتبع من كان يعبد الطواغيت وتبقى هذه الأمة فيها منافقوها فيأتيهم الله في غير الصورة التي يعرفون فيقول أنا ربكم فيقولون نعوذ بالله منك هذا مكاننا حتى يأتينا ربنا فإذا أتانا ربنا عرفناه فيأتيهم الله في الصورة التي يعرفون فيقول أنا ربكم فيقولون أنت ربنا فيتبعونه ويضرب جسر جهنم قال رسول الله  فأكون أول من يجيز ودعاء الرسل يومئذ اللهم سلم سلم وبه كلاليب مثل شوك السعدان أما رأيتم شوك السعدان قالوا بلى يا رسول الله قال فإنها مثل شوك السعدان غير أنها لا يعلم قدر عظمها إلا الله فتخطف الناس بأعمالهم منهم الموبق بعمله ومنهم المخردل ثم ينجو حتى إذا فرغ الله من القضاء بين عباده وأراد أن يخرج من النار من أراد أن يخرج ممن كان يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أمر الملائكة أن يخرجوهم فيعرفونهم بعلامة آثار السجود وحرم الله على النار أن تأكل من ابن آدم أثر السجود فيخرجونهم قد امتحشوا فيصب عليهم ماء يقال له ماء الحياة فينبتون نبات الحبة في حميل السيل ويبقى رجل منهم مقبل بوجهه على النّار فيقول يا رب قد قشبني ريحها وأحرقني ذكاؤها فاصرف وجهي عن النار فلا يزال يدعو الله فيقول لعلك إن أعطيتك أن تسألني غيره فيقول لا وعزتك لا أسألك غيره فيصرف وجهه عن النار ثم يقول بعد ذلك يا رب قربني إلى باب الجنة فيقول أليس قد زعمت أن لا تسألني غيره ويلك ابن آدم ما أغدرك فلا يزال يدعو فيقول لعلي إن أعطيتك ذلك تسألني غيره فيقول لا وعزتك لا أسألك غيره فيعطي الله من عهود ومواثيق أن لا يسأله غيره فيقربه إلى باب الجنة فإذا رأى ما فيها سكت ما شاء الله أن يسكت ثم يقول رب أدخلني الجنة ثم يقول أوليس قد زعمت أن لا تسألني غيره ويلك يا ابن آدم ما أغدرك فيقول يا رب لا تجعلني أشقى خلقك فلا يزال يدعو حتى يضحك (الله)!؟ فإذا ضحك منه أذن له بالدخول فيها فإذا دخل فيها قيل له تمن من كذا فيتمنى ثم يقال له تمن من كذا فيتمنى حتى تنقطع به الأماني فيقول له هذا لك ومثله معه

Abu Hurairah narrates:

Some people said, “O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Rabb on the Day of Qiyamah?”

He replied, “Do you scramble upon one another to see the Sun when there are no clouds around it?”

They responded, “No, O Messenger of Allah.”

He then asked, “Do you scramble upon one-another to see the moon on the fourteenth night when there are no clouds around it?”

They replied, “No, O Messenger of Allah.”

Thereafter he explained, “You will see Him in a similar manner on the Day of Qiyamah (without scrambling upon one another). Allah will gather the people and then He will say, ‘Each person should follow that which he had worshipped.’ Thereupon some will follow the Sun, some will follow the moon and some will follow the devils. Only this Ummah will remain; however, the hypocrites will still be amongst them. Allah will then appear before them in a form that is unknown to them and proclaim, ‘I am your Rabb.’ Upon seeing this they will say, ‘We seek the protection of Allah from you! We will remain here until our Rabb appears before us and we will definitely recognise Him.’ Then Allah will appear before them in the manner that is known to them due to which they will say in acknowledgement. ‘You are our Rabb,’ and then they will follow Him. The bridge across Jahannam will then be placed.”

The Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said. “I will be the first to cross it. The supplication of the Messnegers on that day will be, ‘O Allah protect (us), protect (us)!’ It has hooks that are like the thorns of Sa’dan. Have you not seen the thorns of Sa’dan?”

They replied, “We have definitely seen it.”

He then continued by saying, “It is similar to the thorn of Sa’dan, except that none knows its size besides Allah. It will seize people on account of their actions. Some will be destroyed by their actions and some will have a few (good) actions. Later on, they will be saved. When Allah will complete His judgement between the people and He wishes to remove certain people who affirmed that there is no deity besides Allah from Hell, he will command the angels to remove them. They will recognise these individuals by means of the effects of prostration. Thereupon they will remove them whereas they will be as if they have been turned into ash. Thereafter, certain water, which is called ‘the water of life’ will be poured over them. This will cause them to grow just as a seed grows after torrential rain. There will only be one person left. He will be facing Jahannam and he will supplicate to Allah saying, ‘O my Rabb, indeed its stench has poisoned me and its blaze has burnt me. Thus, I beg you to turn my face away from the fire.’ He will persist upon this supplication until Allah eventually will ask him, ‘If I grant this to you will you ask me for anything else?’ He will reply, ‘By Your grandeur, I will not ask for anything else.’ Allah will then turn his face away from the fire. At that juncture he will ask, ‘O my Rabb, take me close to the door of Jannat!’ Allah will question him, ‘Did you not say that you will not ask for anything else? Woe unto you, O son of Adam, you are quite treacherous!’ He will continue supplicating in this manner until Allah will ask him, ‘Perhaps if I grant that to you, you will ask for something else?’ He will reply, ‘By Your grandeur, I will not ask for anything else!’ and he will continue promising Allah and taking oaths that he will not ask for anything else. Thereupon Allah will take him close to the door of Jannat. When he sees what is in Jannat, he will remain silent for a short period of time. Thereafter, he will plead, ‘O my Rabb, grant me entry into Jannat!’ Allah will reply, ‘Did you not say that you will not ask for anything else? Woe unto you, O son of Adam, you are quite treacherous!’ He will then say, ‘O my Rabb, do not make me the most unfortunate of your creation!’ He will continue supplicating until Allah will laugh. Thereafter, Allah will allow him to enter into it. It will be said to him, ‘Desire such and such,’ so he will desire. Then it will be said to him again, ‘Desire such and such.’ He will continue desiring until he cannot desire anymore. Thereafter Allah will say to him, ‘All of this and ten times this amount is yours.’”^[1]

 

‘Abdul Hussain then hunts for some discrepancy in this hadith. He says:

 

وهذا حديث مجهول الفت إليه أرباب العقول فهل يجوز عندهم أن تكون لله صورة مختلفة ينكرون بعضها ويعرفون البعض الآخر ؟ وهل يرون ان لله ساقا تكون آية له وعلامة عليه ؟ وبأي شيء كانت ساقه علامة دون غيرها من الأعضاء ؟ وهل تجوز عليه الحركة والانتقال فيأتيهم أولا وثانيا وهل يجوز عليه الضحك؟ وأي وزن لهذا الكلام

This hadith is outrageous. I wish to bring it to the attention of the intelligent ones. Is it acceptable according to them that Allah has different forms, some of which are recognised and others which are not recognised? Do they believe that Allah has a shin which is His sign and an indication towards Him? On what basis was the shin singled out as His sign, instead of the other limbs? Is movement and shifting around believable with regards to Him due to which He will come to them the first and second time? Is it believable that he laughs? Does this speech make any sense?

 

Our comment: The actual motive of the author in this case is to refute the belief of the Ahlus Sunnah regarding viewing the countenance of Allah on the Day of Qiyamah. His purpose is not as he misleadingly states in the introduction of his book, “cleansing the sihah, and masanid of all those narrations of Abu Hurairah which are illogical.” Proof of this is that he authored a book titled, A Word Regarding the Viewing. His goal is to discredit the Ahlus Sunnah as he knows that the hadith on Muslims viewing Allah in the hereafter has been narrated from the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by more than twenty Sahabah. He conveniently picked out Abu Hurairah as the target to achieve his goal. I have already explained this in the introduction.

Nevertheless, we will reply briefly to the objections of the author. He says:

 

فهل يجوز عندهم أن تكون لله صورة مختلفة ينكرون بعضها ويعرفون البعض الآخر ؟

Is it acceptable according to them that Allah has different forms, some of which are recognised and others which are not recognised?

 

Ibn al Jawzi states:

 

اعلم أنه يجب على كل مسلم أن يعتقد أن الله سبحانه وتعالى لا تجوز عليه الصورة التي هي هيئة وتأليف

Know that it is compulsory upon every Muslim to believe that is impossible for Allah, the most lofty and pure to be of a particular shape, i.e. something which has a form and is assembled.

 

Ibn Hajar quotes Ibn al Battal,

 

تمسك به – أي بهذا الحديث – المجسمة فأثبتوا لله صورة ، ولا حجة لهم فيه لاحتمال أن يكون بمعنى العلامة وضعها الله  لهم دليلا على معرفته كما يسمى الدليل والعلامة صورة وكما تقول صورة حديثك كذا وصورة الأمر كذا والحديث والأمر لا صورة لهما حقيقة ، وأجاز غيره أن المراد بالصورة الصفة …

ونقل ابن التين : أن معناه صورة الاعتقاد ، وأجاز الخطابي أن يكون الكلام خرج على وجه المشاكلة لما تقدم من ذكر الشمس والقمر والطواغيت ..

The anthropomorphist’s have held onto this hadith and have been convinced that Allah has a form. This hadith does not prove their claim due to the possibility that the word “form” here refers to a sign which Allah will place before them as a means of recognising Him. This possibility is based upon the fact that the word “form” is used with reference to a sign.^[2] Similarly it is also said, “The form of your speech,” and, “The form of the matter,” whereas speech and matters have no physical forms. Other scholars have stated the word “form” refers to an attribute.

Ibn al Tin has stated, “This means a theoretical form.” Al Khattabi is of the opinion that the word was used simply in contrast to the others, viz. the Sun, the Moon, and the devils.^[3]

 

Ibn al Jawzi further states:

 

و قال غيره من العلماء : يأتيهم بأهوال القيامة ، وصورة الملائكة ، مما لم يعهدوا مثله في الدنيا ، فيستعيذون من تلك الحال ، ويقولون : إذا جاء ربنا عرفناه،

أي أتى بما يعرفونه من لطفه ، وهي الصورة التي يعرفون فيكشف عن ساق : أي عن شدة كأنه يرفع تلك الاشدائد المهولة ، فيسجدون شكرا ، وقال بعضهم : صورة يمتحن إيمانهم بها ، كما يبعث الدجال فيقولون : نعوذ بالله منك

Other scholars have stated, “He will show them the terror of the Day of Qiyamah and the forms of the angels which they did not see previously in the world. Thereupon they will seek protection from those conditions and say, ‘When our Rabb comes to us, we will recognise Him.’ This means that He will show that which they are aware of regarding Him, such as His compassion. This is the form that they will recognise. He will then expose the shin, i.e. he will remove the difficulties and horrific scenes. As a result, they will fall into prostration as a token of appreciation.”

Some scholars have said, the first will be a form by means of which their iman will be tested, just as dajjal will be raised and he will say, “We seek the protection of Allah from you.”^[4]

 

‘Abdul Hussain says:

 

وهل يرون ان لله ساقا تكون آية له وعلامة عليه ؟ وبأي شيء كانت ساقه علامة دون غيرها من الأعضاء ؟ وهل تجوز عليه الحركة والانتقال فيأتيهم أولا وثانيا وهل يجوز عليه الضحك؟ وأي وزن لهذا الكلام

Do they believe that Allah has a shin which is His sign and an indication towards Him? On what basis was the shin singled out as His sign, instead of the other limbs? Is movement and shifting around believable with regards to Him due to which He will come to them the first and second time? Is it believable that He laughs? Does this speech make any sense?

 

Our comment: These comments of his indicate an alarming degree of unparalleled ignorance. I do not know of anyone who held this view before him. Did this so-called Ayatollah not read the Qur’an?

Did he not accidently come across these verses:

 

هَلْ يَنْظُرُوْنَ إلاَّ أَن يـَّأْتـِيَهُمُ اللّٰهُ فِىْ ظُلَلِ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَـلٰئِكَةُ وَقُضِىَ الْأَمْرُ

Are they waiting for Allah and the angels to come to them beneath the shadow of clouds and for matters to be decided?^[5]

 

هَلْ يَنْظُرُوْنَ إلاَّ أَن يـَّأْتـِيَهُمُ الْمَـلٰئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ رَبُّكَ  أَوْ يَأْتِىَ بَعْضُ أٰيـٰتِ رَبِّكَ

They wait for the angels to come to them or for your Rabb to come or for some of your Rabb’s signs to appear.^[6]

 

كَلاَّ إِذَا دُكَّتِ الأَرْضُ دَكًّا دَكًّا وَجَآءَ رَبُّكَ  وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا

No! When the earth has been levelled, pounded and crushed. And your Lord has come and the angels, rank upon rank.^[7]

 

He further objects to the belief of viewing Allah by saying:

 

وهذا محال لا يعقل، ولا يمكن أن يتصور متصور إلا إذا اختص الله المؤمنين في الدار الآخرة ببصر لا تكون فيه خواص الأبصار المعهودة في الحياة الدنيا ..

This is totally impossible and unbelievable. One cannot imagine that this will happen unless Allah grants the believers such eyesight in the hereafter which does not have the same characteristics as the eyesight of this worldly life.

 

Our comment: Firstly, those who oppose you, i.e. those who believe that viewing will be possible, are the Sahabah, Tabi’in, and the rightly guided Imams of fiqh and hadith. Their virtue stands out above the rest of the world. Undoubtedly, their intelligence was of par-excellence. That is besides the fact that they far outnumber you. Al Nawawi states:

 

اعلم أن مذهب أهل السنة بأجمعهم أن رؤية الله تعالى ممكنة غير مستحيلة عقلا وأجمعوا أيضاً على وقوعها في الآخرة وأن المؤمنين يرون الله تعالى دون الكافرين وزعمت طائفة من أهل البدع المعتزلة والخوارج وبعض المرجئة أن الله تعالى لا يراه أحد من خلقه وأن رؤيته مستحيلة عقلا ، وهذا الذي قالوه خطأ صريح وجهل قبيح وقد تظافرت أدلة الكتاب والسنة واجماع الصحابة فمن بعدهم من سلف الأمة على اثبات رؤية الله تعالى في الآخرة للمؤمنين ورواها نحو عشرين صحابياً عن رسول الله وآيات القرآن فيها مشهورة واعتراضات المبتدعة عليها لها أجوبة مشهورة في كتب المتكلمين من أهل السنة وكذلك باقي شبههم وهي مستقاة في كتب الكلام

The view of the entire Ahlus Sunnah is that it is possible to view Allah, it is not against human rationale. They have also unanimously agreed that it will take place in the hereafter. This opportunity will be reserved for the Mu’minin, the non-believers will be deprived of this. Some deviant groups, such as the Mu’tazilah, Khawarij, and some Murji’ah believe that Allah cannot be seen by any of His creation, and that viewing Him defies logic. This view of theirs is clearly erroneous and based upon ignorance. There is overwhelming evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus of the Sahabah as well as those after them from the pious predecessors to prove that it will take place in the hereafter and that it is reserved for the Mu’minin. Approximately twenty Sahabah have narrated it from the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The verses of the Qur’an regarding the subject are also quite well-known. As for the objections of the deviates, there are famous replies to them which may be found in the books of doctrine of the Ahlus Sunnah. Similarly, their other misunderstandings have been clarified in those books.^[8]

 

Ibn Hajar says in Fath al Bari whilst quoting Ibn Battal:

 

ذهب أهل السنة وجمهور الأمة إلى جواز رؤية الله في الآخرة ومنع الخوارج والمعتزلة وبعض المرجئة وتمسكوا بأن الرؤية توجب كون المرئي محدثا وحالا في مكان ، وأولوا قوله :{ نَاظِرَة } بمنتظرة وهو خطأ لأنه لا يتعدى بإلى

The Ahlus Sunnah along with majority of the Ummah believe that it will be possible to view Allah in the hereafter. However, the Khawarij, Mu’tazilah, and some Murji’ah consider it impossible. The basis of their belief is that they claim that in order to see something, that item or object has to be a created entity and it has to occupy a specific area. They have interpreted the word ‘viewing’ (in the verse which states that the radiant faces will be viewing their Rabb) to mean anticipation. This cannot be the case as (the word towards appears before it and) it is not used with the word towards.

 

Thereafter he mentions the same as was mentioned above. Then he adds:

 

وما تمسكوا به فاسد لقيام الأدلة على أن الله تعالى موجود ، والرؤية في تعلقها بالمرئي بمنزلة العلم في تعلقه بالمعلوم فإذا كان تعلق العلم بالمعلوم لا يوجب حدوثه فكذلك المرئى .

قال وتعلقوا بقوله:{ لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصٰـرُ } [ الأنعام /103] .

وقوله لموسى:{ لَنْ تَرٰنـِىْ} [ الأعراف /143 ] .

والجواب عن الأول : أنه لا تدركه الأبصار في الدنيا جمعا بين دليلي الآيتين ، وبأن نفي الادراك لا يستلزم نفي الرؤية لإمكان رؤية الشىء من غير إحاطة بحقيقته

Their evidence does not hold water. This is because there is abundant proof of the existence of Allah. Added to that, the relation between viewing an object and the viewed is the same as the relationship between knowledge and the known. Since knowing something does not demand that it is created or it is something new, the same should be understood with regards to viewing something.

They use the following statement of Allah as evidence, “Visions cannot grasp Him,”^[9] as well as, “You cannot see me.”^[10]

The answer to the first evidence is that visions cannot grasp Him in this world. This reconciles the meanings of the two verses. Secondly, negation of grasping does not necessitate negation of viewing, as it is possible to view something without grasping its reality.^[11]

 

This is besides the fact that there will never be a conflict between a sound mind and the Qur’an and the established and authentic Sunnah. If ever there seems to be a conflict between them then it is either due to the narration being unauthentic or the mind not being completely sound. If the mind is left to decide on its own, it will not be able to simply reject that viewing will take place until an undebatable proof turns one away from it.

This author has stooped to the lowest ebb and has deviated far off the path. This hadith will be a proof against him on the Day of Qiyamah, where he will only hope that he believed in it and called people towards it. The first hadith clarifies the meaning of ‘grasping’. This meaning is also confirmed by the infallible Imam who told one of the narrators:

 

أنت قد تدرك بوهمك السند والهند والبلدان التي لم تدخلها ولا تدركها ببصرك

At times, you are able to perceive, by means of your imagination, Sindh, Hind and other places that you have never physically visited, and you cannot do the same with your eyes.

 

Al Kulayni narrates from Dawood ibn al Qasim Abi Hashim al Jafari who says:

 

قلت لأبي جعفر(ع): لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار ؟ فقال:يا أبا هاشم أوهام القلوب أدقّ من أبصار العيون ، أنت قد تدرك بوهمك السند والهند والبلدان التي لم تدخلها ولا تدركها ببصرك وأوهام القلوب لا تدركه فكيف أبصار العيون

I asked Abu Jafar, “Visions cannot grasp Him but he can grasp all visions”?

He replied, “O Abu Hashim, the thoughts of the heart have more strength than the vision of the eyes. At times, you are able to perceive, by means of your imagination, Sindh, Hind, and other places that you have never physically visited. You cannot do the same with your eyes. Therefore, if the thoughts cannot encompass Him, then how can the eyes do so?”^[12]

 

Al Kulayni and al Saduq each narrate with their own chain from Yaqub ibn Ishaq who says:

 

كتبت إلى أبي محمد أسأله كيف يعبد العبد ربـّه وهو لا يراه ؟ فوقع (ع) يا أبا يوسف جلّ سيدي ومولاي والمنعم عليّ وعلى آبائي أن يرى ، قال: و سألته هل رأى رسول الله ربـّه؟ فوقع (ع) إن الله تبارك وتعالى أرى رسوله بقلبه من نور عظمته ما أحبّ

I wrote to Abu Muhammad asking him, “How does a slave worship his Rabb when he cannot see Him?”

He then deliberated and thereafter said, “O Abu Yusuf, my Master and Owner and the One who has bestowed His favours upon me and my fore-fathers is too exalted to be seen.”

I also asked him, “Did The Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam see his Rabb?”

He deliberated and thereafter said, “Indeed Allah the Most Blessed and Lofty showed the heart of His Rasul salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam the amount that He desired from His nur.”^[13]

 

Al Kulayni and al Saduq report from ‘Abdullah ibn Sinan who reports from his father:

 

حضرت أبا جعفر(ع) فدخل عليه رجل من الخوارج فقال له : يا أبا جعفر أي شيئ تعبد ؟ قال: الله تعالى ، قال : رأيته ؟ قال: بال لم تره العيون بمشاهدة الأبصار ولكن رأته القلوب بحقائق الإيمان، لا يعرف بالقياس ولا يدرك بالحواس ولا يشبه بالناس ، موصوف بالآبات ، معروف بالعلامات لا يجوز في حكمه ذلك الله ، لا إله إلا هو، قال: فخرج الرجل وهو يقول : الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته

I was present in the gathering of Abu Jafar when a man from the Khawarij entered. He said to him, “O Abu Jafar what do you worship?”

He replied, “Allah, the Most Exalted.”

The man asked, “Did you see him?”

He replied, “No, the eyes do not have the ability to view Him, but the heart has seen Him through the realities of iman. He cannot be understood by analogy, grasped by the senses and He cannot be likened to humans. He is described by signs and known through proofs. That is not possible according to His law. Allah, there is no deity besides Him.”

The man left saying, “Allah knows best where He places His revelation.”^[14]

 

Al Kulayni and al Saduq report from Abu al Hassan al Mawsili who narrates from Abu ‘Abdullah:

 

عن أبي عبدالله قال: جاء حبر إلى أميرالمؤمنين (ع) فقال: يا أميرالمؤمنين هل رأيت ربك حين عبدته ؟ فقال: ويلك ما كنت أعبد رباً لم أره ، قال: وكيف رأيته ؟ قال: ويلك لا تدركه العيون في مشاهدة الأبصار ولكن رأته القلوب بحقايق الإيمان

A monk came to Amir al Mu’minin and said, “O Amir al Mu’minin, do you see your Rabb when you worship Him?”

He replied, “Woe unto you, why would I worship a Rabb who I cannot see?”

He asked, “How do you see Him?”

He replied, “Woe unto you, the eyes do not have the ability to view Him, but the heart has seen Him through the realities of iman.”^[15]

 

Al Saduq reports in al Tawhid from Abu Hashim al Jafar:

 

عن أبي هاشم الجعفر، عن أبي الحسن الرضا(ع) قال: سالته عن الله هل يوصف ؟ فقال: أما تقرء القرآن ؟ ! قلت: بلى ، قال: أما تقرء قوله: {  لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصٰـرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصٰـرَ  } قلت: بلى ، قال: فتعرفون الأبصار؟ قلت: بلى ، قال: وما هي ؟ قلت: أبصار العيون فقال: إن أوهام القلوب أكثر من أبصار العيون فهو لا تدركه الأوهام وهو يدرك الأوهام .

I asked Abu al Hassan al Rida if Allah can be described.

He replied, “Do you not read Qur’an?”

I replied, “Yes.”

He asked, “Do you not read the speech of Allah, ‘Visions cannot grasp Him but He grasps them?’”

I replied, “Yes.”

He asked, “Do you know about vision?”

I replied, “Yes.”

He asked, “What is it?”

I replied, “The vision of the eyes.”

He replied, “The vision of the heart is stronger than the vision of the eyes as they do not have an imagination whereas it has one.”[16]

Thus, your statement refutes the view of your Imams and it seems as if you do not understand their ahadith.

 

Viewing Allah on the Day of Qiyamah is Possible, Proven from the Sayings of the Ahlul Bayt

Here is a brief presentation on some of the ahadith:

The erudite scholar and researcher Muhammad al Tusirkani reports this hadith in his book, La’ali al Akhbar, under the chapter, “The people of Jannat will hear his voice,”:

 

في أن أهل الجنة يسمعون صوته تعالى ويخاطبهم وينظرون إليه وهما ألذ الأشياء عندهم قال (ع) في حديث يذكر فيه إشتغال المؤمنين بنعم الجنة : فبينما هم كذلك إذ يسمعون صوتاًمن تحت العرش : يا أهل الجنة كيف ترون منقلبكم ؟ فيقولون : خير المنقلب منقلبنا وخير الثواب ثوابنا ، قد سمعنا الصوت واشتهينا النظر وهو أعظم ثوابنا وقد وعدته ولا تخلف الميعاد  فيأمر الله الحجاب فيقوم سبعون ألف حاجب فيركبون على النوق والبرازين وعليهم الحلى والحلل فيسبرون في ظل العرش حتى ينتهوا إلى دار السلام وهي دار الله دار البهاء والنور والسرور والكرامة فيسمعون الصوت فيقولون : يا سيدنا سمعنا لذاذة منطقك وأرنا وجهك فيتجلى لهم سبحانه وتعالى ، حتى ينظرون إلى وجهه  تبارك وتعالى المكنون من كل عين ناظر فلا يتمالكون حتى يخروا على وجوههم سجدا فيقولون: سبحانك ما عبدناك حق عبادتك يا عظيم قال فيقول : يا عبادي إرفعوا رؤسكم ليس هذا بدار عمل …. فإذا رفعوا رفعوها وقد أشرقت وجوههم من نور وجهه سبعين ضعفا ثم يقول : يا ملائكتي أطعموهم واسقوهم ..يا ملائكتي طيبوهم فيأتيهم ريح من تحت العرش يمسك أشد بياضا من الثلج  ويعبر وجوههم وجباههم وجنوبهم تسمى المثيرة فيستمكنون من النظر إلى وجهه فيقولون يا سيدنا حسبنا لذاذة منطقك والنظر إلى وجهك لا نريد به بدلا ولا نبتغي به حولا فيقول الرب إني أعلم أنكم إلى أزواجكم مشتاقون وان أزواجكم إليكم مشتاقات ارجعوا إلى أزواجكم قال : فيقولون : يا سيدنا اجعل لنا شرطاً قال فإن لكم كل جمعة زورة ما بين الجمعة سبعة آلاف سنة مما تعدّون قال فينصرفون فيعطى كل رجل منهم رمانة خضر في كل رمانة سبعون حلة …. حتى يبشروا أزواجهم وهن قيام على أبواب الجنان قال: فلما دنى منها نظرت إلى وجهه فأنكرته من غير سوء ، وقالت: حبيبي لقد خرجت من عندي وما أنت هكذا قال: فيقول: حبيبتي تلومني أن أكون هكذا وقد نظرت إلى وجه ربي تبارك وتعالى فأشرق وجهي من نور وجهه ، ثم يعرض عنها فينظر إليها نظرة فيقول: حبيبتي لقد خرجت من عندك و ماكنت هكذا فنقول : حبيبي تلومني أن أكون هكذا، وقد نظرت إلى وجه الناظر إلى وجهه ربي فأشرق وجهي من وجه الناظر إلى وجه ربي سبعين ضعفا ، فنعانقه من باب الخيمة والرب يضحك إليهم

The inhabitants of Jannat will hear His voice (the most exalted), He will converse with them and they will see Him. This will be the greatest means of joy to them. He ‘alayh al Salam says in a hadith in which the engrossment of the Mu’minin in the pleasures of Jannat has been mentioned, “Whilst they will be in that condition, suddenly they will hear a voice from below the throne, ‘O inhabitants of Jannat, what are your feelings regarding your abode?’ They will reply, ‘Our abode is the best abode and our reward is the best reward.’ We have heard the voice and now our only desire is to see (the one whose voice we have heard). That will be our greatest reward. You have promised it to us and You do not go against Your promise.’ Allah will then instruct the veil (to be removed). Thereupon, seventy thousand doorkeepers will mount camels and horses which will be dressed and beautified with jewellery. They will ride in the shade of the throne until they reach Dar al Salam which is the House of Allah, the House of glitter, illumination, happiness and honour. They will hear the voice and then say, ‘O our master, we have heard your melodious speech so show to us Your countenance. He will then reveal Himself—the Most Pure and Exalted—to them until they view His face—the Most Blessed and Exalted, which is concealed from all eyes. They will be overwhelmed and consequently they will all fall into prostration on their foreheads. They will exclaim, ‘Glory be to You, we have not worshipped You as You ought to be worshipped, O the Most Magnificent!’ He will then say, ‘O my slaves, raise your heads as you are not required to do any acts of worship in this abode’… When they raise their heads, their faces will be brightened seventy-fold as a result of the illumination of His countenance. Thereafter he will instruct His angels saying, ‘O my angels, offer them food and drinks… O my angels, make them comfortable.’ This will cause a wind which will have musk that is whiter than snow to blow in their direction. It will touch their faces, their foreheads and their sides. It is called al Muthirah. They will attempt to have another glance at His countenance due to which they will say, ‘O our master, the beauty of Your voice and seeing You is sufficient for us. We do not want any replacement or break from it.’ The Rabb will then say, ‘I know very well that you are now desirous of your spouses and they are anticipating you. Return to them.’ They will say, ‘O our master, grant us a promise.’ He will say, ‘Every Friday you will be allowed a visit which will be seven thousand years according to your calculations.’ They will then return, each of them with a green pomegranate. Each pomegranate will contain seventy garments… they will give glad-tidings to their spouses who will be standing at the gates of Jannat. When they will draw close to them, their wives will look at their faces and find them strange, but without any defect. They will say, ‘O my beloved, you were not like this when You left?’ He will reply, ‘O my beloved wife, How can you question me when I have just seen the countenance of my Most Exalted and blessed Rabb which has illuminated my face.’ He will then turn away from her and thereafter cast a glance at her. This time he will ask, ‘My beloved wife, you were not like this when I left?’ She will reply, ‘How can you question me when I have looked at the face of the one who has looked at the countenance of my Rabb? My face has been brightened seventy-fold as a result of the face of the one who has looked at my Rabb, as I hugged him at the door of the tent.’ The Rabb will then smile towards them.”[17]

 

Bihar al Anwar reports from ‘Asim ibn Humaid who narrates from Abu ‘Abdullah:

 

مامن عمل حسن يعمله العبد إلا وله ثواب في القرآن إلا صلاة الليل ، فإن الله لم يبين ثوابها لعظيم خطرها عنده فقال:{ تتجافى جنوبهم عن المضاجع يدعون ربهم خوفا وطمعا} إلى قوله :{ يعملون } ثم قال: إن لله كرامة في عباده المؤمنين في كل يوم جمعة ، فإذا كان يوم الجمعة بعث الله إلى المؤمن ملكا معه حلة فينتهي إلى باب الجنة فيقول: اسأذنوا لي على فلان  فيقال له: هذا رسول ربك على الباب، فيقول: لأزواجه أي شيئ ترين عليّ أحسن ؟ فيقلن : يا سيدنا والذي أباحك الجنة ما رأينا عليك شيئا أحسن من هذا بعث إليك ربك ، فيتزر بواحدة  ويتعطف بالأخرى فلا يمرّ بشيئ إلا أضاء له حتى ينتهي إلى الموعد ، فإذا اجتمعوا تجلى لهم الرب تبارك وتعالى ، فإذا نظروا إليه خرّوا سجدا فيقول: عبادي ارفعوا رؤوسكم ليس هذا يوم سجود ولا يوم عبادة قد رفعت عنكم المؤونة، فيقولون : يارب وأي شيئ أفضل مما أعطيتنا ، أعطيتنا الجنة، فيقول: لكم مثل ما في أيديكم سبعين ضعفا ، فيرجع المؤمن في كل جمعة بسبعين ضعفا مثل ما في يديه وهو قوله:{  وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ } وهو يوم الجمعة

Every good act that a person does has a reward mentioned regarding it in the Qur’an besides the night prayer. Allah did not mention a specific reward regarding it as it has a great status in His court. Allah said, “Their sides part from their beds, they supplicate to their Rabb in far and hope… his actions.” Allah will honour His believing bondsmen every Friday. On the day of Friday, Allah will send an angel with a pair of garments to every Mu’min. He will reach the door and say, “Seek permission on my behalf to visit so and so.” It will be said to that person, “The messenger of your Rabb is at your door.” Thereupon he will ask his wives, “Which of my clothes suits me best?” They will reply, “O our master, by the oath of the one who has made Jannat permissible for you, we have not seen anything on you that is more beautiful than this which your Rabb has sent to you.” Thus, he will wear one and use the other as a coat. Thereafter, he will not pass by anything except that it will brighten up for him until he reaches the venue. When they all gather, the Rabb, Most Blessed and Exalted will reveal himself for them. They will fall into prostration upon seeing Him. He will then say, “O my slaves, raise your heads. This is not a day of prostration or worship. All difficulties have been removed from you.” They will respond, “O our Rabb, what can be better than that which you have granted us? You have granted us Jannat!” He will then say, “All your possessions will be multiplied by seventy.” Thus, every Mu’min will return with his possessions multiplied by seventy. This is referred to in His saying, “We have something extra for them”. It is the day of Friday.[18]

 

If you cannot understand this narration, then we present to you the speech of your fourth Imam and Wasi. He has affirmed that Allah will be seen in the hereafter. This appears in the al Sahifah al Sajjadiyyah. This Ayatollah still prefers to refute this.^[19] Al Imam al Sajjad’s rahimahu Llah exact words are as follows:

 

واقدر أعيننا يوم لقائك برؤيتك

Bless our eyes with the opportunity of seeing You on the day that we meet You.

 

There is even no need to assume that the mu’minin will need eyes that are different to the ones that have been granted to them in this world as his Imam says that they have seen him even before the Day of Qiyamah. This was when Allah posed the question to them, “Am I not your Rabb?” They replied, “Definitely.” Al Saduq reports in al Tawhid with his chain from Abu Basir who narrates:

 

عن أبي بصير عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال: قلت له: أخبرني عن الله هل يراه المؤمنون يوم القيامة ؟ قال: نعم ، وقد رأوه قبل يوم القيامة ، فقلت: متى ؟ قال: حين قال لهم : { أَلَسْتُ بِرَبّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى } ثم سكت ساعة ، ثم قال: وإن المؤمنين ليرونه في الدنيا قبل يوم القيامة ، ألست تراه في وقتك هذا ؟ قال أبو بصير : فقلت : له جعلت فداك فأحدث بهذا عنك ؟ فقال لا ، فإنك إذا حدثت به أنكره منكر جاهل بمعنى ما تقوله ثم قدر أن ذلك تشبيه كفر وليست الرؤية بالقلب كالرؤية بالعين ، تعالى الله عما يصفه المشبهون والملحدون .

I asked Abu ‘Abdullah: “Tell me about Allah, will the mu’minin see Him on the day of Qiyamah?” He replied: “Yes. They have seen Him even before the Day of Qiyamah.” I asked, “When?” He replied: “When He asked them, ‘Am I not your Rabb?’ They replied, ‘Definitely!’”. Then he remained silent for a while after which he said: “The Mu’minin see Him in this world, even before the Day of Qiyamah. Do you not see Him right now?” I asked: “May I be sacrificed for you, can I narrate this from you?” He replied: “No. if you narrate it, someone who does not understand the meaning of what you are saying may object to it and consider it to be anthropomorphism and kufr. The vision of the heart is not the same as the vision of the eyes. Allah is beyond that which the anthropomorphist’s and heretics say regarding Him.”[20]

 

Viewing Allah is also mentioned in the speech of Imam al Sajjad rahimahu Llah, but the ‘trustworthy’ author has chosen to ignore it and sufficed upon a few other recitations by saying the following, “Here are the texts that appear in my mind regarding the subject.” He tried to do away with it completely. However, if these narrations were in his favour, he would have never ignored them and passed by them without taking any interest in them. This is their methodology. However, Allah wished that this Ayatollah of lies and deception should be exposed. Hereunder are the supplications:

 

1. Du’a al Mutawassilin

وأقررت أعينهم بالنظر إليك يوم لقائك

And satisfy their eyes by allowing them to see You on the Day of Qiyamah.

 

2. Du’a al Muhibbin

ولا تصرف عني وجهك

Do not turn away Your face from me.

 

3. A third supplication states:

وشوقته إلى لقائك وضيته بقضائك ومنحته بالنظر إلى وجهك

You have put in it the fervour of meeting You and brightening it by Your judgement and You have favoured it with the opportunity to see You.

 

4. The supplication Munajat al Zahidin:

ولا تحجب مشتاقيك عن النظر إلى جميل رؤيتك

Do not deprive Your lovers from the opportunity of viewing Your beautiful countenance.

 

5. The supplication Munajat al Muftaqirin:

واقدر أعيننا يوم لقائك برؤيتك

Afford our eyes the good-fortune of seeing You, the day that we meet You.

 

6. The supplication Istikshaf al Humum:

رغبتي شوقاً  إلى لقائك

My enthusiasm to meet You.^[21]

 

As for the deceptions presented by ‘Abdul Hussain in his book Kalimat Hawl al Ru’yah (pg. 39) and the manner in which he tries to latch onto some of the supplications of al Sajjad to refute the belief that Allah will be seen, this is a result of ignorance regarding the speech of the Arabs. The amazing aspect of this author is that he graduated as an Ayatollah, yet he is not even conversant in the Arabic language. As an example, he uses as proof the following statement of al Sajjad:

 

إلهي قصرت الألسن عن بلوغ ثنائك كما يليق بجلالك، وعجزت العقول عن إدراك كنه جمالك ، وانحصرت الأبصار دون النظر إلى سبحات وجهك ، ولم تجعل للخلق طريقا إلى معرفتك إلا بالعجز عن معرفتك

  الحمد لله الأول بلا أول كان قبله ، والآخر بلا آخر يكون بعده ، الذي قصرت عن رؤيته أبصار الناظرين ، وعجزت عن نعته أوهام الواصفين …

O my Rabb, tongues are incapable of praising you in a manner that is befitting to Your grandeur, minds are incapable of reaching the depth of Your beauty, and visions have been restricted from the rays of Your face. You have left no avenue for Your creation to recognise You except by understanding that they are incapable of recognising You.

All praise is due to Allah, the first, who was not preceded by anyone, the last who will not be succeeded by anyone. The vision of those who see cannot view Him and the minds of those who describe Him cannot do justice.

 

Where in the above speech did the Imam rahimahu Llah negate that Allah will be seen? In fact, the author was unable to produce even one supplication that indicates negation of seeing Allah. This is indeed quite strange! It highlights to us that these people are not the followers of the Ahlul Bayt, rather they are the followers of al Tusi, al Majlisi, al Mufid, and their likes. The reality is that this view is upheld by the Mu’tazilah and others who have negated that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala will be seen on the Day of Qiyamah. As for the Ahlul Bayt, they agree with the Ahlus Sunnah and the pious predecessors, all of whom believe that Allah will be seen on the Day of Qiyamah.

The author objected to the laughing of Allah. His exact words were:

 

وهل يجوز عليه الضحك ؟ وأي وزن لهذا الكلام

Is it possible that He laughs? Does this speech make any sense?

 

Our comment: Your infallible Imam also narrates this as reported by al Majlisi and others.

 

NEXT⇒ ‘Abdul Hussain Objects to the Hadith, “The Fire Will Not Be Filled Until Allah Places His Leg in it.”

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^[1]  Al Bukhari, Kitab al Riqaq; Muslim, Kitab al Iman.

^[2]  This refers to the Arabic usage of the word Surah.

^[3]  Fath al Bari, 13/437.

^[4]  Ibn al Jawzi: Daf’ Shubhat al Tashbih bi Akuff al Tanzih, pg. 159.

^[5]  Surah al Baqarah: 210.

^[6]  Surah al An’am: 158.

^[7]  Surah al Fajr 21-22.

^[8]  Sahih Muslim, with the commentary of al Nawawi, chapter of proving that the Mu’minin will view their Most Pure and Lofty Rabb in the hereafter.

^[9]  Surah al An’am: 103.

^[10]  Surah al A’raf: 143.

^[11]  Al Fath, 13/436.

^[12]  Usul al Kafi, 1/99; Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 113, # 12.

^[13]  Usul al Kafi 1/95; Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 108, # 2.

^[14]  Usul al Kafi, 1/97; Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 108, # 5.

^[15]  Usul al Kafi 1/97-98, # 6; Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 109, # 6.

[16] Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 112, # 11.

[17] La’ali al Akhbar, 4/410-411.

[18] Bihar al Anwar, 8/126, # 27.

^[19]  Refer to his book Kalimat Hawl al Ru’yah, pg. 38-39.

[20] Kitab al Tawhid, pg. 117, # hadith: 20.

^[21]  Al Sahifat al Sajjadiyyah al Kamilah, pg. 317.

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