Is it an evidence showing that ru’yatullah (seeing Allah) is possible since Hz. Musa (Moses) wanted to see Allah?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Ru’yatullah (Seeing Allah) and Hz. Musa (Moses)

وَلَمَّا جَٓاءَ مُوسٰى لِم۪يقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُۙ قَالَ رَبِّ اَرِن۪ٓى اَنْظُرْ اِلَيْكَۜ قَالَ لَنْ تَرٰين۪ى وَلٰكِنِ انْظُرْ اِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَاِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرٰين۪ىۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلّٰى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسٰى صَعِقًۚا

“When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (al-A’raf, 143)

The story of Hz. Musa about his demand to see Allah is used as an evidence by Mutazila and the groups that have similar views as an evidence that ru’yatullah is not possible. It is necessary to pay attention to the following points regarding the issue:

- That Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah is an evidence showing that ru’yatullah is possible because it is unthinkable for a prophet to want something that is impossible especially something necessitating not knowing Allah. Therefore, Allah says, “By no means can you see Me.” He does not say, “I will never be seen” or "You can never look at Me."

- This statement warns us that some conditions are necessary for a person to see Allah and that those conditions had not been present for Hz. Musa at that time.

- That Allah made ru’yah dependent to the stability of the mountain is not something impossible itself. It is possible for the mountain to remain in its place; everything that is dependent on something possible is possible. If it were not possible, Allah would not make His being seen dependent on something possible.

- Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah in the world. It is one thing to see Allah in the world and it is another thing to see Allah in the hereafter. That Hz. Musa could not see Allah in the world cannot be regarded as evidence that He cannot be seen in the hereafter.

- That Allah told Hz. Musa that He could not be seen does not mean that he cannot see Allah at other times and that others cannot see Him. To say insistently that ru’yatullah is impossible means not to accept the truth and to know about the reality of ru’yah. (see Baydawi, I, 358-359)

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