Will you give evidences from verses of the Quran and hadiths about the issue of seeing Allah in the hereafter?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Evidences from Verses

First Evidence: “Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.” (al-Mutaffifin, 83/15)

Second Evidence: “O my Lord! Show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon Thee.” (al-A’raf, 7/143)

Third Evidence: “Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty);- Looking towards their Lord;.” (al-Qiyama, 75/22-23)

Fourth Evidence: If Paradise is a nuzul, the main treat is to see Allah.

Fifth Evidence: “To those who do right is a goodly (reward)- Yea, more (than in measure).” (Yunus, 10/26)

Sixth Evidence: The evidence of wujud (existence). Since Allah exists, He will definitely be seen.

 

Evidences from Hadiths

Answers to so-called evidences of Mutazila

Answer to the first so-called evidence of Mutazila: Hz. Musa (Moses) wanted to see Allah but Allah did not show Himself to him.

Answer to the second so-called evidence of Mutazila: 70 people wanted to see Allah but they were destroyed due to this demand.

Answer to the third so-called evidence of Mutazila: "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision."

Answer to the fourth so-called evidence of Mutazila: Allah is free from space (place) and is not matter. Therefore, eyes cannot see Allah.

 

Introduction

Man, who has benefited from this universe, which was created by Allah, with the body He has given him throughout his life and who has observed many truths with his mind, heart and feelings, each of which is a divine grant, wants to see his Lord, who has bestowed upon him so many grants, very much. 

The answer to this desire placed in the human heart will be given in Paradise; thus, man will attain the most advanced grant, which will overshadow the pleasures of Paradise

Ahl as-Sunnah scholars agree unanimously that seeing Allah is true and permissible and that its nature cannot be known.

Seeing Allah is not accepted in Mutazila madhhab, which is one of the heretic groups. 

Man's most precious being is his belief and creed. It is the most important duty of man to try to preserve his creed from wrong ideas and to make efforts to achieve it. For, happiness in the hereafter depends on the correctness of creed. If man did numerous good deeds, his deeds would not benefit him if his creed were wrong.

Since creed is so important, we must try very hard to learn about the evidences of our creed. Thank Allah, we are of Ahl al-Sunnah and have the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah. However, unfortunately, many people who call themselves Ahl al-Sunnah do not know their creed or the evidences of their creed. How can a person who does not know what he believes in be of Ahl as-Sunnah? And how will he protect his creed from thieves? If the smallest lesson of belief is not the greatest issue of the universe in the eye of a person, he is far from the truth and has not understood the importance of creed.

Some of you may think as follows: “Why do you mention such issues though there are other issues?” We mention these issues because we do not want anybody to complain about us on the Day of Judgment. We do not want anybody to complain to Allah about us and say, "O Lord! This person knew about it but he did not tell us about it."

After this introduction, let us come to the point. 

The point is whether Allah will be seen in the Hereafter or not. According to Mutazila, the madhhab of Shia in creed, Allah will not be seen in the hereafter. According to them, it is not possible to see Allah. According to the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah, which is our creed, Allah will be seen. 

Thus, if you hear somebody say, "Allah will not be seen in the hereafter", know that this person is Mutazila, a Shiite, and he wants to convert you to Mutazila. Do not listen to this person; if you cannot defend your creed, go away from there. I hope that you will study this work and will learn to defend your creed.

In this work, we will first quote the verses and hadiths about the fact that Allah will be seen in the hereafter and then answer the so-called evidences of Mutazila. Help and success are from Allah. May our Lord make this work easy for us and accept it from us!

 

THE FIRST EVIDENCE

“Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.” (al-Mutaffifin, 83/15)

Our first evidence related to the fact Allah will be seen in the hereafter is verse 155 of the chapter of al-Mutaffifin. The following is stated in that verse:

  كَلاَّ No!  إِنَّهُمْ Verily will they (unbelievers) -  عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ  from (the Light of) their Lord that Day   لَمَحْجُوبُونَ be veiled – that is, unbelievers cannot see Allah; they will be deprived of seeing Allah.

God Almighty states in this verse that unbelievers will not be able to see Him and mentions it as a penalty. Now, let us think: 

If it were not possible for believers to see Allah, would it be meaningful to state particularly that unbelievers would not see Allah? That is, if nobody were to see Allah, why is the following statement is used in the verse: “Unbelievers will be deprived of seeing Allah” and only unbelievers are mentioned as the people to be deprived of it? 

Let us think as follows:  

You have a boon and you say “I will not give this boon to such and such a person.” Is it not understood from this statement that you will give it to others? If you did not want to give it to anybody, you would not specify it by saying, "I will not give it to such and such a person." You would say, "I will not give it to anybody." Your statement "I will not give it to such and such a person" means you will give it to others.   

Similarly, God Almighty states the following in the verse: “Unbelievers will be deprived of seeing Me.” It is understood from this statement that those who are not unbelievers, that is, believers will not be deprived of seeing Allah on that day. If believers were to be deprived of it, it would be meaningless to specify unbelievers. 

Therefore, Imam Shafii states the following: 

“Allah deprived unbelievers of seeing Him and he determined it as a penalty for them. It means He will show Himself to believers due to their belief, which means obedience to Him, and it will be a reward for them.”

To sum up: That unbelievers will be deprived of seeing Allah in the hereafter proves that believers will not be deprived of this boon. If believers were to be deprived of it, it would be meaningless to specify unbelievers. 

THE SECOND EVIDENCE

“O my Lord! Show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon Thee.” (al-A’raf, 7/143)

The second evidence about Allah' being seen in the hereafter is verse 143 of the chapter of al A’raf. Hz. Musa states the following in the verse:

  رَبِّ اَرِنِي اَنْظُرْ اِلَيْكَ O my Lord! Show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon Thee.

As it is clearly stated in the verse, Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah. If it were not permissible and possible to see Allah, Hz. Musa would not have wanted it. Hz. Musa's request proves that it is permissible and possible to see Allah, and it will take place in the hereafter.

If I asked you, “Who knows Allah best?”, you would probably say, "Prophets know Allah best because they receive revelation. Allah introduced Himself to them directly." Then, if I asked you, Who knows Allah best among prophets?”, you would probably say, "Ulul-azm prophets (the prophets to whom books or pages were given) know Allah best among prophets." 

Yes, your answer is correct. Ulul-azm prophets know Allah best and Hz. Musa is among them. Is it possible for Hz. Musa not to know about it and ask to see Allah if it were not permissible and possible to see Allah? Is it ever possible?    

Does Hz. Musa know Allah as much as Mutazila imams do? Would it be possible for Mutazila imams to know that Allah cannot be seen and Hz. Musa not to know it? Do Mutazila imams know Allah and His attributes better than Hz. Musa? 

If we believe that Allah will not be seen, it means we will say and accept that Hz. Musa is ignorant and does not know Allah’s attributes, which is impossible.

Conclusion: Hz. Musa’s request to see Allah is a great evidence for the fact that Allah will be seen.

THE THIRD EVIDENCE

“Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty);- Looking towards their Lord;.” (al-Qiyama,  75/22-23)

The third evidence about Allah' being seen in the hereafter is verses 22 and 23 of the chapter of al-Qiyama. The following is stated in those verses:

  وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty).  إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ  Looking towards their Lord. 

With the phrase "looking towards their Lord", this verse clearly tells us that believers will see Allah.  

You can say, “How do Mutazila deny that Allah will be seen if this verse is so clear?” Mutazila state the following: 

The word نَاظِرَةٌ mentioned in the verse does not mean "look", but "wait". Thus, the meaning of this statement is not "looking towards their Lord", but "waiting for their Lord".

In order to prove this view, Mutazila shows the verses in which the word نَظَرَ is used in the sense of "waiting" and says,: the word نَظَرَ  is used in the sense of "waiting" in those verses. Thus, the meaning of the word نَظَرَ in this verse is also "waiting", not "looking".

In return for this claim of Mutazila, Ahl as-Sunnah scholars state the following: The meaning of the word نَظَرَ mentioned in this verse cannot be "waiting" due to the following reasons:

1. Yes, there are several places where the word "nazara" is used in the sense of "waiting" in the Quran. However, none of the "nazara"s in the sense of "waiting" is used with the preposition اِلَى in the Quran. When the verb نَظَرَ is used with the preposition اِلَى , it means "looking" and "seeing" in Arabic. In this verse, the verb "nazara" is used with the preposition اِلَى . Therefore, it does not mean "waiting". 

O members of Mutazila! If you show only one verse in which the verb "nazara" is used with the preposition "ila" in the sense of "waiting", we will accept your view. However, you cannot show it. All of the verbs نَظَرَ used with the preposition اِلَى  in the Quran are in the sense of "looking" and "seeing".

2. The following is stated in the verse before "looking towards their Lord": "Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty)." The phrase the brightness of the faces expresses that they have been given rewards. Therefore, the statement "looking towards their Lord" coming after it cannot mean "They are waiting for Allah's reward." They have already received their rewards. Then, there is no need to wait. Therefore, the word نَاظِرَةٌ cannot be translated as "waiting". This word can be translated as "looking" only.

3. The verse "Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty);- Looking towards their Lord;", which we are interpreting was sent down to give glad tidings to believers. "Waiting" is not in compliance with glad tidings. Therefore, the word cannot be translated as "waiting".

4. The hereafter is not a place of waiting. Waiting without knowing what will happen takes place in the world. Things will happen at once in the hereafter. Therefore, the word نَاظِرَةٌ in the verse cannot mean "waiting". 

We regard it enough to mention those four points showing that the word نَاظِرَةٌ cannot mean "waiting". Those who want more detailed information can read the explanation of the verse in Fakhruddin Razi’s tafsir. Razi refuted the claims of Mutazila imams with his excellent interpretation.

THE FOURTH EVIDENCE

If Paradise is a nuzul, the main treat is to see Allah.

The fourth evidence about Allah' being seen in the hereafter is verse 107 of the chapter of al-Kahf. The following is stated in this verse: 

 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ As to those who believe and work righteous deeds  كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ the Gardens of Paradise نُزُلاً they have, for their entertainment (lodging/accommodation)... 

God Almighty states in this verse that the Gardens of Paradise are a nuzul. Nuzul means a small treat before the main treat. It is the first treat given by a king to his guest before the main treat.

Since the Gardens of Paradise, the highest place of Paradise, are a nuzul, there must be the main treat. Can you think of anything but seeing Allah as the main treat? Definitely not. For, there is nothing better than seeing Allah superior to Paradise.      

It is mentioned in 4 places in the Quran that Paradise and the boons in it are a nuzul. Those words prove that it is true and a reality to see Allah. 

The following question can come to mind here: 

It is stated in verse 102 of the chapter of al-Kahf that Hell is a nuzul for unbelievers. If Hell is a nuzul for unbelievers, what is the main treat for them?  

Fakhruddin Razi, the great tafsir scholar, states the following regarding the issue:

There is a bigger penalty than Hell for unbelievers. That penalty is being deprived of seeing Allah. As a matter of fact, God Almighty states the following: Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled. (That is, they cannot see Allah.) Further, they will enter the Fire of Hell. (Mutaffifin, 83/15-16) God Almighty mentions entering Hell after being deprived of seeing Allah. This proves that being deprived of seeing Allah is a bigger penalty than Hell. Thus, if Hell is a nuzul, the main treat is being deprived of seeing Allah. 

Thus, both Paradise and Hell are a nuzul for their inhabitants. The main treat for believers is seeing Allah and for unbelievers is being deprived of seeing Allah.

THE FIFTH EVIDENCE

“To those who do right is a goodly (reward)- Yea, more (than in measure).” (Yunus, 10/26)

The fifth evidence about Allah' being seen in the hereafter is verse 26 of the chapter of Yunus. Our Lord states the following in the verse: 

  لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ To those who do right is a goodly reward (husna)- Yea, more than in measure (ziyadah). 

Fakhruddin Razi explains as follows that the word "husna" mentioned in the verse means Paradise and that the word "ziyadah" means seeing Allah:

There are evidences based on hadiths and reasoning that the word "ziyadah" in the verse means seeing Allah. The following hadiths are evidences for it:  For instance, a hadith reported from Suhayb is as follows:

إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ When the people of Paradise enter Paradise يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى  Allah will say to them تُرِيدُونَ شَيْئًا أَزِيدُكُمْ  Do you want anything else (ziyadah) from me? فَيَقُولُونَ The people of Paradise will say,أَلَمْ تُبَيِّضْ وُجُوهَنَا  'Have You not brightened our faces?  أَلَمْ تُدْخِلْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَتُنَجِّنَا مِنَ النَّارِ  Have You not put us in Paradise and saved us from Fire? –That is, what else can we ask from You though You have given us those boons? -   فَيَكْشِفُ الْحِجَابَ Thereupon Allah removes the veil –That is, He opens the veil and shows His jamal -  فَمَا أُعْطُوا شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ  Nothing dearer was given to them than the sight of their Lord.

The great scholars of hadith like Imam Muslim, Imam Tirmidhi, Imam Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Abu Dawud reported this hadith. They all agree that this hadith is sound. 

There are other hadiths showing that the word "ziyadah" mentioned in the hadith means seeing Allah. We will quote those hadiths later under a separate heading.

Razi explains the rational evidence as follows:  

The word الْحُسْنَى (al-husna) in the verse is a singular word that has the definite article (al) before it. In that case, this word refers to something known or mentioned before, which is the word دَارُ السَّلاَم , that is, “the Home of Peace". What is meant by the phrase دَارُ السَّلاَم is Paradise. All Muslims understand Paradise from the phrase Dar as-salam. Therefore, the word الْحُسْنَى referring to the phrase دَارُ السَّلاَم means Paradise. In that case, what is meant by "ziyadah" in the verse must be something other than Paradise. If ziyada is interpreted as Paradise, it will be a repetition. In that case, there is only one possible meaning left: What is meant by "ziyadah" is seeing Allah.

Fakhruddin Razi also makes the following explanation: 

When something added to another thing is determined with a certain amount, 'ziyadah' needs to be of the same kind. However, if it is not determined with a certain amount, 'ziyadah' needs to be something different. 

For instance, if somebody says, 'I gave you ten kilos of wheat and ziyadah (more)', it is understood that this ziyadah is wheat. However, if he says, 'I gave you wheat and ziyadah (more)' without determining an amount, this 'ziyadah' here must be and is something different from wheat. 

The phrase "Paradise and ziyadah" exist in the verse. Paradise and the boons in it are things whose amounts are not certain. Then, ziyadah mentioned in the verse must be something else: seeing Allah.

THE EVIDENCE OF EXISTENCE (WUJUD)

In this part of our work related to Allah's being seen in the hereafter, we will deal with the evidence of existence. 

The reason why something is seen is its existence. Something that exists is seen. Since Allah exists, He will definitely be seen. His being seen is a result of His existence. That is the essence of the evidence of existence. 

Allah created this realm to make Himself known and to introduce Himself. He did not show Himself due to the mystery of testing; he wanted us to know Him only with His names and attributes. When the test ends and the place of testing is closed, He will show Himself to the people of Paradise, who are like His guests. He will not keep His lovers who wish to see Him in suspense and will enable them to see Him as a bounty of the observation of His beauty. This is a result of Allah's existence and mercy. 

Is it ever possible for the Beautiful Being, who created this realm to make Himself known and to introduce Himself, to give up showing Himself and not to show Himself to His lovers? It is impossible.  

Mutazila believes in an Allah who does not show Himself. We ask Mutazila: 

Why should Allah not show Himself? Is He too weak to show Himself – God forbid? Is it difficult for Allah to equip the people of Paradise with a strength to bear seeing Him? Why should he deprive His eternal guests of seeing Him, which is a great boon?    

It is possible to increase those questions. The essence of the matter is as follows: 

Since Allah exists, He will definitely be seen as everything that exists is seen. His being seen is a result of His existence. This is a result of Allah's existence. This evidence is called the evidence of existence.

* Why should our Lord, who is wajib al-wujud, should not and cannot be seen since every existent being is seen?

* All believers live with the dream of seeing Allah in Paradise. Why should Allah not realize this dream of believers?

HADITHS ABOUT SEEING ALLAH

In this part of our work related to Allah's being seen in the hereafter, we will quote the hadiths relating to the issue. 

Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud, Imam Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad and Ibn Hanbal reported the first hadith. That is, almost all of Kutub as-Sitta imams reported this hadith. Jarir Ibn Abdullah, the narrator of the hadith, states the following: 

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and he looked at the moon on the night of the full-moon and said,

إِنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَيَانًا You people will see your Lord on the Day of Judgment  كَمَا تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْقَمَرَ  as you see this full moon لاَ تُضَامُونَ فِى رُؤْيَتِهِ  and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. (Bukhari, Tawhid, 24; Muslim, Masajid, 37; Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 20; Tirmidhi, Sifatul-Jannah, 17; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 13; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 19211)

The second hadith is the following hadith, reported by Abu Said al-Khudri and included in the same resources: 

Some people asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered as follows:

نَعَمْ Yes هَلْ تُضَارُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَةِ الشَّمْسِ بِالظَّهِيرَةِ ضَوْءٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا سَحَابٌ   Yes; do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun at midday when it is bright and there is no cloud in the sky? They replied, "No." The Prophet (pbuh) asked again, فَهَلْ تُضَارُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَةِ الْقَمَرِ

لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ ضَوْءٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا سَحَابٌ   Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on a full moon night when it is bright and there is no cloud in the sky? They replied, "No." The Prophet (pbuh) said,

مَا تُضَارُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَةِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِلاَّ كَمَا تُضَارُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَةِ أَحَدِهِمَا Similarly, you will have no difficulty in seeing Allah on the Day of Resurrection as you have no difficulty in seeing either of them. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 87; Muslim, Iman, 81; Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 20; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 13; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 11127)

The third hadith is the following hadith, reported by Suhayb and included in the same resources:

إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ When the people of Paradise enter Paradise يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى  Allah will say to them تُرِيدُونَ شَيْئًا أَزِيدُكُمْ  Do you want anything else (ziyadah) from me? فَيَقُولُونَ The people of Paradise will say,أَلَمْ تُبَيِّضْ وُجُوهَنَا  'Have You not brightened our faces?  أَلَمْ تُدْخِلْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَتُنَجِّنَا مِنَ النَّارِ Have You not put us in Paradise and saved us from Fire? –That is, what else can we ask from You though You have given us those boons? -   فَيَكْشِفُ الْحِجَابَ Thereupon Allah removes the veil –That is, He opens the veil and shows His jamal -  فَمَا أُعْطُوا شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ  Nothing dearer was given to them than the sight of their Lord. (Muslim, Iman, 80; Tirmidhi, Sifatul-Jannah, 16; Nasai, Sunanul-Kubra, Tafsir, 179; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 13; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 23980)

The fourth hadith is the following hadith, reported by Adiyy Ibn Hatim and included in Bukhari:

مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ سَيُكَلِّمُهُ اللَّهُ رَبُّهُ Allah, who is your Lord, will speak to every one of you.   لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُ تَرْجُمَانٌ there will be no interpreter between them وَلاَ حِجَابٌ يَحْجُبُهُ   nor a screen to screen Him. (Bukhari, Tawhid, 24; No: 7005, 6/2709)

Let us quote another hadith:

The fifth hadith is the following hadith, reported by Ibn Umar. The Prophet (pbuh) mentions the most valuable person among the people of Paradise as follows:

وَأَكْرَمُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَنْ The most valuable of them – that is, the people of Paradise - with Allah  يَنْظُرُ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ غَدْوَةً وَعَشِيَّةً is the one who shall look at His Face morning and night. (Tirmidhi, Tafsir: 72; No:3330, 5/431; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad, No:4623, 2/227)

There are several more hadiths to be mentioned about the issue and Kutub as-Sittah imams reported them. To deny the hadiths that are agreed unanimously fits only ignorant people. We cannot say anything to such ignorant people who are unaware of the science of hadith.

ANSWER TO THE FIRST SO-CALLED EVIDENCE OF MUTAZILA

We have proved up to now with the verses of the Quran and hadiths that Allah will be seen in the hereafter in our work called Seeing Allah. We will answer the so-called evidences of Mutazila, who deny seeing Allah, in this part of our work and in the parts to follow. 

When we prepare a work, we prove the issue with verses of the Quran first, hadiths after that and the consensus of the scholars; finally we answer the so-called evidences and refute their views in the last part. This is the last part of this work. We will answer the evidences of Mutazila and refute their claims.  

Mutazila state the following: It is not permissible to see Allah because Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah but Allah did not show Himself to him. If it were permissible to see Allah, Allah would not have rejected the request of His prophet and would have shown Himself to him. Since Allah did not show Himself, it is not permissible to see Allah.

That is what Mutazila say. Let us answer this claim in items:  

1. Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah in the world. It is something to see Allah in the world and it is another thing to see Him in the hereafter. Our topic is to see Allah in the hereafter. Therefore, Hz. Musa's being unable to see Allah in the world cannot be an evidence that Allah will not be seen in the hereafter.

2. Hz. Musa is one of the ulul azm prophets. That is, he is one of the greatest prophets. Prophets know Allah best. If it were impossible to see Allah, Hz. Musa would have known about it and would not have wanted something like that. Hz. Musa's wish to see Allah proves that it is permissible to see Allah. 

3. If it were not possible to see Allah, God Almighty would not have said to Hz. Musa, “You cannot see me.” He would have said, “I cannot be seen.” However, He did not say, "I cannot be seen." He said, "You cannot see me." That is, the conditions of the world and your present nature are not suitable for you to see Me. It is understood that the conditions of the hereafter and the nature of man in the hereafter are suitable for man to see Allah.

4. When Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah, God Almighty said to him,

“…If it (the mount) abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me..." (al-Araf, 7/143)  Thus, He laid it as a condition for the mountain to abide its place for Him to be seen. It is possible for the mountain to abide in its place; anything that is based on something possible is possible. If it were not possible to see God Almighty, Allah would not have laid something possible as a condition for Him to be seen.

5. Allah's being manifest on the mount mentioned in the verse is a kind of ru’yah, that is, seeing. Thus, the mount had a kind of ability to live and see, attained the honor of seeing Allah but was broken into pieces due to its effect. In that case, it is possible for man to see Allah. However, man does not have the ability to bear this seeing in this world. Believers will be given this ability and boon in the hereafter. 

6. When Hz. Nuh (Noah) wanted to save his son who was dragged by flood, Allah Almighty warned him as follows: “…So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant." (Hud, 11/46) When Hz. Adam and Hz. Hawwa (Eve) ate the fruits of the forbidden tree, Allah Almighty warned them. However, when Hz. Musa wanted to see Him, He did not oppose his request to see Him and did not say to him, "So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant" as He said to Hz. Nuh. If Hz. Musa had wanted something contrary to the laws God Almighty imposed, he would have been warned by Allah like the other prophets. Since he was not warned, what he wanted was in compliance with the laws of Allah.

ANSWER TO THE SECOND SO-CALLED EVIDENCE OF MUTAZILA

Mutazila state the following: As it is stated in verse 55 of the chapter of al-Baqara, 70 people that Hz. Musa chose wanted to see Allah and they were destroyed due to this request. Their destruction proves that it is not permissible to see Allah. If it were permissible to see Allah, those people who wanted to see Allah would not have been destroyed. 

That is what Mutazila say. Let us answer this evidence of Mutazila in items:

1. Those seventy people were destroyed not because they wanted to see Allah but because of their unbelief: 

When a prophet shows a miracle, it is necessary to believe in him; it is not necessary to demand one more miracle. Those seventy people who were destroyed witnessed several miracles of Hz. Musa. However, as the following verses states, 

"..O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly..." (al-Baqara, 2/55), 

they told Hz. Musa they wanted to see Allah though they had witnessed so many miracles; and they laid seeing Allah as a condition to believe. This statement of theirs made them unbelievers and they were destroyed due to their unbelief. Thus, their destruction is not due to demanding to see Allah but due to their unbelief and obstinacy.

2. This demand of theirs was not because of wanting to increase their belief and love of Allah but because of their obstinacy. Due to this obstinacy, they were struck by lightning and were destroyed. If they had wanted to see Allah only for their love of Allah, they would not have been destroyed. For, Hz. Musa wanted to see Allah but he was not destroyed. If demanding to see Allah were a reason for destruction, Hz. Musa would have been destroyed too. 

3. When those seventy people who were destroyed wanted to see Allah, Hz. Musa did not prohibit them from demanding it. If it were haram and forbidden to demand to see Allah, Hz. Musa would have warned them. For, it is not permissible for a prophet not to intervene when a haram deed is committed in his presence. That Hz. Musa did not warn those 70 people and that even he himself wanted to see Allah proves that those seventy people were not destroyed because of demanding to see Allah but because of their unbelief and obstinacy.

ANSWER TO THE THIRD SO-CALLED EVIDENCE OF MUTAZILA

Mutazila say, the following is stated in verse 103 of the chapter of al-Anam: "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision..." As the verse clearly states, eyes cannot see Him. It is impossible to say anything in the face of the statement of this verse.  

That is what Mutazila say. We answer this claim of Mutazila as follows: You do not understand the Quran and translate it in a wrong way. Let us have a look at the original Arabic verse: 

 لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. (al-An'am, 6/103) 

Not seeing but grasping is mentioned in the verses. Seeing is something and grasping is another thing. The great tafsir scholar, Fakhruddin Razi explains the difference between them as follows:

“Seeing is divided into two: Firstly: To see something that has limits and an end.  When something is seen with its limits and end, it can be expressed by the word idrak (grasping). In that case, seeing is the same as grasping.”

“The second seeing is seeing something that has no limits and end. This seeing does not mean that it has been grasped (idrak). A limitless and endless being is seen but it cannot be grasped.”

The eyes not being able to grasp God Almighty is used in this sense. Eyes see Allah but they cannot grasp and comprehend Him. For instance, when somebody says, "I saw such and such a thing", it does not mean "I grasped it." If he says, "I grasped such and such a thing", it means both to see and to comprehend. Therefore, what the verse negates is not seeing but grasping. Allah will be seen but He will not be grasped.

We should also add the following: 

If Allah were a being that could not be seen, it would not be wise to state in that verse that he could not be grasped. For, the beings other than Allah are grasped when they are seen. If Allah were grasped by being seen, He would not be of any different from His creatures. Thus, that verse was sent down to praise Allah, stating that He would not resemble His creatures. That this verse was sent down to praise Allah proves that Allah will be seen. For, it is not regarded as praise to say that Allah will not be seen. Sheer non-existence and negation does not necessitate praise unless it proves a positive attribute. In that case the meaning of the verse is as follows:   

Since He has endless majesty and greatness, He will not be grasped in a way to be comprehended even if He is seen. 

We also say the following to Mutazila: If you insist that grasping mentioned in the verse is in the sense of "seeing", we will say that the verse can have several meanings. For instance: 

1. When Allah becomes manifest truly with His majesty, eyes cannot see Him.  

2. Eyes cannot see Him in the world.

3. The eyes of unbelievers cannot see Him.

There can be a specification like those. With the indication of a verse that can have various meanings, along with the clear statements of verses and hadiths, seeing Allah cannot be denied and a person who denies it cannot be called a scholar.

ANSWER TO THE FOURTH SO-CALLED EVIDENCE OF MUTAZILA

Mutazila say: Seeing necessitates some things. They are things like the thing to be seen being in a place, facing the thing to be seen, the thing to be seen being matter and the eye taking the picture of the thing to be seen. However, they cannot be thought for Allah. Allah is free from space/place and is not matter. Therefore, eyes cannot see Allah.

That is what Mutazila say. We answer this claim of Mutazila as follows: All of things that you list as the conditions of seeing are valid for this world. The conditions of the hereafter are not valid in this world. The world is a place of wisdom (reason) since it is a place of testing. That is, the world is a place of wisdom and everything is created based on a reason. The hereafter is not a place of wisdom; it is a place of power. Nothing is created based on a reason in the hereafter. Allah says "Be!" and it is.

The conditions of seeing in the world like the thing to be seen being in a place, facing the thing to be seen and the thing to be seen being matter are laws imposed by Allah due to His wisdom. Otherwise, Allah does not need reasons to show Himself to eyes. Allah would show Himself if He wished even without eyes. If Allah wished, He would show us the other end of the world without facing it. If Allah wished, He would show us immaterial things. They are very easy for the power of Allah. Besides, anything is easy for the power of Allah.

O members of Mutazila! What kind of a belief in Allah do you have? Do you imagine Allah as a being that has to be subject to the laws He imposes? Can Allah not act outside the laws He imposed in this world to make the eyes see Him? Can He not make people see without eyes? You think that all of the laws that are valid in this world are also valid in the hereafter. No, they are no valid at all. Allah will create everything with an order, without a reason in the hereafter.

You should know that to say "Allah cannot show Himself and cannot give man eyes and nature that can see Him" means to attribute weakness to Allah. Allah cannot be weak. Everything is easy for His power. He can create the vast Paradise as easy as a flower. Reviving all people after death is as easy as creating a housefly for Him. How can you attribute weakness to such a being and oblige Him to be subject to the laws He Himself imposes? May Allah guide you to the true path!

We have proved that Allah will be seen in the hereafter first with the verses of the Quran and then with hadiths. After that, we answered the claims of Mutazila, who do not accept that Allah will be seen. We have definitely proved that Allah will be seen in the hereafter. 

We end this work with the following words: 

O Lord! Make this work atonement for my sins and the sins of those who contributed to it! Make this work a means of honor for us in the hereafter! Make us continue to serve the Quran and belief! Give our feet strength, our thoughts steadiness and our hearts joy! Do not leave us to our souls! Amin.

 

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