The issue of seeing Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in this world and the Hereafter
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Is it true that it is narrated from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) that he saw his Lord in a dream? And if it is true, how was the vision?
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: This is a great issue: it is the seeing of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
Seeing Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter is established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf. But if He is seen, is He comprehended?Answer: No,Because Allah said: [Al-An'am: 103] (Glorified and Exalted is He).
How many things are there that we see but do not comprehend, either because of their smallness, or their distance, or other reasons! So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is seen but not comprehended.
There is no need to list all the evidence for that;But we point out briefly: Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says: [Al-Qiyamah: 22-23] .
The first, with the letter "dha," meaning: It is good.
The second: With the letter "dha," meaning: looking with the eye.
And this is for the believers;Because he said in contrast to that: [Al-Qiyamah: 24-25] .
And Allah the Exalted said regarding the disbelievers: [Al-Mutaffifin: 15] : The implication of this is that those other than the disbelievers are not veiled.
And in the mass-transmitted Sunnah: That Allah the Exalted is seen: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will see your Lord as you see the full moon on a clear night, and you will not be hindered in seeing Him. So if you can, do not be prevented from praying before the sunrise and praying before the sunset." The first is the 'Asr prayer,The second: The Fajr prayer.
And the hadiths on this are numerous and mass-transmitted.
As for the Salaf, they are in agreement on this.
This is in the Hereafter.
As for in this world, Allah is not seen. And Moses (peace be upon him), who was one of the resolute messengers, askedHe asked his Lord to look at Him: [Al-A'raf: 143] The mountain crumbled merely because the Lord manifested Himself to him. When Moses saw this sight, he fell unconscious and was overcome by the horror of what he saw, and he knew that he could not see his Lord; because if the mountain could not remain as it was when the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) manifested Himself to him, then a human being is even more so.
So in this world, Allah is not seen,And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And know that you will not see your Lord until you die."
It remains: Is it possible that Allah can be seen in a dream?We say: As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he saw his Lord in a dream.
As for others, there is some doubt in my mind about that, even regarding what is narrated from Imam Ahmad; I have some doubt about it;Because of the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "And know that you will not see your Lord until you die" includes both wakefulness and sleep,And if these two include it, then we cannot say: It is possible that He can be seen in a dream! And if He is seen in a dream, how is He seen? If Satan does not take the form of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), then he will not take the form of Allah! And if you see Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) as He is in a dream, I do not know, and I am in doubt about what is narrated from Imam Ahmad or others that he saw Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And as for in the Hereafter, the believers see their Lord. We ask Allah to make us and you among them.
The questioner: Is that not true regarding Imam Ahmad?The Shaykh: By Allah, I am in doubt.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: This is a great issue: it is the seeing of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
Seeing Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter is established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf. But if He is seen, is He comprehended?Answer: No,Because Allah said:
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision
لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَHow many things are there that we see but do not comprehend, either because of their smallness, or their distance, or other reasons! So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is seen but not comprehended.
There is no need to list all the evidence for that;But we point out briefly: Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says:
(22) [Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (23) Looking at their Lord.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ * إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌThe first, with the letter "dha," meaning: It is good.
The second: With the letter "dha," meaning: looking with the eye.
And this is for the believers;Because he said in contrast to that:
(24) And [some] faces, that Day, will be contorted, (25) Expecting that there will be done to them [something] backbreaking.
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَاسِرَةٌ * تَظُنُّ أَنْ يُفْعَلَ بِهَا فَاقِرَةٌAnd Allah the Exalted said regarding the disbelievers:
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَAnd in the mass-transmitted Sunnah: That Allah the Exalted is seen: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will see your Lord as you see the full moon on a clear night, and you will not be hindered in seeing Him. So if you can, do not be prevented from praying before the sunrise and praying before the sunset." The first is the 'Asr prayer,The second: The Fajr prayer.
And the hadiths on this are numerous and mass-transmitted.
As for the Salaf, they are in agreement on this.
This is in the Hereafter.
As for in this world, Allah is not seen. And Moses (peace be upon him), who was one of the resolute messengers, askedHe asked his Lord to look at Him:
he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [Allah] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكّاًSo in this world, Allah is not seen,And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And know that you will not see your Lord until you die."
It remains: Is it possible that Allah can be seen in a dream?We say: As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he saw his Lord in a dream.
As for others, there is some doubt in my mind about that, even regarding what is narrated from Imam Ahmad; I have some doubt about it;Because of the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "And know that you will not see your Lord until you die" includes both wakefulness and sleep,And if these two include it, then we cannot say: It is possible that He can be seen in a dream! And if He is seen in a dream, how is He seen? If Satan does not take the form of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), then he will not take the form of Allah! And if you see Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) as He is in a dream, I do not know, and I am in doubt about what is narrated from Imam Ahmad or others that he saw Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And as for in the Hereafter, the believers see their Lord. We ask Allah to make us and you among them.
The questioner: Is that not true regarding Imam Ahmad?The Shaykh: By Allah, I am in doubt.