What is the correct view regarding the disagreement among the Salaf in creed concerning the issue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) seeing his Lord?
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The questioner : This questioner says, "O honorable Shaykh, regarding the disagreement of the Salaf in creed on the issue of whether the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord or not, we seek sound guidance in this matter, may you be rewarded."
The Shaykh : The stronger view in this matter is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see his Lord, because he himself (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked, "Did you see your Lord?" and he said and in another narration And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has veiled Himself from His servants with veils of light that cannot be penetrated. So if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself denied that he saw Allah, then it is not possible for anyone to claim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord. And what is mentioned regarding 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it that Ibn 'Abbas did not explicitly state that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw his Lord with his eye while awake, and that his statement, meaning Ibn 'Abbas's, is that he saw him with his heart, which is an idiom for the certain knowledge that is in the heart until it is as if he saw him with his eye. And what Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said is the truth, and no one in this world will ever be able to see his Lord while awake. And for this reason, when Musa (peace be upon him) said [Al-A'raf 7:143] out of longing for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), Allah said to him [Al-A'raf 7:143] So the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) conditioned His being seen upon an impossible matter, because it is impossible for the mountain to withstand the seeing of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it is a deaf, thick, hard stone mountain. Allah the Exalted said [Al-A'raf 7:143] The mountain crumbled before Musa, and he saw it with his own eye, so he fainted (peace be upon him) from the horror of what he saw. [Al-A'raf 7:143] So Allah thanked him and said [Al-A'raf 7:144] So the important point is that it is not possible for anyone to see Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) while awake in this world, and no one will be able to prove that.
As for the Hereafter, the Qur'an and the mass-transmitted Sunnah and the consensus of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) indicate that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter with a true seeing by the eye. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said[Al-Qiyamah 75:22-23] And this is explicit that the person sees his Lord with his eye, because what achieves the seeing is the eye, and it is present in the face, but Allah the Exalted attributed the looking to the face because this looking at the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) brings joy to the heart and light to the face, until it is as if the whole face is looking at Allah (Mighty and Majestic) due to its being affected by this look, which I ask Allah the Exalted not to deprive me and my brothers of.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And among the evidence for that, that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter, is the saying of Allah the Exalted[Yunus 10:26] So the best is Paradise, and the increase is the looking at the Face of Allah, as interpreted by the most knowledgeable of creation regarding Allah and His signs, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). And the scholars argued with His saying the Exalted regarding the people of Paradise [Qaf 50:35] And they said that this increase is the increase mentioned in the verse we quoted earlier, which is the looking at the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And they also argued with the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) regarding the righteous[Al-Mutaffifin 83:23] They said that they look at Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and look at what Allah has prepared for them of pleasure, due to His saying regarding the wicked [Al-Mutaffifin 83:15] So when the wicked were veiled in the state of anger, the looking was made for the righteous in the state of pleasure. So these are four verses from the Book of Allah.
As for the Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the most knowledgeable of creation regarding Allah and the most severe in purifying Allah, the Sunnah was mass-transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) regarding the establishment of the seeing of Allah the Exalted in Paradise, until the Messenger (peace be upon him) said it in a way more explicit than the sun in the fourth hour of the day, where he saidJami` at-Tirmidhi 2554Sahih (Darussalam) And he said .
And as for the statements of the Companions, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) agreed upon the establishment of the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter, and none of them said, not even with a single letter, that Allah the Exalted is not seen in the Hereafter. And these are their statements narrated in the books of the Sunnah, and none of them denied that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter, but they are all agreed upon this, until some of the people of knowledge said that whoever denies the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter is a disbeliever, due to the clarity of the evidence in it and its explicitness and the consensus of the Companions upon it and the consensus of the followed Imams upon it, and it is not narrated from any of them denying it.
I ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) for me and my brothers the looking at the Face of Allah the Noble.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And I ask Allah guidance for those who denied this great seeing.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Which is the sweetest thing that the people of Paradise find in Paradise.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And Allah is Able to do all things.
The questioner : May Allah reward us and the Muslims with the best reward, O Shaykh Muhammad, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : The stronger view in this matter is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not see his Lord, because he himself (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked, "Did you see your Lord?" and he said
Light, how can I see it?
نور أنى أراهI saw a light.
رأيت نوراMy Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.
رَبِّ أَرِني أَنظُر إِلَيكَYou will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.
لَن تَراني وَلكِنِ انظُر إِلَى الجَبَلِ فَإِنِ استَقَرَّ مَكانَهُ فَسَوفَ تَرانيBut when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious.
فَلَمّا تَجَلّى رَبُّهُ لِلجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ موسى صَعِقًاAnd when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers."
فَلَمّا أَفاقَ قالَ سُبحانَكَ تُبتُ إِلَيكَ وَأَنا أَوَّلُ المُؤمِنينَI have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful."
إِنِّي اصطَفَيتُكَ عَلَى النّاسِ بِرِسالاتي وَبِكَلامي فَخُذ ما ءاتَيتُكَ وَكُن مِنَ الشّاكِرينَAs for the Hereafter, the Qur'an and the mass-transmitted Sunnah and the consensus of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) indicate that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter with a true seeing by the eye. Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said
(22) [Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (23) Looking at their Lord.
وُجوهٌ يَومَئِذٍ ناضِرَةٌ * إِلى رَبِّها ناظِرَةٌThe questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And among the evidence for that, that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter, is the saying of Allah the Exalted
For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra
لِلَّذينَ أَحسَنُوا الحُسنى وَزِيادَةٌThey will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.
لَهُم ما يَشاءونَ فيها وَلَدَينا مَزيدٌAnd they also argued with the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) regarding the righteous
On adorned couches, observing.
عَلَى الأَرائِكِ يَنظُرونَNo! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
كَلّا إِنَّهُم عَن رَبِّهِم يَومَئِذٍ لَمَحجوبونَAs for the Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the most knowledgeable of creation regarding Allah and the most severe in purifying Allah, the Sunnah was mass-transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) regarding the establishment of the seeing of Allah the Exalted in Paradise, until the Messenger (peace be upon him) said it in a way more explicit than the sun in the fourth hour of the day, where he said
you shall see your Lord as you see the moon on the night of a full moon, you shall not crowd one another to see Him.
إنكم سترون ربكم كما ترون القمر ليلة البدر لا تُضامون في رؤيتهYou will see your Lord with your own eyes, as you see the sun on a clear day with no clouds between you and it.
إنكم سترون ربكم عيانا كما ترون الشمس صحوًا ليس دونها سحابAnd as for the statements of the Companions, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) agreed upon the establishment of the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter, and none of them said, not even with a single letter, that Allah the Exalted is not seen in the Hereafter. And these are their statements narrated in the books of the Sunnah, and none of them denied that Allah the Exalted is seen in the Hereafter, but they are all agreed upon this, until some of the people of knowledge said that whoever denies the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter is a disbeliever, due to the clarity of the evidence in it and its explicitness and the consensus of the Companions upon it and the consensus of the followed Imams upon it, and it is not narrated from any of them denying it.
I ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) for me and my brothers the looking at the Face of Allah the Noble.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And I ask Allah guidance for those who denied this great seeing.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Which is the sweetest thing that the people of Paradise find in Paradise.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : And Allah is Able to do all things.
The questioner : May Allah reward us and the Muslims with the best reward, O Shaykh Muhammad, may Allah preserve you.