There are students versed in Islamic jurisprudence who say that we will see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection. Is this correct, and what is the evidence for it?
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The questioner : We have students versed in the Shari'ah who say that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will be seen on the Day of Resurrection. Is this correct, with evidence from the Book and the Sunnah? Also, they enter the mosques wearing shoes and pray in them. Please rule on this for us. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : As for the first issue, which is seeing Allah the Exalted on the Day of Resurrection, this is correct and established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf.
Among the evidence for this in the Book of Allah is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Al-Qiyamah 75:22-23] The first "naẓẓirah" means beautiful, and the second "naẓẓirah" is from the word for looking with the eye. For this reason, the looking is attributed to the faces, which are the location of the eyes.
Among that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Yunus 10:26] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interpreted "al-Hasanah" as Paradise, and "al-Ziyadah" as looking at the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Among that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):[Al-Mutaffifin 83:15] This refers to the wicked. This is evidence that the righteous will see Allah (Mighty and Majestic), because when Allah the Exalted veiled these people in a state of anger, the implication is that Allah the Exalted does not veil these people, meaning the righteous, in a state of pleasure.
Among that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), which is the fourth verse:[Qaf 50:35] The "Mazid" should be interpreted in the same way as "al-Ziyadah" was interpreted in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Yunus 10:26] The one who interpreted "al-Ziyadah" as looking at the Face of Allah is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). There is no doubt that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most knowledgeable of people regarding the intent of Allah the Exalted in His speech.
As for the Sunnah, the hadiths regarding this are mass-transmitted (mutawatir) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). It is mass-transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Allah the Exalted is seen with the eye on the Day of Resurrection:
Among that is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The prayer before the rising of the sun is the Fajr prayer, and the one before its setting is the 'Asr prayer. These two prayers are the best of the prayers. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 635a.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated in other hadiths, with a statement that is among the strongest declarations, saying:.
As for the consensus of the Salaf, it is a well-known matter that is not hidden from anyone. For this reason, some scholars have explicitly stated that whoever denies seeing Allah in Paradise is a disbeliever, because he has lied to the Qur'an and the Sunnah and contradicted the consensus of the Salaf. And Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:115].
If it were not that we prefer supplicating for those who are guided over supplicating against them, we would say: We ask Allah the Exalted to veil Himself from those who denied seeing Him in the Hereafter. But we do not prefer that; rather, we say: We ask Allah the Exalted to guide those for whom the matter has become confused, and to make them affirm and believe in what came in the Book and the Sunnah.
The wonder is that some people deny seeing Allah in the Hereafter with doubts they bring from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, or with intellectual doubts that have no basis in truth.
Among them is one who said: Seeing Allah the Exalted is not possible in the Hereafter, because Musa (peace be upon him) said:[Al-A'raf 7:143] They established their proof by saying that implies perpetuity, and perpetuity requires that this be general in this world and the Hereafter. So his saying: means in this world and in the Hereafter. There is no doubt that this is confusion, imposition, and blundering, because Musa only asked Allah for the vision at that hour, as evidenced by the fact that Allah the Exalted said to him: [Al-A'raf 7:143] Musa's request for the vision indicates its possibility, for if it were not possible intellectually, Musa (peace be upon him) would not have asked for it. But a person in this world cannot see Allah (Mighty and Majestic) due to his shortcoming and weakness. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 56:104. And it indicates this that when Allah the Exalted manifested Himself to the mountain, the mountain crumbled, and it was a solid stone. So how can the weak body of the son of Adam stand firm for the vision of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this world?
As for the Hereafter, its state is different from the state of this world. In the Hereafter, there are matters that are absolutely impossible in this world. The sun being brought near, a hand's span, on the Day of Resurrection, if that happened in this world, the earth and those upon it would burn.
The people in the standing place differing in sweat, some of it reaching their ankles, some reaching their knees, and some reaching their waists, is a matter that is not possible in this world but is possible in the Hereafter.
The people walking on the Sirat, which as came in Muslim as a clear statement:, is a matter that is not possible in this world but is possible in the Hereafter.
The people standing for fifty thousand years without eating or drinking, barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised, is not possible in this world but is possible in the Hereafter.
If seeing Allah in this world is not possible, it does not follow that it is not possible in the Hereafter. As for their claim that implies perpetuity, that is an incorrect claim. Indeed, Allah the Exalted said regarding the people of the Fire that they are: death [Al-Baqarah 2:95]. He said that about the Jews. And He said about the people of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection: [Az-Zukhruf 43:77] meaning, let us die and perish so that we may rest. Here, they wished for death and asked Allah the Exalted to cause them to die, but it is not granted to them. He said: For this reason, Ibn Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said in the Alfiyyah:
"And whoever sees negation with 'lan' as perpetual... then his saying is to return, and the rest is to support".
The important thing is that it is obligatory in the creed of the Salaf that a person believes that Allah the Exalted is seen on the Day of Resurrection. But when is He seen?
He is seen in Paradise when the people of Paradise enter Paradise. Then Allah the Exalted reveals Himself to them as He wills, when He wills, and how He wills, and they see Him.
In the plains of the Resurrection, the disbelievers do not see Him. The believers and the hypocrites see Him, then Allah the Exalted veils Himself from the hypocrites.
In summary: It is obligatory for us to believe that Allah the Exalted is seen on the Day of Resurrection with a true vision by the eye.
If someone says: And if He is seen, is He perceived as the seer perceives the face of the one seen?
We say: No, it is not possible to perceive Him, because Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:103].
The wonder is that those who deny seeing Allah in the Hereafter used this verse as evidence that He is not seen. This is a strange argument, for the verse indicates that He is seen more than it indicates that He is not seen. In fact, there is no indication in it at all that He is not seen, because Allah the Exalted only negated perception, and perception is more specific than vision. The negation of the specific does not necessitate the negation of the general, but rather it necessitates the existence of the general. So the negation of perception is evidence for the existence of the original vision. For this reason, the Salaf made this verse one of the evidences for the establishment of seeing Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the Hereafter, and this is a correct and clear argument.
The questioner : May Allah bless you for this blessed guidance.
The Shaykh : As for the first issue, which is seeing Allah the Exalted on the Day of Resurrection, this is correct and established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf.
Among the evidence for this in the Book of Allah is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
(22) [Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (23) Looking at their Lord.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ * إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌAmong that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌAmong that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He):
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَAmong that is the saying of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), which is the fourth verse:
They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.
لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌFor them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌAs for the Sunnah, the hadiths regarding this are mass-transmitted (mutawatir) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). It is mass-transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Allah the Exalted is seen with the eye on the Day of Resurrection:
Among that is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
You will see your Lord as you see the full moon on the night of the full moon, and you will not be hindered in seeing Him. So if you can, do not be prevented from the prayer before the rising of the sun and the prayer before its setting.
إنكم سترون ربكم كما ترون القمر ليلة البدر لا تضامون في رؤيته فإن استطعتم ألا تغلبوا على صلاة قبل طلوع الشمس وصلاة قبل غروبها فافعلواHe who observed two prayers at two cool (hours) would enter Paradise.
من صلى البردين دخل الجنةThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated in other hadiths, with a statement that is among the strongest declarations, saying:
You will see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection with your eyes, as you see the sun on a clear day with no cloud between you and it.
إنكم سترون ربكم يوم القيامة عيانا بأبصاركم كما ترون الشمس صحوا ليس دونها سحابAs for the consensus of the Salaf, it is a well-known matter that is not hidden from anyone. For this reason, some scholars have explicitly stated that whoever denies seeing Allah in Paradise is a disbeliever, because he has lied to the Qur'an and the Sunnah and contradicted the consensus of the Salaf. And Allah the Exalted said:
And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًاIf it were not that we prefer supplicating for those who are guided over supplicating against them, we would say: We ask Allah the Exalted to veil Himself from those who denied seeing Him in the Hereafter. But we do not prefer that; rather, we say: We ask Allah the Exalted to guide those for whom the matter has become confused, and to make them affirm and believe in what came in the Book and the Sunnah.
The wonder is that some people deny seeing Allah in the Hereafter with doubts they bring from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, or with intellectual doubts that have no basis in truth.
Among them is one who said: Seeing Allah the Exalted is not possible in the Hereafter, because Musa (peace be upon him) said:
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."
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِيwill not
لنyou will not see Me
لن ترانيYou 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, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers."
لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكّاً وَخَرَّ مُوسَى صَعِقاً فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَAnd know that you will not see your Lord until you die.
واعلموا أنكم لن تروا ربكم حتى تموتواAs for the Hereafter, its state is different from the state of this world. In the Hereafter, there are matters that are absolutely impossible in this world. The sun being brought near, a hand's span, on the Day of Resurrection, if that happened in this world, the earth and those upon it would burn.
The people in the standing place differing in sweat, some of it reaching their ankles, some reaching their knees, and some reaching their waists, is a matter that is not possible in this world but is possible in the Hereafter.
The people walking on the Sirat, which as came in Muslim as a clear statement:
finer than hair and sharper than a sword
أدق من الشعر وأحد من السيفThe people standing for fifty thousand years without eating or drinking, barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised, is not possible in this world but is possible in the Hereafter.
If seeing Allah in this world is not possible, it does not follow that it is not possible in the Hereafter. As for their claim that
will not
لنwill not wish for it
لن يتمنوهever, because of what their hands have put forth
أبدا بما قدمت أيديهمAnd they will call, "O Malik, let your Lord put an end to us!"
وَنَادَوْا يَا مَالِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَIndeed, you will remain [there]
إِنَّكُمْ مَاكِثُونَ"And whoever sees negation with 'lan' as perpetual... then his saying is to return, and the rest is to support".
The important thing is that it is obligatory in the creed of the Salaf that a person believes that Allah the Exalted is seen on the Day of Resurrection. But when is He seen?
He is seen in Paradise when the people of Paradise enter Paradise. Then Allah the Exalted reveals Himself to them as He wills, when He wills, and how He wills, and they see Him.
In the plains of the Resurrection, the disbelievers do not see Him. The believers and the hypocrites see Him, then Allah the Exalted veils Himself from the hypocrites.
In summary: It is obligatory for us to believe that Allah the Exalted is seen on the Day of Resurrection with a true vision by the eye.
If someone says: And if He is seen, is He perceived as the seer perceives the face of the one seen?
We say: No, it is not possible to perceive Him, because Allah the Exalted said:
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.
لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُThe wonder is that those who deny seeing Allah in the Hereafter used this verse as evidence that He is not seen. This is a strange argument, for the verse indicates that He is seen more than it indicates that He is not seen. In fact, there is no indication in it at all that He is not seen, because Allah the Exalted only negated perception, and perception is more specific than vision. The negation of the specific does not necessitate the negation of the general, but rather it necessitates the existence of the general. So the negation of perception is evidence for the existence of the original vision. For this reason, the Salaf made this verse one of the evidences for the establishment of seeing Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the Hereafter, and this is a correct and clear argument.
The questioner : May Allah bless you for this blessed guidance.