Is this supplication transmitted (O Allah, O He whom the eyes do not see and whom the describers cannot describe)?
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The questioner : I am asking about this supplication: is it transmitted? What is the ruling on: "O Allah, O He whom the eyes do not see and whom the describers cannot describe"?
The Shaykh : This is a mistake, this is a great mistake, because if one says: "O Allah, O He whom the eyes do not see" and generalizes it, this entails denying the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection with their own eyes, as they see the sun on a clear day with no clouds between them, and as they see the moon on a full moon night. A group denied the seeing of Allah Mighty and Majestic, saying that Allah is not seen, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. This is based on their intellects, which they rely upon to affirm the attributes of Allah Mighty and Majestic and to deny them, that is, upon their intellects. This is a great mistake, for a person to judge by his intellect in a matter of the unseen, because matters of the unseen cannot be comprehended except by witnessing them, witnessing their like, or by authentic news about them. You will find them denying the seeing of Allah and distorting the words of Allah and His Messenger based on their belief built upon a corrupt intellect. For the reality of judging by the intellect is that a person submits completely to what Allah and His Messenger have informed us of, for this is the requirement of intellect and the requirement of faith. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:65] These deniers of the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter did not submit, but rather they denied it and said it is impossible. It was said to them: Glory be to Allah, the texts are clear in this in the Noble Qur'an. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Qiyamah 75:22-23] meaning beautiful meaning looking at Allah Mighty and Majestic. Attributing the looking to the faces means that it is by the eye, because the instrument of looking in the face is the eye. So they distorted the words from their places and said: This is distortion; they added a word to the verse, just as the Children of Israel added a letter when they were told to say "Hatta" (remission), but they said "Hunatta" (wheat). It was said to them that Allah Blessed and Exalted says: [Al-An'am 6:103] This verse indicates the establishment of the principle of seeing, because the meaning of "do not comprehend" is "do not see" and "do not comprehend," because He is too great for any of His creations to encompass Him. The wonder is that they use this verse as evidence for denying the seeing, whereas it is an argument against them. It was said to them that Moses (peace be upon him) said: [Al-A'raf 7:143] If seeing were impossible for Allah Mighty and Majestic, it would not be befitting Him, and Moses is one of the messengers of resolve; it is impossible that he would ask Allah for what is not befitting Him, absolutely impossible.
They said: Allah said to him We said: Yes. He said: meaning in this world you will not be steadfast for My seeing. For this reason, Allah gave him an example and said: [Al-A'raf 7:143] The mountain crumbled, becoming level with the earth. At that time, Moses fainted, Moses fainted from what he saw. So in this verse, which they used as evidence for denying the seeing, there is evidence against them, and praise be to Allah.
And it was said to them: Allah the Exalted says regarding the wicked:[Al-Mutaffifin 83:15] And He made this a punishment for them. If the righteous did not see Him, the wicked and the righteous would be equal in this ruling. For this reason, Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Indeed, Allah did not veil these people from Him in a state of anger except that He has permitted the righteous to see Him" or words to that effect. This is good reasoning. And it was said to them: Allah Blessed and Exalted said: [Yunus 10:26] And the one who knows the speech of Allah best, who is most sincere to the servants of Allah, and who is most eloquent in what he says, interpreted it by saying: And it was said to them that Allah the Exalted said: [Qaf 50:35] And the "increase" was interpreted as looking at the Face of Allah, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interpreted the increase with it.
And it was said to them that Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mutaffifin 83:34-35] And the object was omitted to encompass every look they enjoy and take pleasure in, the greatest of which is the seeing of Allah Mighty and Majestic. So they look at their Lord Mighty and Majestic, they look at what Allah has prepared for them of bliss, and they look at the disbelievers who used to mock them in this world [Al-Mutaffifin 83:30].
And it was said to them that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the one who knows Allah best, who is most sincere to the servants of Allah, who is most eloquent in speech, and who is most sound in statement, said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2551Sahih (Darussalam) And he informed that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection with their own eyes, as they see the sun on a clear day with no clouds between them. Look at this confirmation and affirmation and emphasis of the seeing of Allah Mighty and Majestic by giving these examples in which no one doubts: the sun in a clear state with no clouds between it and the observer, no one doubts seeing it; and the moon on a full moon night, no one is veiled from seeing it, everyone sees it. For this reason, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the imams of the community agreed upon the establishment of the seeing of Allah Mighty and Majestic in the Hereafter. It is not reported from any of them that he denied it, ever. The least that can be said to these people is: come to us so that we can sit in one of the mosques and call upon Allah Mighty and Majestic, saying: "O Allah, whoever denies Your seeing in the Hereafter, forbid him from it, O Lord of the worlds." I do not think they will be steadfast in that, ever. They will not dare to come and call upon Allah Mighty and Majestic with this supplication, which indicates that their belief in the absence of the seeing is not a belief based on certainty.
And the summary is: that the seeing of Allah Blessed and Exalted is established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf. And we ask Allah the Exalted to guide those who denied it to the truth.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Until they meet Allah Mighty and Majestic while they are believers in His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), following the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in this clear and evident issue. Yes.
The questioner : The questioner, N. A. al-Harbi, says: I hope for an answer to my questions, Your Eminence the Shaykh, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : This is a mistake, this is a great mistake, because if one says: "O Allah, O He whom the eyes do not see" and generalizes it, this entails denying the seeing of Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection with their own eyes, as they see the sun on a clear day with no clouds between them, and as they see the moon on a full moon night. A group denied the seeing of Allah Mighty and Majestic, saying that Allah is not seen, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter. This is based on their intellects, which they rely upon to affirm the attributes of Allah Mighty and Majestic and to deny them, that is, upon their intellects. This is a great mistake, for a person to judge by his intellect in a matter of the unseen, because matters of the unseen cannot be comprehended except by witnessing them, witnessing their like, or by authentic news about them. You will find them denying the seeing of Allah and distorting the words of Allah and His Messenger based on their belief built upon a corrupt intellect. For the reality of judging by the intellect is that a person submits completely to what Allah and His Messenger have informed us of, for this is the requirement of intellect and the requirement of faith. Allah the Exalted said:
But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.
فَلا وَرَبِّكَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا(22) [Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, (23) Looking at their Lord.
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ * إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌRadiant
نَاضِرَةٌLooking toward their Lord
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌLooking toward their Lord
إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision
لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَMy Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.
رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنظُرْ إِلَيْكَThey said: Allah said to him
You will not see Me.
لَنْ تَرَانِيYou will not see Me.
لَنْ تَرَانِيbut 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
انظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّاAnd it was said to them: Allah the Exalted says regarding the wicked:
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَFor them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra
لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌThe increase is the looking at the Face of Allah.
إن الزيادة هي النظر إلى وجه اللهThey will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.
لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌAnd it was said to them that Allah the Exalted said:
(34) So Today those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, (35) On adorned couches, observing.
فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ * عَلَى الأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَAnd when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances.
وَإِذا مَرّوا بِهِم يَتَغامَزونَAnd it was said to them that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the one who knows Allah best, who is most sincere to the servants of Allah, who is most eloquent in speech, and who is most sound in statement, said:
Indeed you shall be placed before your Lord and you shall see Him as you see this moon. You will see Him without trouble. So if you are able to keep from becoming overwhelmed from prayer before the rising of the sun and before its setting, then do so.
إنكم سترون ربكم كما ترون القمر ليلة البدر لا تضامون في رؤيته، فإن استطعتم أن لا تغلبوا على صلاة قبل طلوع الشمس وصلاة قبل غروبها فافعلواAnd the summary is: that the seeing of Allah Blessed and Exalted is established by the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf. And we ask Allah the Exalted to guide those who denied it to the truth.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : Until they meet Allah Mighty and Majestic while they are believers in His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), following the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in this clear and evident issue. Yes.
The questioner : The questioner, N. A. al-Harbi, says: I hope for an answer to my questions, Your Eminence the Shaykh, may Allah preserve you.