THE ARGUMENTS OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN THE NORMAL VISION OF GOD.

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GOD HAS NO PHYSIQUETHE RELIABLE TRADITIONS THAT REJECT THE IDEA OF THE BEATIFIC VISION.

As we have mentioned earlier that the ancient as well as modern Ulema of the Ahle Sunnah believe in the beatific vision through normal eyes. But they wait for this vision in the hereafter and not in this world. At times they say that God will create a sixth sense through which He will be seen by the believers or there may be another set of eyes.

 Even the blind of today will see Him through these new eyes.

The plausible cause of accepting this belief is their problem and inability in interpretation and then putting forward strange arguments about some verses of the Qura’n. this is the cause of their bafflement.

Let us study the tradition mentioned below:

“You will soon see God as you see the moon. You will have no trouble in seeing Him nor will you create a crowd.” (1)

Abu Hurera is quoted in the same book to have narrated that the Messenger asked, “Do you obstruct each other in seeing the full moon?” the companions replied, “No” (every one can see it so there is no need to obstruct each other). He then said, “Then in the same you will have no need to obstruct each other in seeing God on the Judgment Day.” (2)

Abu Razin narrates in the same book that the messenger said, “Our God smiles when He sees the people in despair and close to others.” The narrator said, “I asked, ‘O Messenger of God does God laugh?” He said, “Yes” then I said, “The God who laughs will never neglect the good deeds” (3)

 In another tradition Abu Asim A’badani quotes Jabir bin Abdullah who narrated that, “the Messenger of God said, “A light will manifest when the people of Paradise will be enjoying the luxuries. They will raise their heads and see that God has come and says “My greetings to you O people of paradise” and the same words have come in the Qura’n. The Messenger further said, “They will look at God and He will look at them.” (4)

Ibn Maja after recording the above Hadith quotes Misbah-hoz-Zajaja Sayuti that Abu Asim A’badani’s Hadith is not reliable.

Sahih Bukhari which is the most famous book of the Ahle Sunnah has quoted the same Hadith from Jareer bin Abdullah in the book ‘Mowaqeetos-Salat” in two chapters with just a slight difference. (5)

Sahih Bukhari has also mentioned the vision of God on the Day of Judgment while explaining this verse. (6)

In the book “kitabos Salat” of Sahih Muslim there are a few Hadiths that say that every night God comes down from the heavens and can be seen. In one of them the Messenger is quoted to have said, “After two thirds of the night is over God comes to the word from the heavens and says, “Is there any need person so that he may be helped? Is there any one praying whose prayers can be granted?” (7)

Though this tradition does not speak about the vision it certainly allocates God a body, a movement or descent and His ascension.

It is very sad that such Hadiths have been often quoted in such famous books that have been mentioned. Since they openly contradict the words, “No eyes can see Him” or “O Moses you cannot see me” and are also against the intellect they should be kept aside. They will be accepted if they can be clearly explained or else they will regard as fake and concocted (because they oppose the Qura’n).

The surprising thing is the origin of many Hadith points towards Abu Hurera who in many ways is questionable.

As we have already quoted Imam Ali bin Musi Reza that how is it possible that any Messenger bring the words that God can never be seen and then claim that the believer will see God on the Judgment Day or that every night God comes down from the heavens? Such disparity and contradiction is not possible.

The way the above traditions describe the vision of God they also tell us that He has a body. They also speak about His descent and ascent and His laughter. These are things that Asharis who believe in this vision will not accept because they say that God does not have a physique and this is the second proof of their being fake.

It is surprising that Sonan Ibn Maja quotes Abdullah Ibn Omar who said, “I have heard from the Messenger, “On the Day of Judgment god will be so close to the believer that He will put His hand or chest on him.”  (8)

If these des c r i p tions are not taken as symbolic then it is the proof of their being fake because they speak of God having a chest and hands. The thoughts of those who believe in the vision have been incorporated in these traditions.

It is also very surprising that this group even today professes the same ignorance by believing these traditions. The school of Ahlulbait has always rejected such frivolity because neither the intellect nor the Qura’n supports it.

Those who believe in the vision of God have used a few verses of the Qura’n like verses 22-23 of Surah Qiyamah which says, “Some faces that day shall beam looking towards their Lord.”

The origin of the word “Naazirah” is “Nazar” and it means to look or to wait. When this verse is read together with the other verse that say, “No eyes shall see Him” then this symbolism shall turn into an established truth.

By chance many such symbolism are used as signs like when we say, “The eyes of so and so is on you’ or “He looks only at you” it means that he is eagerly waits for your love and friendship. The people of the paradise on Judgment Day will be concentrating on God and this means they will wait for all of his bounties and grace.

The sentence says, “They will be looking only at God”

It is confirmed that they are looking at the numerous bounties of God like the trees, the streams, the fruits, the houris etc. it is also ample proof that they look this way only because they wait for His bounties.

The interpretation of this verse may mean that over and above their observation of the manifest bounties they may be experiencing Him in their hearts. The Hadith of the Messenger narrated by Anas bin Malik that says: “These people will be looking at God without being under the influence of any special feeling and without any personal barriers.” is ample proof. (9)

Had the vision been with the normal eyes then all others would not seem pale.

Allama Late Sharafuddin discusses the Hadiths of the Ahle Sunnah in his book Kalmato haular Ro’ya: “They consider these traditions to be true and have adopted the path of physical existence. This path is against intelligence. The real fact is that neither are these Hadiths truthful nor do Shariah and intelligence accepting them. The quantum of the Hadiths has allured them to believe and leave their intelligence aside and no matter what pain they have to bear they should mould the Hadiths according to their belief. This is a deed wherein you cannot expect any goodness.

Then he has discussed the words, ““Some faces that day shall beam looking towards their Lord.” The word “nazar” especially when attached with the word “Ila” does not mean seeing but staring fixedly at something even when it is not visible. This has been accepted by the Ahle Sunnah too.

Verse 198 of Surah A’raf in Qura’n says, “And you see them looking towards you but they do not see.”

What comes to mind from this verse is that on the Day of judgment they will all be waiting for God’s grace. (This has been specified earlier)

The use of this word is literal and not symbolic and this is found regular in poetry and daily life. The poet says:

“On the Day of Badr the faces were upturned towards the merciful God and they were waiting for help and freedom.”

The second is:

“I look up to You for the fulfillment of the promise and this is the look of the dependent towards one who is above all needs. I am surprised about those Muslim brothers who believe in the vision of God and create arguments about it. Is the literal meaning too hidden from them? When they read the symbolic verses they explain them as:

Verse 5 of Surah Ta-Ha that says, “The Beneficent God is firmly established on the Throne.”

Or the verse 10 of Surah Fath that says, “The hand of God is above their hands”

They did not take God to be physically present from these verses but construed that he rose to the Throne and in the second verse as the authority of God symbolically. It is perplexing why they overlooked the actual meaning of “Looking towards their Lord” and take it to mean that they will look at His physical presence?

This vision may mean the vision in the heart as said by Amirul Mumineen Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, “My certitude will not increase even if the screens were removed.” And that he said, “Should I worship a God whom I have not seen?” or that he said, “The normal eyes cannot see Him but the heart can perceive Him through belief.”

His son the leade4 of the martyrs Imam Husein prays to God through the Dua of A’rfa:

“May the eyes that do not find you their protector be blind?” (10)

He has taken the help of verse 15 of Surah Mustazifeen that says, “Verily from (the light of) their Lord, that Day will they be veiled.” The matter is not the way the sinners believe that they will be close to God on the Day of Judgment. They imagine that the believers will not be veiled and they will see God. The veil referred to here may be material and symbolic.

In the verse being discussed the second meaning has been taken which is closely attached to the previous verse that said, “By no means! But on their heart is the stain of the (ill) which they do.” They have become incapable of understanding it. The stain here is not symbolic but literal.

The verse 5 of Surah Fussilat is clear in this regard for it the disbelievers say, “They say our hearts are veiled from that to which you invite us” here it is certain that this veil is symbolic. In verse 45 of Surah Isra it says, “When you (O Mohammad) recite the Qura’n, We set a hidden veil between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter.” So the disbelievers will be deprived of the symbolic vision on the Day of Judgment. There will be a veil between them and God.

The third which they use to their benefit is verse 46 of Surah Baqarah that says, “They shall surely meet their Lord (on the Day of Judgment)” they feel that meeting here means vision but from the verse we discern that the meeting on the Day of Judgment is not reserved for the believers only but the believers and the disbeliever both are included but they feel that the vision of God that Day will be reserved for the believers only. It is confirmed by the verse 6 of Surah Inshiqaq that says, “O mankind! Verily you will strive and are sure to meet Him.” This verse addresses the entire mankind. In verse 77 of Surah Taubah it says, “He has instilled hypocrisy in their hearts till the Day they meet Him, because they had failed to fulfill their promise to Him and because they used to lie (continuously)”

This verse is for the hypocrites only when it speaks of meeting the Lord. So we learn that the vision of God whatever it is will not be limited to the believers only, it includes both them and the disbelievers but these people consider it to be for the believers only. We should note that the word “Laqa” means the contact between two things and it does not mean a vision.

We know that this term is impossible for God and the Asharis too believe the same so the meaning should be taken symbolically.

We learn from the Qura’n that the Day of the Vision is the Day of Judgment and this is the day when mankind will account for its deeds and face rewards and punishment.

Some verses speak about the meeting ( with God) as the accounting like verse 20 of Surah Haqah that says, “ I did really think that the account would one day reach me” This is why many commentators have taken the term “Leqaollah” to have this meaning. Raghib in Mafuradat says, the meeting with God means the Judgment Day.

Ibn Atheer in Nihaya says, “The meeting with God means going towards the hereafter” and Ibn Manzoor has taken the same meaning in Lisan-ol-Arab. You find the same meaning in the traditions as one from the Messenger that says, “Whoever swears on God in order to usurp someone else’s wealth will meet God only to be punished.” (11)

The Judgment Day has been termed as the meeting with God because mankind will feel the promulgation of God’s commandment, in his account, in the field of assembly, in Hell or in Paradise. The presence of God will be so evident that every believer will feel and see his presence in his heart.

It is surprising that the Asharis have used certain other verses too but in even in them there are no signs or proof of this issue. This proves that they are using the verses of the Qura’n only to prove their point like the verse 26 of Surah Yunus that says, “For those who do good deeds is an excellent award and more” they say the word “more” here means the vision of God even though the verse says nothing of this sort and is stressing the point mentioned in verse 160 of Surah Anam that says, “Whoever comes with a good deed shall be rewarded ten fold.” And this is again repeated in verse 35 of Surah Qaf that says, “ For them therein shall be whatever they desire and even more” and the Asharis say that the words “ even more” means the vision of God even though the verse says nothing about it.

In short the beatific vision literally is against human intellect. In whichever sense you take the vision it means that there must be a body for Him (if you do not take it to be the manifestation in the heart.). There is no proof of physical vision in any verse and they have used just the symbolic verses while the law is that you should connect the symbolic verses with the established ones before interpreting them. The traditions mentioned are also against the intellect and the Qura’n and we have been commanded to keep them aside because they are of no value.

The Late Allam Sharafuddin has criticized them in his book Kalmato Haular-roya” and declared them to be fakes. (See this book for further studies)

In these days problems regarding faith are being judged through intellect and research and these problems have been highlighted in the light of the Qura’n. What a great frivolity it is that even today some people believe in seeing God literally.

 


 

1. Sonan ibn Maja page 65 Hadith 184
2. Sonan Ibn Maja page 64 Hadith 181
3. Sonan Ibn Maja page 64 Hadith 181
4. Sonan Ibn Maja page 65 Hadith 184
5. Sahih Bukhari Vol. 1 page 145 and 150 (Beirut)
6. Sahih Bukhari vol.6 page 56 Tafsir Surah Nisaa
7. Sahih Muslim Vol2 Page 175
8. Sonan Ibn Maja vol. 1 page 6 in The introduction” Hadith 183 the word Kanaf has many meanings like, shoulders, chest, hairs and shadow.
9. Tafsir Al Mizan Vol.20 page 204
10. The Book “Kalmato Haular Ro’ya” page 48 to 53
11. Kalmato Haular-Ro’ya pages 67 to 80.

 

GOD HAS NO PHYSIQUETHE RELIABLE TRADITIONS THAT REJECT THE IDEA OF THE BEATIFIC VISION.
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