What is Related Regarding the Vision

Prophet (SA) passed by a man who was supplication with his eyes raised to the sky. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said to him: “Cast down your eyes for you will certainly not see Him.” He (SA) also said that: “The Prophet (SA) passed by a man who was supplicating with his hands raised to the sky. The Messenger of Allah (SA) said to him: `Lower your hand for your will surely not reach Him.’”

I wrote to Abu Muhammad al-`Askari (AS) asking him how a servant could serve a Lord he cannot see? Hence, he (AS) replied in writing: “O Abu Yusuf! My Master, my Lord, and the Benefactor upon me any my forefathers, is far above being seen.” He said: “I also asked whether the Messenger of Allah (sw) saw him Lord?” He wrote back: “Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, manifested to the Messenger what He desired from the Light of His Magnitude.”

The sun is a seventieth portion of the light of the Throne [al-kursi]. The throne is a seventieth portion of the light of the Empyrean [`arsh]. The Empyrean is a seventieth portion of the light of the Veil [hijab]. And the Veil is a seventieth portion of the Veil of Light [sitr]. Hence, if they speak the truth, can their eyes bear the sight of the sun on a cloudless day?

Messenger of Allah said: “When I was taken to heaven during the Night Journey, Jibra`il took to me to a place where he had never stopped before. Hence, the Veil was remove for me and Allah, the Mighty and High, showed me what He desired from the Light of His Magnitude.”

I was in the presence of Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) when a Kharijite entered his presence and asked him: “O Abu Ja`far, who do you serve?” He (AS) replied: “Allah.” He questioned: “Have you seen Him?” He (AS) answered: Eyes cannot see him through vision, but hearts can see Him through certainty of faith. He is neither recognized with analogy, nor perceived with the senses, and cannot be compared to people. He is attributed through signs and recognized through indications. There is no oppression in His Judgement. Such is Allah; there is no god but Him. He said: “Then the man left while saying that `Allah knows best where to place His Message.”

O Commander of Faithful! Do you see your Lord when you serve Him?” Thus, he (AS) replied: “Woe unto you! I do not serve a Lord that I cannot see.” The rabbi asked: “How do you see Him?” He (AS) responded: “Woe unto you! The eyes do not perceive Him through vision but the hearts see Him through certainty of faith.”

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan the third (al-Naqi) (AS) asking about the vision of (Allah) and what people say about it. Hence, he wrote: Vision is only possible so long so there is no obstacle between the seer and the seen. So, when there is an obstacle to vision, or lack of light between the seer and the seen, vision is impeded or inaccurate. Fault necessitates when the seer equals the seen in the cause that is required between them for vision. When it comes to vision, we can speak in anthropomorphic terms due to cause and effect.

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) asking him about the vision of Allah and what that Sunnis and the Shi`ites narrate regarding the subject. I asked him to explain the subject in detail to me. Hence, he (AS) wrote in his own handwriting: All agree unanimously that Allah’s recognition is necessary. So, if it is possible to see Allah, the Mighty and High, with the eyes, then recognition has taken place. And this recognition could take place with or without faith. If recognition via vision is faith, then it is not faith, because faith is the opposite of visual recognition. If recognition via vision is faith, then there would be no people of faith in the world since nobody has seen Allah, Exalted is His Remembrance. If faith is based on visual recognition, then it might vanish as a result of death and resurrection. This is sufficient proof that Allah, noble be His Remembrance, cannot be seen by the eye….

I asked for his permission to visit him, and he granted it to me. So, he (Abu Qurrah) went to him, and asked him about the laws regarding the permissible and the forbidden, until he reached the subject of Divine Unity. Hence, Abu Qurrah said: “It has been transmitted to us that Allah, the Mighty and High, divided vision and speech between two prophets; allocating speech to Musa (AS) and allocating vision for Muhammad (SA).” Consequently, Abu al-Hasan (AS) replied: Who is it that brought the revelation from Allah, the Mighty and High, to both jinn and humankind? Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision.1 And they do not comprehend Him in knowledge.1 Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.2 Was it not Muhammad (SA)? He said: “Of course?” He (AS) added: If that is the case, then how could he come to all of creation, saying that he was sent by Allah, call them by His Command, that vision comprehend Him not, and He comprehend all vision. And they do not comprehend Him in Knowledge. Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him, and then claim that “I have seen Him with my own eyes. I comprehend Him, and He has a human form.” Are people not ashamed of saying such things? The unbelievers can use this against us: claiming that Allah revealed one thing and the Prophet contradicted it! Abu Qurrah says: “Then He says: And certainly he saw Him in another descent.3 Hence, Abu al-Hasan (AS) replied: Verily, the verse after this verse stipulates what he saw, as He says, The heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw.4 He is saying that the heart of Muhammad (SA) was not untrue in what his eyes saw. Then He informs of what he saw and says: Certainly he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.5 Thus, the signs of Allah, the Mighty and High, are other than Allah. As He has said: And they do not comprehend Him in knowledge. So, if the eyes saw Him, then they comprehended Him in knowledge, and recognition had taken place. Abu Qurrah enquired: “Do you claim that the prophetic traditions are false?” Abu al-Hasan (AS) responded: “Any prophetic traditions which contradict the Qur`an are false. According to the consensus of all Muslims, He cannot be comprehended in knowledge, vision comprehends Him not, and nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.”

so and so has the vision of poetry, so and so has the vision of jurisprudence, so and so has the vision of coins, and so and so has the vision of clothes. Allah is far above visual perception.

I asked him whether it is possible to describe Allah, the Mighty and High. Hence, he replied: “Do you not read the Qur`an?” I responded: “What do you mean?” He said: “Do you not read the Word of the Mighty and High: Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision.2 I answered: “So?” He (AS) asked: “Then do you know what vision means?” I replied: “Sure” He (AS) said: “What is t?” I said: “The vision of the eyes.” Hence, he (AS) explained: “Verily, the imagination of the mind is greater than the vision of the eyes. Thus, imagination comprehends Him not, and He comprehends all imagination.”

I asked Abu Ja`far ibn al-Rida (AS) about: Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision. Hence, he replied: O Abu Hashim! The imagination of mind is more precise than the vision of the eyes. You may imagine Sind, India, the towns which you have not visited, and which you have not seen with your eyes. Thus, if imagination cannot comprehend Him, how can the eyes?”

We entered into the presence of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (AS). We related to him what was transmitted regarding Muhammad (sw); namely, that he saw His Lord in the form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age, whose feet were covered in greenery. I also explained to him that that Hisham ibn Salim, Sahib al-Taqi and al-Maythami say that Allah’s belly is hollow and the rest (of His body) is solid.
So he (AS) fell in prostration and then said: "May You be Glorified! They have not recognized You, nor have they testified to Your Unity. As a result, they have described You as such. May You be glorified! Had they recognized You, they would have only described You by means of the attributes with which You have described yourself. May You be glorified! They have certainly wronged themselves by describing You with what is not worthy of You. O my God, I only describe You with the attributes with which You have described yourself, and I do not compare You with Your Creation. You are worthy of all good. Do not count me among the oppressors."
Then he (AS) turned his face to us and said: “Whatever you have imagined, imagine Allah as other than that.” He (AS) then added: We, the Household of Muhammad, are the middle way [al-Namat al-Awsat] which the exaggerator [ghali] cannot comprehend, and the neglectful follower does not reach. O Muhammad! Verily, when the Messenger of Allah (sw) looked at the grandeur of His Lord, he (the Messenger) was in a form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age. O Muhammad! My Lord is far above possessing the attributes of the created."
He says, I asked him (AS): ‘May I be your ransom! Whose feet were covered in green?” He (AS) replied: "That refers to Muhammad (sw). When he looked at his Lord by means of his heart, Allah covered him in the Light of His Veil until it was apparent to him what was behind the veil. Verily, the Light of Allah is green, red, and white, as well as other colors. O Muhammad, we only accept what agrees with the Book (Qur`an), and the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet)."

Verily, Allah is the Most Great, and the Lofty [al-rafi`]. Worshippers cannot describe Him, nor can they reach the core of His Magnificence. Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware. He cannot be described in terms of `how,’ `where’ and `when’. And how can I describe him by means of `how’ when it is He who created the condition for the question `how;’ hence, I recognized the condition by the fact that He created the `how.’ And how can I describe Him in terms of `where’ when it was He was created space; hence, I recognized space by the fact that he created the `where.’ And how can I describe him in terms of `when’ when it was he who created time; hence, I recognized time by the fact that He created time. Thus, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is present in every place, and is absent from everything. Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends all vision. There is no god but He: the Most High, the Great. And He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware.

I asked Abu `Abdillah (AS): “May I be your ransom! What used to make the Messenger of Allah (sw) swoon when he received the revelation?” He (AS) answered: “That happened when there was no one between him and Allah. That happened when Allah manifested Himself to him.” He says that he (AS) then added: “Such is prophethood, O Zurarah! Accept it with humility.”

“The Messenger of Allah saw his Lord, the Mighty and High, by means of his heart.” The confirmation of this is found in the following tradition.

I asked Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS): “Did the Messenger of Allah (SA) see his Lord, the Mighty and High?” Hence, he (AS) replied: “Yes, he saw Him by means of his heart. Have you not heard Allah, the Might and High that the heart was not untrue in (making him see) what he saw.1 That is to say, he did not see Him with his eyes, but he saw Him with the heart.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: Certainly, he saw of the greatest signs of his Lord.2 He (AS) replied: “He saw Jibra`il. His thighs were covered in pearls like dew drops on plants. He had six hundred wings. He filled the space between the sky and the Earth.”

Word of Allah, the Mighty and High, "(Some) faces on that day shall be bright, looking to their Lord" (75:22-23) mean that “They will be illuminated, anxiously awaiting the reward from their Lord.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) to: “Enlighten me about Allah, the Mighty and High. Will the Believers see Him on the Day of Judgment?” He (AS) responded: “Yes, In fact, they have even seen Him before the Day of Judgment.” So I enquired: “When?” He answered: “When He said to them: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes!”1 Then he (AS) was quiet for a while and then spoke: “Verily, the Believers see Him in this world before the Day of Judgement. Do you not see Him at this moment?” Abu Basir says I said to him: “May I be your ransom! Can I narrate this on your authority?” He (AS) replied: No, If you relate this, the ignorant denier will argue with you regarding its meaning. He will assume that this is anthropomorphism, and will disbelieve. The vision of the heart is not the same as the vision of the eyes. Exalted is Allah from what the anthropomorphists [mushabbahum] and apostates [mulhidum] attribute to Him! 21. Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja`far al-Hamadani (RA) said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim said on the authority of his father Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of `Abd al-Salam ibn Salih al-Hirawi that I asked `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS): “O son of the Messenger of Allah! What do you say about the tradition of the Ahl al-Hadith1 that the Believers shall visit their Lord in Paradise from their own places?” Hence, he (AS) replied: O Abu al-Salt! Verily, Allah, the Blessed and exalted, favored his Prophet Muhammad (SA) over all of His Creation. He favored him above all the Prophets and the angels. He made obedience to the Prophet obedience to Allah. He made following the Prophet following Allah. He made visiting the Prophet in this world and the Hereafter like visiting him.2 Thus, He, the Mighty and High, has said: Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allah.3 And has said: Surely those who swear allegiance to you do but swear allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands. And the Prophet (SA) said: Whoever visits me in my life or after my death, has indeed visited Allah.’ The place of the Prophet (SA) in Paradise is the most elevated place. Thus, whoever visits him in his place in Paradise from his own place, has certainly visited Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. I then asked him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, then what is the meaning of the report which they have transmitted that the reward of saying `there is no god but Allah’ is looking at the face of Allah?” So he (AS) responded: O Abu al-Salt! Whoever claims that Allah ha a face like a human face has indeed disbelieved. The Face of Allah is, in fact, His Prophets, Messengers and Proof, may the blessings of Allah be upon them. They are the ones through whom Allah is noticed, through whom people turn to His Religion, and through whom Allah is witnessed. Hence, Allah, the Mighty and High, says: Everyone on it must pass away. And there will endure forever the Face of your Lord, the Lord of glory and honor.2 And He, the Mighty and High, says: Everything is perishable but His Face.3 Therefore, looking at Prophets of Allah, His Messengers and Proofs (AS) in their places is a great reward for the Believers on the Day of Judgment. Hence, the Prophet (SA) has said: “Whoever hates my Household and Progeny, will not see me, and I will not see him on the Day of Judgment.” And he (AS) said: “Verily, there is among you who will not see me after they have parted from me” O Abu al-Salt! Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is not limited to place. Vision and imagination do not comprehend Him. I then enquired from him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Inform me about Paradise and Hell. Are they already created?” He (AS) replied: “Certainly! And the Messenger of Allah (SA) surely entered Paradise and saw Hell, when he ascended to Heaven.” I asked him: “There are people who say: they are both decreed, but not created yet.” So he (AS) answered: Such people are not from us, and we are not from them. Whosoever denies the creation of Paradise and Hell belies the Prophet (SA) and belies us. Such people do not follow our authority, and will remain in hell-fire. Allah, the Mighty and High, says: This is the hell which the guilty called a lie. Round about shall they go between it and hot, boiling water.4 And the Prophet (SA) said: When I ascended to Heaven, Jibra`il took me by the hand, and brought me to Paradise. He gave me some dates from Paradise, and I ate them, producing semen in my loins. When I came down to Earth and had contact with Khadijah (AS), she became pregnant with Fatimah (AS). Thus, Fatimah is a human houri [hawra’insiyyah]. Whenever I long for the perfume of Paradise, I smell the scent of my daughter Fatimah (AS).

My Lord! Show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested to the mountain He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, the said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee, and I am the first of the Believers.1 He said: Musa (AS) said: “Glory be to You, I turn to You from asking You to se You, and I am the first of the Believes who bears witness that you cannot be seen.” Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn, the Compiler of this book (RA) says: Verily, Musa (AS) knew that it is not possible to see Allah, the Mighty and High. He surely asked Allah, the Mighty and High, to show Himself to him, so that he may look upon Him. Because his people insisted that he do so. Therefore, Musa (AS) asked the question to His Lord without taking permission from Him. He (AS) said: My Lord! Show me Yourself, so that I may look upon You. God replied: You cannot see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me. The meaning of this is that You will never se Me because the mountain never moves in any state. This is like the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: They shall not enter the garden until the camel passes through the eye of the needle.2 The meaning of this is that they will never enter the garden like the camel will never pass through the eye of the needle, but when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain i.e. manifested a sign from His Signs. That sign was a light from the lights which He had created; He cast down His Might on that mountain. He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon from fear of the earthquake which was shaking that mountain with its power. Then, when he recovered, he said: “Glory be to You, I turn to You i.e. I return to my recognition of You, turning from my people and their request to see You.” This repentance was not the result of a sin, since prophets do not commit major or minor sins. The permission before the question was not obligatory upon him; in fact, it was a form of politeness. He always used to d this prior to asking a question. According to one group, he had taken permission before asking that vision was not applicable to Allah, the Mighty and High. Regarding his statement: And I am the first of the Believers, Moses is saying that I am the first of the Believers from the group that were with him. They had asked him to take permission from his Lord to show Himself, so that he may look upon Him. The traditions that have transmitted regarding this subject, and which our elders (RA) have mentioned in their writings, are authentic as far as I am concerned. However, I refrained from transmitting them in this chapter fearing that some ignorant people may read them and interpret them literally, rejecting them, and disbelieving in Allah, the Mighty and High, out of ignorance. The traditions that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa has mentioned in his Nawadir and those which Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya has mentioned in his Jami regarding the vision of Allah are authentic. Only the ignorant and the unbelievers can reject them. Their wording is the wording of the Qur`an. These reports negate anthropomorphism [tashbih] and annulment [ta`til] as a means of proving Divine Unity. Our Imams, may the blessings of Allah be upon them, have certainly ordered us not to address people beyond the capacity of their intellect. In these reports, the vision of Allah means the knowledge of Allah. In other words, this world is a place of doubt, uncertainty, and danger. Thus, when the Day of Judgment comes, the Signs of Allah and His Command will unveil for His servants and deliver both reward and punishment. Doubt will be eliminated, and all will attest to the reality and Omnipotence of Allah, the Mighty and High. The confirmation of this is in the Book of Allah, Mighty and High: Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp.1 So, the meaning of what is narrated in the tradition that He, the Mighty and High, will be seen is that He will be known with understanding and surety like His Word, the Mighty and High: Have you not seen your Lord, how He extends the shade?2 And His Word: Did you not see him (Namrud) who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord, and Hid Word: Did you not see those who went forth from their homes, in thousands, fearing death, and His Word: Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the fellows of the elephants? And other examples of this include that vision refers to the vision of the heart, and not the vision of the eyes. As for the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: but when his Lord manifested to the mountain, it means that He, the Mighty and High, made a sign appear as a Sign of the Signs of the hereafter which will make mountains into a mirage, and which will uproot the mountains and scatter them away as dust. The mountain crumbled and turned into dust, because it would not bear that sign. It is said: The light of the throne manifested itself upon the mountain.

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: But when his Lord manifested His Glory to the mountain He made it crumble.6 He (AS) explained: “The Mountain slipped into the ocean, and is still grieving to this date.”

I was present in the gathering of al-Ma`mun and al-Rida `Ali ibn Musa (AS) was with him; hence, al-Ma`mun asked him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Do you not claim that the prophets (SA) are infallible?” He (AS) replied: “Of course.” Hence, he asked him about the verses of the Qur`an. Among the questions he asked was: Then, what is the meaning of the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And when Musa came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord! Show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me?”1 How is it possible that Musa son of `Imran (AS), to whom Allah ha spoken, did not know that Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, cannot be seen, thus leading him to ask that question? So al-Rida (AS) answered: Verily, Musa ibn `Imran (AS), to whom Allah has spoken, knew that Allah is far above being seen by human eyes. However, when Allah, the Mighty and High spoke to him, He made him draw nigh, Musa (AS) returned to his people and informed them that Allah, the Mighty and High, spoke to him and made him draw nigh. Therefore, the people responded: “We will not believe in you until we hear His Speech like you head it.” The people were seven hundred thousand men. He chose seventy thousand from them. Then, from these, he chose seven thousand. For these, he chose seven hundred. And, finally, from these seven hundred, he chose seventy men for the appointment of his Lord. He then went out to Mount Sinai, and stood them on the mountain slope. Musa (AS) climbed the Sinai, and asked Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, to speak to him, and to make them hear His Speech. Thus, Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, spoke to him, and they heard His Speech from above, below, right, left, behind and in front, because Allah, the Mighty and High, created it in the tree, then directed the sound to them from the tree to them until they could hear it from all sides. Then they said: “We will not believe that this is the speech of Allah until we see Allah manifestly.” When they said these insolent words, they were all puffed up with pride. As a result, Allah, the Mighty and high, seized them for their oppression and struck them with a thunderbolt, killing them all. Musa (AS) then said: “O Lord! What shall I say to the Israelites when I return to them and they say to me: `You took them with you and killed them, because you were not truthful in your claim that Allah drew night to you.” Thus, Allah raised them to life, and sent them with him. They then said: “If you had asked Allah to show Himself to you s that you could see Him, He would certainly have answered you. Then, you could have described Him for us so that we could recognize Him they way He deserves to be recognized.” Musa (AS) said: “O people! Verily, Allah cannot be seen by human eyes and He is not subject to shape. He can only be recognized by His Signs and can only known through His Attributes.” They said: “We will not believe in you until you ask Him.” Hence, Musa (AS) said: “O Lord! You certainly heard the words of the Israelites, and You are the Most Knowledgeable of their interest. So Allah, Exalted be His Glory, revealed to him: “O Musa! Ask Me what they have asked you for I will not resent you for their ignorance.” At this point Musa (AS) said: My Lord! Show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place (while it is shaking), then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested to the mountain (a sign from His Signs) He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee (I am turning back to my recognition of You from the ignorance of my people), and I am the first of the Believers to profess that You cannot be seen.2 Al-Ma`mun expressed: “For Allah’s sake continue, O Abu al-Hasan.” The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is detailed; we have extracted from it the required passage. I have transmitted all of it in the book `Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (AS). If I had transmitted all the traditions which are narrated regarding the vision, surely the book would become lengthy with their mentioning, their explanation and proving their authenticity. Whoever Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, grants success with right guidance, believe in all that is transmitted with the authentic chain of narrations from the Imam (AS), submits to them (AS) and consults their teachings when he is in doubt. This is because their words are the Words of Allah and their orders are the Orders of Allah. They are the closest in creation to Allah, the Mighty and High, and those with the greatest knowledge of Allah, may the blessings of Allah be upon them all.