Some people claim that Allah will be seen with physical eyes, or that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw Allah with his physical eyes on Mi‘raj.
But the Qur’an and the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt a.s reject this clearly.
Allah is not a body.
Allah is not in a direction.
Allah is not captured by eyesight.
Allah is not imagined in human form.
Allah is not limited by place, light, distance, air, or direction.
Allah is known through faith, certainty, and the heart — not through physical vision.
First, the Qur’an:
Qur’an 6:103
لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ ۖ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
“Eyes do not perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes. And He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.”
Qur’an 7:143
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ ۚ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي
“Musa said: My Lord, show Yourself to me so I may look at You. He said: You will never see Me.”
These two verses alone are enough to prove the core point:
No physical eye can capture Allah.
No created sight can perceive the Creator.
Allah sees the eyes, but the eyes do not see Allah.
Now see how the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt a.s explained this same Qur’anic belief.
Shia Hadith 1
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن النوفلي، عن السكوني، عن أبي عبد الله، عن آبائه عليهم السلام قال: مر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على رجل وهو رافع بصره إلى السماء يدعو، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: غض بصرك فإنك لن تراه. وقال: ومر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم على رجل رافع يديه إلى السماء وهو يدعو، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: اقصر من يديك فإنك لن تناله.
English:
Imam al-Sadiq a.s narrated from his forefathers a.s that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a man who was raising his eyes to the sky while supplicating. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: “Lower your gaze, for you will certainly not see Him.”
And he also said: The Prophet ﷺ passed by a man who was raising his hands to the sky while supplicating. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: “Lower your hands, for you will certainly not reach Him.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 1.
Comment:
The Prophet ﷺ himself taught that Allah is not seen by raising the physical eyes toward the sky, and Allah is not reached by physical direction.
Shia Hadith 2
Arabic:
أبي رحمه الله قال: حدثنا علي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن علي بن معبد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبيه، قال: حضرت أبا جعفر عليه السلام فدخل عليه رجل من الخوارج فقال له: يا أبا جعفر أي شيء تعبد؟ قال: الله. قال: رأيته؟ قال: لم تره العيون بمشاهدة العيان، ولكن رأته القلوب بحقائق الإيمان، لا يعرف بالقياس، ولا يدرك بالحواس، ولا يشبه بالناس، موصوف بالآيات، معروف بالعلامات، لا يجور في حكمه، ذلك الله لا إله إلا هو. قال: فخرج الرجل وهو يقول: الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته.
English:
A man from the Khawarij entered upon Imam al-Baqir a.s and said: “O Abu Ja‘far, what do you worship?”
He replied: “Allah.”
The man asked: “Have you seen Him?”
Imam al-Baqir a.s replied:
“Eyes do not see Him through physical witnessing, but hearts see Him through the realities of faith. He is not known by analogy, not perceived by the senses, and not compared to people. He is described by His signs and known by His indications. He does not act unjustly in His judgment. That is Allah; there is no god except Him.”
Then the man left saying: “Allah knows best where He places His message.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 5; al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 5.
Comment:
This is pure Tawhid: Allah is not reached by senses, eyes, imagination, or comparison. He is known through signs, faith, and certainty.
Shia Hadith 3
Arabic:
حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، عن علي بن أبي القاسم، عن يعقوب بن إسحاق قال: كتبت إلى أبي محمد عليه السلام أسأله كيف يعبد العبد ربه وهو لا يراه؟ فوقع عليه السلام: يا أبا يوسف جل سيدي ومولاي والمنعم علي وعلى آبائي أن يرى. قال: وسألته هل رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ربه؟ فوقع عليه السلام: إن الله تبارك وتعالى أرى رسوله بقلبه من نور عظمته ما أحب.
English:
Ya‘qub ibn Ishaq says: I wrote to Imam Abu Muhammad al-Askari a.s asking: “How can a servant worship his Lord while he does not see Him?”
The Imam a.s wrote back:
“O Abu Yusuf, my Master, my Lord, and the Benefactor upon me and upon my forefathers is far above being seen.”
He says: I also asked him: “Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ see his Lord?”
The Imam a.s wrote back:
“Allah, Blessed and Exalted, showed His Messenger through his heart whatever He wished from the light of His greatness.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 2; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 1.
Comment:
Imam Hasan al-Askari a.s gives both answers in one narration: Allah is above being seen, and the Prophet ﷺ saw through the heart, not physical eyes.
Shia Hadith 4
Arabic:
حدثنا الحسين بن أحمد بن إدريس رحمه الله، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن عبد الجبار، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن عاصم بن حميد، قال: ذاكرت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فيما يروون من الرؤية، فقال: الشمس جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الكرسي، والكرسي جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور العرش، والعرش جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الحجاب، والحجاب جزء من سبعين جزءا من نور الستر، فإن كانوا صادقين فليملؤوا أعينهم من الشمس ليس دونها سحاب.
English:
‘Asim ibn Humayd says: I discussed with Imam al-Sadiq a.s what they narrate about seeing Allah.
The Imam a.s said:
“The sun is one part out of seventy parts of the light of the Kursi. The Kursi is one part out of seventy parts of the light of the ‘Arsh. The ‘Arsh is one part out of seventy parts of the light of the Veil. The Veil is one part out of seventy parts of the light of the Covering. So if they are truthful, let them fill their eyes with the sun when there is no cloud before it.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 3; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 7.
Comment:
If human eyes cannot even bear the created sun, how can they claim to see Allah with physical eyes?
Shia Hadith 5
Arabic:
أحمد بن إدريس عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن علي بن سيف عن محمد بن عبيد قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام أسأله عن الرؤية وما ترويه العامة والخاصة، وسألته أن يشرح لي ذلك، فكتب بخطه: اتفق الجميع لا تمانع بينهم أن المعرفة من جهة الرؤية ضرورة، فإذا جاز أن يرى الله بالعين وقعت المعرفة ضرورة، ثم لم تخل تلك المعرفة من أن تكون إيمانا أو ليست بإيمان، فإن كانت تلك المعرفة من جهة الرؤية إيمانا فالمعرفة التي في دار الدنيا من جهة الاكتساب ليست بإيمان لأنها ضده، فلا يكون في الدنيا مؤمن لأنهم لم يروا الله عز ذكره، وإن لم تكن تلك المعرفة التي من جهة الرؤية إيمانا لم تخل هذه المعرفة التي من جهة الاكتساب أن تزول ولا تزول في المعاد، فهذا دليل على أن الله عز وجل لا يرى بالعين إذ العين تؤدي إلى ما وصفناه.
English:
Muhammad ibn ‘Ubayd says: I wrote to Imam al-Rida a.s asking him about seeing Allah and what both the general Muslims and the Shia narrate, and I asked him to explain it to me.
The Imam a.s wrote in his own handwriting:
“All agree without dispute that knowledge gained through direct vision is necessary knowledge. So if it were possible for Allah to be seen with the eye, then knowledge of Him would become necessary through direct sight. Then this knowledge would either be faith or not faith.
If this knowledge through vision were faith, then the knowledge acquired in this world would not be faith, because it is opposite to it. So there would be no believer in this world, because they have not seen Allah.
And if the knowledge through vision were not faith, then the acquired knowledge in this world would either disappear or not disappear in the Hereafter. Therefore, this is proof that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is not seen with the eye, because eye-vision leads to what we have described.”
Reference:
Al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 3; also in Kitab al-Tawhid, Chapter 8.
Comment:
This is a powerful logical proof from Imam al-Rida a.s. If physical seeing were true faith, then believers in this world would not be real believers because they have not physically seen Allah. But Qur’an praises faith in the unseen.
Shia Hadith 6
Arabic:
أحمد بن إدريس عن أحمد بن إسحاق قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن الثالث عليه السلام أسأله عن الرؤية وما اختلف فيه الناس، فكتب: لا تجوز الرؤية ما لم يكن بين الرائي والمرئي هواء لم ينفذه البصر، فإذا انقطع الهواء عن الرائي والمرئي لم تصح الرؤية، وكان في ذلك الاشتباه، لأن الرائي متى ساوى المرئي في السبب الموجب بينهما في الرؤية وجب الاشتباه وكان ذلك التشبيه، لأن الأسباب لا بد من اتصالها بالمسببات.
English:
Ahmad ibn Ishaq says: I wrote to Imam Abu al-Hasan the Third, Imam al-Hadi a.s, asking him about seeing Allah and the disagreement of people over it.
He wrote:
“Vision is not possible unless there is air between the seer and the seen through which eyesight passes. If the air is cut off between the seer and the seen, vision is not valid. In this there would be similarity, because whenever the seer and the seen are equal in the cause that makes vision possible between them, similarity becomes necessary — and that is tashbih. Causes must be connected to their effects.”
Reference:
Al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 4; Kitab al-Tawhid, Chapter 8, Hadith 7.
Comment:
Physical sight needs direction, distance, light, and a medium. Allah is not a body inside these created conditions. To apply physical vision to Allah is tashbih.
Shia Hadith 7
Arabic:
أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن ابن أبي نجران، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قوله عز وجل: لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار، قال: إحاطة الوهم، ألا ترى إلى قوله: قد جاءكم بصائر من ربكم، ليس بمعنى بصر العيون، فمن أبصر فلنفسه، ليس يعني من البصر بعينه، ومن عمي فعليها، لم يعن عمي العيون، إنما عنى إحاطة الوهم كما يقال: فلان بصير بالشعر، وفلان بصير بالفقه، وفلان بصير بالدراهم وفلان بصير بالثياب، الله أعظم من أن يرى بالعين.
English:
Imam al-Sadiq a.s explained the verse:
“Eyes do not perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes.”
He said:
“It means the encompassing of imagination. Do you not see His saying: ‘Clear proofs have come to you from your Lord’? This does not mean eyesight of the eyes. ‘Whoever sees clearly, it is for himself’ does not mean seeing with his physical eye. ‘And whoever is blind, it is against himself’ does not mean blindness of the eyes. Rather, it means the encompassing of imagination, just as it is said: so-and-so is insightful in poetry, so-and-so is insightful in fiqh, so-and-so is insightful in money, and so-and-so is insightful in clothes. Allah is greater than being seen by the eye.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 10; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 9.
Comment:
Imam al-Sadiq a.s explains that Qur’anic “seeing” can mean insight, understanding, and recognition — not always physical eyesight. And Allah is far above being seen by the eye.
Shia Hadith 8
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: سألته عن الله عز وجل هل يوصف؟ فقال: أما تقرأ القرآن؟ قلت: بلى. قال: أما تقرأ قوله عز وجل: لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار؟ قلت: بلى. قال: فتعرفون الأبصار؟ قلت: بلى. قال: وما هي؟ قلت: أبصار العيون. فقال: إن أوهام القلوب أكثر من أبصار العيون، فهو لا تدركه الأوهام وهو يدرك الأوهام.
English:
Abu Hashim al-Ja‘fari says: I asked Imam al-Rida a.s: “Can Allah, Mighty and Majestic, be described?”
The Imam a.s said: “Do you not read the Qur’an?”
I said: “Yes.”
He said: “Do you not read His saying: ‘Eyes do not perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes’?”
I said: “Yes.”
He asked: “Do you know what eyes are?”
I said: “Yes.”
He asked: “What are they?”
I said: “The eyesight of the eyes.”
The Imam a.s said:
“The imaginations of the hearts are greater than the eyesight of the eyes, yet imaginations do not perceive Him, while He perceives imaginations.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 11; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 10.
Comment:
If even imagination cannot grasp Allah, how can physical eyesight grasp Him?
Shia Hadith 9
Arabic:
حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، عمن ذكره، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن داود بن القاسم، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري، قال: قلت لأبي جعفر ابن الرضا عليهما السلام: لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار؟ فقال: يا أبا هاشم أوهام القلوب أدق من أبصار العيون، أنت قد تدرك بوهمك السند والهند والبلدان التي لم تدخلها ولا تدركها ببصرك، فأوهام القلوب لا تدركه فكيف أبصار العيون.
English:
Abu Hashim al-Ja‘fari says: I asked Abu Ja‘far ibn al-Rida a.s about the verse:
“Eyes do not perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes.”
The Imam a.s said:
“O Abu Hashim, the imaginations of the hearts are more precise than the eyesight of the eyes. You may imagine Sind, India, and lands which you have not entered and which your eyes have not seen. Yet the imaginations of the hearts do not perceive Him, so how can the eyesight of the eyes perceive Him?”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 12; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 11.
Comment:
The mind can imagine unseen lands, but even the mind cannot reach Allah. So how can the weaker physical eye reach Him?
Shia Hadith 10
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن محمد بن عصام الكليني رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يعقوب الكليني، عن علي بن محمد، عن سهل بن زياد وغيره، عن محمد بن سليمان، عن علي بن إبراهيم الجعفري، عن عبد الله بن سنان، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: إن الله عظيم، رفيع، لا يقدر العباد على صفته، ولا يبلغون كنه عظمته، ولا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار وهو اللطيف الخبير، ولا يوصف بكيف ولا أين ولا حيث، فكيف أصفه بكيف وهو الذي كيف الكيف حتى صار كيفا، فعرفت الكيف بما كيف لنا من الكيف؟ أم كيف أصفه بأين وهو الذي أين الأين حتى صار أينا، فعرفت الأين بما أين لنا من الأين؟ أم كيف أصفه بحيث وهو الذي حيث الحيث حتى صار حيثا، فعرفت الحيث بما حيث لنا من الحيث؟ فالله تبارك وتعالى داخل في كل مكان، وخارج من كل شيء، لا تدركه الأبصار، وهو يدرك الأبصار، لا إله إلا هو العلي العظيم، وهو اللطيف الخبير.
English:
Imam al-Sadiq a.s said:
“Allah is Great and Exalted. Servants cannot describe Him, nor can they reach the essence of His greatness. Eyes do not perceive Him, while He perceives the eyes, and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.
He is not described by ‘how,’ nor ‘where,’ nor ‘in what direction/place.’ How can I describe Him by ‘how’ when He is the One who created the ‘how’ until ‘how’ became ‘how’? And I recognized ‘how’ by what He created for us of ‘how.’
How can I describe Him by ‘where’ when He is the One who created the ‘where’ until ‘where’ became ‘where’? And I recognized ‘where’ by what He created for us of ‘where.’
How can I describe Him by ‘in what place/direction’ when He is the One who created that until it became that? And I recognized that by what He created for us of that.
So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is inside every place and outside everything. Eyes do not perceive Him, and He perceives the eyes. There is no god except Him, the Most High, the Great, and He is the Subtle, the All-Aware.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 14.
Comment:
Allah is not described by how, where, or direction. Physical vision needs all these created limits, so it cannot apply to Allah.
Shia Hadith 11
Arabic:
حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، عن محمد بن إسماعيل البرمكي، عن الحسين بن الحسن، عن بكر بن صالح، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن إبراهيم بن محمد الخزاز، ومحمد بن الحسين، قالا: دخلنا على أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام فحكينا له ما روي أن محمدا صلى الله عليه وآله رأى ربه في هيئة الشاب الموفق في سن أبناء ثلاثين سنة رجلاه في خضرة، وقلت: إن هشام بن سالم وصاحب الطاق والميثمي يقولون: إنه أجوف إلى السرة والباقي صمد. فخر ساجدا، ثم قال: سبحانك ما عرفوك ولا وحدوك فمن أجل ذلك وصفوك. سبحانك لو عرفوك لوصفوك بما وصفت به نفسك. سبحانك كيف طاوعتهم أنفسهم أن شبهوك بغيرك؟ إلهي لا أصفك إلا بما وصفت به نفسك، ولا أشبهك بخلقك، أنت أهل لكل خير فلا تجعلني من القوم الظالمين. ثم التفت إلينا، فقال: ما توهمتم من شيء فتوهموا الله غيره. ثم قال: نحن آل محمد النمط الأوسط الذي لا يدركنا الغالي ولا يسبقنا التالي. يا محمد، إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حين نظر إلى عظمة ربه كان في هيئة الشاب الموفق وسن أبناء ثلاثين سنة. يا محمد، عظم ربي وجل أن يكون في صفة المخلوقين. قال: قلت: جعلت فداك من كانت رجلاه في خضرة؟ قال: ذاك محمد صلى الله عليه وآله، كان إذا نظر إلى ربه بقلبه جعله في نور مثل نور الحجب حتى يستبين له ما في الحجب، إن نور الله منه أخضر ما اخضر، ومنه أحمر ما احمر، ومنه أبيض ما ابيض، ومنه غير ذلك. يا محمد، ما شهد به الكتاب والسنة فنحن القائلون به.
English:
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Khazzaz and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn say: We entered upon Imam al-Rida a.s and mentioned to him what was narrated: that Muhammad ﷺ saw his Lord in the form of a handsome young man around thirty years old, whose feet were in greenness. I also said that some people say He is hollow up to the navel and the rest is solid.
The Imam a.s fell into prostration and said:
“Glory be to You! They did not recognize You, nor did they affirm Your Oneness, and that is why they described You like this. Glory be to You! If they had recognized You, they would have described You only as You described Yourself. Glory be to You! How did their souls obey them to compare You with other than You?
My God, I describe You only as You described Yourself, and I do not compare You with Your creation. You are worthy of every good, so do not make me among the wrongdoers.”
Then he turned to us and said:
“Whatever you imagine, imagine Allah as other than that.”
Then he said:
“We, the family of Muhammad, are the middle path. The exaggerator does not reach us, and the one who lags behind does not surpass us.
O Muhammad, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked toward the greatness of his Lord, he was in the form of a handsome young man around thirty years old. O Muhammad, my Lord is too great and too majestic to be in the attributes of created beings.”
I asked: “May I be sacrificed for you, whose feet were in greenness?”
He replied:
“That was Muhammad ﷺ. When he looked toward his Lord with his heart, Allah placed him in a light like the light of the veils until what was in the veils became clear to him. The light of Allah includes green, red, white, and other colors. O Muhammad, whatever the Book and Sunnah testify to, we say it.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 13.
Comment:
This destroys every narration that imagines Allah in human form, young man form, body, shape, or direction. Imam al-Rida a.s says: whatever you imagine, Allah is other than that.
Now what about Mi‘raj?
Some people use Mi‘raj to claim the Prophet ﷺ saw Allah with physical eyes. But the Qur’an says:
Qur’an 53:18
لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ
“He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.”
The verse says he saw the signs of his Lord. It does not say he saw the essence of his Lord.
Before explaining Mi‘raj further, understand how Imam Ali a.s explained “seeing Allah.”
Shia Hadith 12
Arabic:
عدة من أصحابنا عن أحمد بن محمد بن خالد، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر، عن أبي الحسن الموصلي، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: جاء حبر إلى أمير المؤمنين صلوات الله عليه فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين هل رأيت ربك حين عبدته؟ قال: فقال: ويلك، ما كنت أعبد ربا لم أره. قال: وكيف رأيته؟ قال: ويلك، لا تدركه العيون في مشاهدة الأبصار، ولكن رأته القلوب بحقائق الإيمان.
English:
Imam al-Sadiq a.s said:
A rabbi came to Amir al-Mu’minin Imam Ali a.s and asked:
“O Amir al-Mu’minin, did you see your Lord when you worshipped Him?”
Imam Ali a.s replied:
“Woe to you! I would not worship a Lord whom I have not seen.”
He asked:
“How did you see Him?”
Imam Ali a.s replied:
“Woe to you! Eyes do not perceive Him through physical sight, but hearts see Him through the realities of faith.”
Reference:
Al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 6; Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 6; Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 179 has the same meaning.
Comment:
Imam Ali a.s did not mean eye-vision. He meant the vision of certainty, faith, and the heart.
This is the key to understanding every “seeing Allah” narration.
It is not physical eyesight.
It is certainty.
It is ma‘rifah.
It is faith.
It is the heart recognizing Allah through the realities of iman.
Shia Hadith 13
Arabic:
أبي رحمه الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، قال: حدثنا ابن أبي نصر، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: لما أسري بي إلى السماء بلغ بي جبرئيل مكانا لم يطأه جبرئيل قط، فكشف لي فأراني الله عز وجل من نور عظمته ما أحب.
English:
Imam al-Rida a.s narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When I was taken to heaven during the Night Journey, Jibril brought me to a place where Jibril had never stepped before. Then the veil was removed for me, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, showed me whatever He wished from the light of His greatness.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 4; al-Kafi, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 8.
Comment:
The Prophet ﷺ was shown from the light of Allah’s greatness, not Allah as a body, form, direction, or physical object.
Shia Hadith 14
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن مرازم، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ربه عز وجل يعني بقلبه.
English:
Murazim narrated from Imam al-Sadiq a.s that he heard him say:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw his Lord, Mighty and Majestic — meaning, with his heart.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 16.
Comment:
This explains Mi‘raj correctly. The Prophet ﷺ did not see Allah with physical eyes. He saw through the heart, meaning through the highest level of certainty and divine knowledge.
Shia Hadith 15
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رحمه الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، عن محمد بن الفضيل قال: سألت أبا الحسن عليه السلام: هل رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ربه عز وجل؟ فقال: نعم بقلبه رآه، أما سمعت الله عز وجل يقول: ما كذب الفؤاد ما رأى، أي لم يره بالبصر، لكن رآه بالفؤاد.
English:
Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl says: I asked Imam Abu al-Hasan a.s:
“Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ see his Lord, Mighty and Majestic?”
The Imam a.s replied:
“Yes, he saw Him with his heart. Have you not heard Allah, Mighty and Majestic, say: ‘The heart did not lie about what it saw’? Meaning: he did not see Him with eyesight, but he saw Him with the heart.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 17.
Comment:
Again, the Imam explains clearly: not eyesight, but the heart.
Shia Hadith 16
Arabic:
أحمد بن إدريس عن محمد بن عبد الجبار عن صفوان بن يحيى قال: سألني أبو قرة المحدث أن أدخله على أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام، فاستأذنته في ذلك فأذن لي، فدخل عليه فسأله عن الحلال والحرام والأحكام حتى بلغ سؤاله إلى التوحيد، فقال أبو قرة: إنا روينا أن الله قسم الرؤية والكلام بين نبيين، فقسم الكلام لموسى ولمحمد الرؤية. فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: فمن المبلغ عن الله إلى الثقلين من الجن والإنس: لا تدركه الأبصار، ولا يحيطون به علما، وليس كمثله شيء؟ أليس محمد؟ قال: بلى. قال: كيف يجيء رجل إلى الخلق جميعا فيخبرهم أنه جاء من عند الله وأنه يدعوهم إلى الله بأمر الله فيقول: لا تدركه الأبصار، ولا يحيطون به علما، وليس كمثله شيء، ثم يقول: أنا رأيته بعيني، وأحطت به علما، وهو على صورة البشر؟ أما تستحون؟ ما قدرت الزنادقة أن ترميه بهذا أن يكون يأتي من عند الله بشيء ثم يأتي بخلافه من وجه آخر. قال أبو قرة: فإنه يقول: ولقد رآه نزلة أخرى. فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: إن بعد هذه الآية ما يدل على ما رأى، حيث قال: ما كذب الفؤاد ما رأى، يقول: ما كذب فؤاد محمد ما رأت عيناه، ثم أخبر بما رأى فقال: لقد رأى من آيات ربه الكبرى، فآيات الله غير الله، وقد قال الله: ولا يحيطون به علما، فإذا رأته الأبصار فقد أحاطت به العلم ووقعت المعرفة. فقال أبو قرة: فتكذب بالروايات؟ فقال أبو الحسن عليه السلام: إذا كانت الروايات مخالفة للقرآن كذبتها، وما أجمع المسلمون عليه أنه لا يحاط به علما، ولا تدركه الأبصار، وليس كمثله شيء.
English:
Safwan ibn Yahya says: Abu Qurrah, the hadith narrator, asked me to take him to Imam al-Rida a.s. I sought permission and the Imam allowed him to enter. He asked the Imam about lawful and unlawful matters and legal rulings until his questions reached Tawhid.
Abu Qurrah said:
“We narrate that Allah divided vision and speech between two prophets: He gave speech to Musa and vision to Muhammad.”
Imam al-Rida a.s replied:
“Who conveyed from Allah to the two heavy communities, jinn and mankind: ‘Eyes do not perceive Him,’ ‘They do not encompass Him in knowledge,’ and ‘Nothing is like Him’? Was it not Muhammad?”
Abu Qurrah said: “Yes.”
The Imam a.s said:
“How can a man come to all creation and tell them that he has come from Allah and calls them to Allah by Allah’s command, and says: ‘Eyes do not perceive Him,’ ‘They do not encompass Him in knowledge,’ and ‘Nothing is like Him,’ then say: ‘I saw Him with my own eyes, encompassed Him in knowledge, and He is in the form of a human’? Are you not ashamed? Even the atheists could not accuse him of this — that he would bring something from Allah and then bring something contrary to it from another side.”
Abu Qurrah said:
“But Allah says: ‘And indeed he saw him another time.’”
Imam al-Rida a.s replied:
“After this verse there is what indicates what he saw, where Allah says: ‘The heart did not lie about what it saw.’ It means the heart of Muhammad did not deny what his eyes saw. Then Allah informed what he saw and said: ‘He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.’ So the signs of Allah are other than Allah.
And Allah has said: ‘They do not encompass Him in knowledge.’ If eyes saw Him, then knowledge would encompass Him and recognition would occur.”
Abu Qurrah asked:
“Do you reject the narrations?”
Imam al-Rida a.s replied:
“If narrations oppose the Qur’an, I reject them. And Muslims agree that He is not encompassed in knowledge, eyes do not perceive Him, and nothing is like Him.”
Reference:
Al-Kafi, Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab Ibtal al-Ru’yah, Hadith 2; Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 9.
Comment:
This is one of the strongest narrations in Shia Tawhid. Imam al-Rida a.s uses Qur’an 6:103, 20:110, 42:11, 53:11, and 53:18 together. His conclusion is clear: the Prophet ﷺ saw Allah’s signs, not Allah’s essence with physical eyes. And any narration against Qur’an is rejected.
Shia Hadith 17
Arabic:
أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن القاسم بن محمد الإصفهاني، عن سليمان بن داود المنقري، عن حفص بن غياث أو غيره، قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: لقد رأى من آيات ربه الكبرى، قال: رأى جبرئيل، على ساقه الدر مثل القطر على البقل، له ستمائة جناح قد ملأ ما بين السماء إلى الأرض.
English:
Hafs ibn Ghiyath, or someone else, says: I asked Imam al-Sadiq a.s about Allah’s saying:
“He certainly saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord.”
The Imam a.s replied:
“He saw Jibril. On his legs were pearls like dew drops on plants. He had six hundred wings and filled what was between the heaven and the earth.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 18.
Comment:
Again, the verse is about signs, not seeing Allah’s essence with physical eyes.
Now what about the Day of Judgment?
Some people use the verse:
وجوه يومئذ ناضرة إلى ربها ناظرة
“Faces that Day will be radiant, looking toward their Lord.”
But Ahl al-Bayt a.s explained that this does not mean physical eye-vision of Allah.
Shia Hadith 18
Arabic:
حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله قال: حدثنا محمد بن هارون الصوفي، قال: حدثنا عبيد الله بن موسى الروياني، قال: حدثنا عبد العظيم بن عبد الله بن علي بن الحسن بن زيد بن الحسن بن علي بن أبي طالب عليهما السلام، عن إبراهيم بن أبي محمود، قال: قال علي بن موسى الرضا عليهما السلام في قول الله عز وجل: وجوه يومئذ ناضرة إلى ربها ناظرة، يعني مشرقة تنتظر ثواب ربها.
English:
Ibrahim ibn Abi Mahmud narrated that Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida a.s explained Allah’s saying:
“Faces that Day will be radiant, looking toward their Lord.”
He said:
“It means they will be bright, waiting for the reward of their Lord.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 19.
Comment:
The verse means waiting for Allah’s reward, not seeing Allah with physical eyes.
Now the second Qur’anic principle:
Qur’an 67:12
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ
“Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and a great reward.”
This verse is very deep.
Allah praises those who fear their Lord “bil-ghayb” — unseen, without physical sight.
So the highest level of faith is not seeing Allah with physical eyes. The highest level is fearing Allah, believing in Allah, obeying Allah, and knowing Allah through certainty while He remains unseen to physical eyes.
This is exactly what the hadith of Ahl al-Bayt a.s teaches.
Shia Hadith 19
Arabic:
حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، قال: حدثنا موسى بن عمران النخعي، عن الحسين بن يزيد النوفلي، عن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، قال: قلت له: أخبرني عن الله عز وجل هل يراه المؤمنون يوم القيامة؟ قال: نعم، وقد رأوه قبل يوم القيامة. فقلت: متى؟ قال: حين قال لهم: ألست بربكم قالوا بلى. ثم سكت ساعة، ثم قال: وإن المؤمنين ليرونه في الدنيا قبل يوم القيامة، ألست تراه في وقتك هذا؟ قال أبو بصير: فقلت له: جعلت فداك فأحدث بهذا عنك؟ فقال: لا، فإنك إذا حدثت به فأنكره منكر جاهل بمعنى ما تقوله ثم قدر أن ذلك تشبيه كفر، وليست الرؤية بالقلب كالرؤية بالعين، تعالى الله عما يصفه المشبهون والملحدون.
English:
Abu Basir says: I asked Imam al-Sadiq a.s:
“Tell me about Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Will the believers see Him on the Day of Resurrection?”
The Imam a.s replied:
“Yes, and they have seen Him before the Day of Resurrection.”
I asked: “When?”
He said:
“When He said to them: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they said: ‘Yes.’”
Then he remained silent for a while and said:
“Indeed, the believers see Him in this world before the Day of Resurrection. Do you not see Him at this very moment?”
Abu Basir says: I said:
“May I be sacrificed for you, may I narrate this from you?”
The Imam a.s replied:
“No. If you narrate it, an ignorant denier may reject the meaning of what you say, then imagine that this is tashbih, and disbelieve. The vision of the heart is not like the vision of the eye. Exalted is Allah above what the anthropomorphists and heretics describe.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 20.
Comment:
This is the key. Even when hadith says believers will “see” Allah on the Day of Judgment, it does not mean physical eye-vision. It means the vision of the heart, certainty, faith, and ma‘rifah.
Shia Hadith 20
Arabic:
ومعنى الرؤية الواردة في الأخبار العلم، وذلك أن الدنيا دار شكوك وارتياب وخطرات، فإذا كان يوم القيامة كشف للعباد من آيات الله وأموره في ثوابه وعقابه ما يزول به الشكوك ويعلم حقيقة قدرة الله عز وجل، وتصديق ذلك في كتاب الله عز وجل: لقد كنت في غفلة من هذا فكشفنا عنك غطاءك فبصرك اليوم حديد. فمعنى ما روي في الحديث أنه عز وجل يرى أي يعلم علما يقينا، كقوله عز وجل: ألم تر إلى ربك كيف مد الظل، وقوله: ألم تر إلى الذي حاج إبراهيم في ربه، وقوله: ألم تر إلى الذين خرجوا من ديارهم وهم ألوف حذر الموت، وقوله: ألم تر كيف فعل ربك بأصحاب الفيل، وأشباه ذلك من رؤية القلب وليست من رؤية العين.
English:
Shaykh al-Saduq says:
“The meaning of vision mentioned in the reports is knowledge. This is because the world is a place of doubts, uncertainty, and passing thoughts. When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah will uncover for the servants from His signs and His affairs, in His reward and punishment, that by which doubts will disappear and the reality of Allah’s power will be known.
The confirmation of this is in the Book of Allah:
‘You were certainly heedless of this, so We removed your covering from you, and your sight today is sharp.’
So the meaning of what is narrated in the hadith that He, Mighty and Majestic, will be seen is that He will be known with certain knowledge.
This is like Allah’s saying: ‘Have you not seen your Lord, how He extends the shade?’ and His saying: ‘Have you not seen the one who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord?’ and His saying: ‘Have you not seen those who left their homes in thousands, fearing death?’ and His saying: ‘Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?’
And similar examples are from the vision of the heart, not the vision of the eye.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, explanation after Hadith 22.
Comment:
Shaykh al-Saduq explains the Shia meaning clearly: ru’yah means certain knowledge and heart-vision, not physical eye-vision.
Shia Hadith 21
Arabic:
حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رحمه الله قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسين السعد آبادي، عن أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن أبيه محمد بن خالد، عن أحمد بن النضر، عن محمد بن مروان، عن محمد بن السائب، عن أبي صالح، عن عبد الله بن عباس أنه سئل عن تفسير قول الله عز وجل: ولما جاء موسى لميقاتنا وكلمه ربه قال رب أرني أنظر إليك قال لن تراني. قال: قال موسى عليه السلام: سبحانك تبت إليك من أن أسألك الرؤية، وأنا أول المؤمنين بأنك لا ترى.
English:
Ibn Abbas was asked about the explanation of Allah’s saying:
“When Musa came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord, show Yourself to me so I may look at You. He said: You will not see Me.”
Ibn Abbas said:
“Musa a.s said: Glory be to You. I turn to You in repentance from asking You for vision, and I am the first of the believers that You are not seen.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, Book 2, Chapter 8, Hadith 22.
Comment:
This narration explains the story of Musa a.s. Musa a.s knew Allah cannot be seen. The lesson was that Allah is not seen by physical eyes.
Shia Hadith 22
Arabic:
ومحمد بن علي بن الحسين مصنف هذا الكتاب رضي الله عنه يقول: إن موسى عليه السلام علم أن الله عز وجل لا يجوز عليه الرؤية. وإنما سأل الله عز وجل أن يريه ينظر إليه لما ألح عليه قومه في ذلك، فسأل ربه من غير أن يستأذنه في ذلك. فقال: رب أرني أنظر إليك. فقال الله عز وجل: لن تراني ولكن انظر إلى الجبل فإن استقر مكانه فسوف تراني. ومعناه أنك لا تراني أبدا لأن الجبل لا يستقر مكانه أبدا.
English:
Shaykh al-Saduq says:
“Musa a.s knew that vision is not possible regarding Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He only asked Allah to show Himself so he may look at Him because his people insisted on that. So he asked his Lord without seeking permission for that and said: ‘My Lord, show Yourself to me so I may look at You.’
Allah replied: ‘You will not see Me. But look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.’
Its meaning is: You will never see Me, because the mountain will never remain firm in its place.”
Reference:
Shaykh al-Saduq, Kitab al-Tawhid, explanation after Hadith 22.
Comment:
This explains Qur’an 7:143: “You will not see Me” means Allah cannot be physically seen.
Final Summary
The Qur’an says:
لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ
“Eyes do not perceive Him.”
قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي
“He said: You will never see Me.”
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِ
“Those who fear their Lord unseen.”
And the Ahl al-Bayt a.s explain:
Eyes do not see Allah.
Senses do not perceive Allah.
Imagination does not grasp Allah.
Allah is not a body.
Allah is not a human form.
Allah is not in a place.
Allah is not in a direction.
Allah is not described by “how” or “where.”
Physical vision requires light, distance, medium, and direction; Allah is above all of this.
The Prophet ﷺ saw Allah’s signs and the light of His greatness, not Allah’s essence with physical eyes.
When it is said the Prophet ﷺ saw his Lord, it means by heart, not by eyesight.
When it is said believers will see Allah on the Day of Judgment, it means certainty, ma‘rifah, and heart-vision, not physical eyesight.
The verse “looking toward their Lord” means waiting for the reward of their Lord.
Any narration that gives Allah shape, body, young man form, human face, place, direction, or physical visibility is against the Qur’an and must be rejected.
This is the pure Tawhid of the Qur’an and Ahl al-Bayt a.s.
Allah is not seen by eyes.
Allah is known by faith.
Allah is feared while unseen.
And that is the highest level of true belief.
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