SEEING ALLAH LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

by Albany Buipe

Recently I have lost access to even my virtual library hence would have to improvise for my PDFs and topics. In this post I want us to deliberate on a very important verse in connecion with the Aqidah of the Muslim and come out with a bird's eye view elaboration of the subject matter. The discussion is divided into the two branches following:

1. THE CORRECT POSITION ON SEEING ALLAH
2. THE PROOFS FOR THAT POSITION

In 2 I will rather discuss one of the strongest evidences for those who reject the seeing, I find that relevant as Ibn Taymiyah observed that whoever tries to prove a false belief from the Qur'an shall have the same as evidence against him. And nearly a year ago when I went to visit some friends in Wenchi the style was more help in a debate that took place between me and another brother who opposed the mainstream opinion.

THE SOUND POSITION ON SEEING ALLAH
The position taken by mainstream orthodox Muslims is that seeing Allah can take place in this world, however, the fact that Prophet Musah (pbuh) who requested it as a favour was denied it and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who went the closest to Allah as we know also didn't attain it is proof that it will not take place in this first life. The 'possibility' exists but the occurrence doesn't.

On the other hand, in the next life Allah shall be seen according to His will. Those who denied the seeing argued here that allowing the possibility in the next life and not the first connotes a transformation in Allah. What a groundless suggestion they've got. In the first place, if that is really their suggestion, I'll put it to them that there is no change in the possibility subsequently no transformation is required in Allah. Second, no doubt some transformation must happen: it will happen in the humans. Allah said about those in the Hellfire that death shall come to them in several forms and they won't die, because they've transformed. See Surah Ibrahim, 14:17. The point is that generally humans will transform. That transformation sets the basis for seeing Allah in the next life.

It is also argued by those who deny the seeing that allowing the same implies confining Allah into a location, or a body or still both. All of that according to their theology are not possibilities. In our Aqidah however we say no where in the Qur'an does Allah negate those possibilities from Himself. Nevertheless, just as we don't deny them we don't also affirm them. The reason for both is because Allah did neither. But sure if either the affirmation or negation implies a resemblance between Allah and the creation then it has to be made away with.

PROOFS THAT ALLAH SHALL BE SEEN
Let's look first at the verse in Surah al-A'raf, 7:143 where Allah (translating the meaning) said:

‘And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, 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.’ 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.’’

The opposers of the seeing reason that if Musah (pbuh) was not able to see Allah who else could. Furthermore, the article used to convey the negation is lan, which according to their understanding would translate, 'you will never see Me.'
We also say this verse is actually a big proof for our side of the motion. The 'asking for the seeing' by Musah (pbuh) can mean one of two things only. First is he knows the possibility of the seeing. Second he asked because he was ignorant of that which was possible for Allah or  impossible for Him. Being ignorant of the basic things about Allah is not a quality allowed for the believers, could the same be allowed for Musah, a prophet and messenger his rank?

Since a denial of the first suggestion implies acceptance of some form of deficiency in Musah, the others said Musah asked the same way Ibrahim (pbuh) had said he accepted the Sun, Moon and Stars as his lords in order to establish evidence against his people. Brushing the details off, let's ask just one question. If Musah asked to seize his people, who obdurately kept asking for the seeing, how would he ask it not in their company but when he was alone; at the time he went to meet Allah. The story is very clear in this respect. Moreover, if we allowed the suggestion that Musah asked because his people had persistently asked we should also consider accepting that if we incessantly asked our Prophet to allow us commit a sin he not only is going to give us the green-light but would be the first to do it.

In addition, when Ibrahim debated his people he was praised by Allah, 'that is Our proof, which We have given Ibrahim against his people.' Surah al-An'am, 6:83. Did Musah also attain a hats off? No. He passed out and had to repent. Their argument here is Darwinism scaled in a religion meter.

Can we compare Musah to Nuh? We'll see. At the time the drowning was happening Nuh asked Allah to save his son knowing that his son had desecrated the law. How did Allah answer? 'O Nuh, ... he acted badly. So don't ask Me that the knowledge of which you don't have. I warn you that you become of the ignorant.' Surah Hud, 11:46.

Doing the comparison we see that Musah's question wasn't bad in itself. Nuh was told directly, 'Your request isn't possible.' But Musah was given a condition: 'look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.' I'm not arguing on the basis of the condition taking place or otherwise. Rather that the question was tolerated. By and large conditions aren't given as answers for impossibilities. 'Zayd am I invited?' if I asked. 'No. You are not.' It means it was food he had, whatever it was it is eatable. 'O you can't eat it.' It means it is not eatable. This leads to an important point: the non-seeing of Musah Allah is connected with Musah not Allah. Then Allah is seeable but Musah at the time was incapable of bearing it.

Now on the negation through lan, in fact in the Arabic language there exists no such one word that cancels some possibility forever. In the Qur'an taking as our standard lan we see that it is used to cancel that the Jews would desire death in Surah al-Baqarah, 2:95, however, in Hell they will outcry, 'O Malik let your Lord put an end to us.' Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:77. Saying the loci of occurrence differs is true for our point too.

Time and my present setting restrict how far I can go about the topic but I'll add just two more verses:
1. 'Some faces that day will glimmer, looking at their Lord.' Surah al-Qiyamah, 75:22-23. O' Allah include us in those.
2. 'Nay, they, from their Lord, that day, will be veiled.' Imam Malik and his student al-Shafi'i both reasoned that if the disbelievers are denied the seeing the believers should have it as a virtue substantiating them.

Nothing here is original besides the arrangement and surely translations. Everything can be verified in the respective sources. Allah  knows best.