There is also divide in the Ummah on this
point of Aqeedah also.
1-The Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilah believe that
Allaah will not be seen. Similar to the arguments already covered; they argue
that affirmation of seeing Allaah in the Hereafter must mean He has a
direction, if He has a direction then it must mean He has a body etc. all of
which doesn’t befit Allaah, the Most High.
This is based on their principle, “Affirm the
general and negate the specifics ”, whereas Ahl as-Sunnah affirm the specifics
and negate the general.
Moreover, the suggestion that seeing Allaah
leads to affirming a body for Him is false. In fact, using this principle they
have become a victim of what they were trying to flee from, because by claiming
that Allaah cannot be seen or doesn’t have a direction they are actually comparing
Allaah to the creation.
Ahl as-Sunnah affirm what has been narrated
about the Names and Attributes of Allaah, the Most High, in specifics and we do
not say anything about Him we do not know, thus negating the general.
Therefore, as it is a matter of the unseen we affirm without asking how Allaah
will be seen.
The evidence used by the Jahmees and the
Mu’tazilah include:
“No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision” [al-An’aam 6:103]
And,
“Allah said: "You cannot see Me” [al-A’raaf 7:143]
Thus these two Aayaat show that Allaah cannot
be perceived and He says that we will not see Him.
Response: the negation here is for the Dunyaa
as both contexts of the Aayah describe.
Also, the negation here is no absolute, it doesn’t
mean you will never see Me.
2-The Asharees and the Matroodees sought a
middle-ground. They affirm that Allaah will be seen but without a direction. By
negating a direction then this negates the idea that Allaah is bound by space
and time, and negates the idea that Allaah has a body. This will be discussed further in coming posts, In Shaa Allaah.
3-Ahl as-Sunnah and Sunni Muslims believe
that Allaah will be seen in the Hereafter, and this seeing is literal. The
evidences from the following:
And,
“Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:15]
In this Aayah there is proof for what is called by the scholars of Usool, “Mafhoom at-Taqseem”, meaning that there are will be two categories of people on that Day – those who believe who will see their lord and those who disbelieve who will not see their lord. This point of evidence from this Aayah was first derived by one of the author’s teachers, Imaam ash-Shafi’ee [may Allaah have Mercy on him].
And,
“For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more” [Yoonus 10: 26]
“Even more” in this Aayah refers to the believers, after entering Jannah, seeing the Face of Allaah.
The people of innovation have taken the above
Aayat and others like it with a false interpretation (Ta’weel) and have
concluded that the seeing of Allaah or His Face refer to the reward and
countenance of Allaah.
However, we say this Ta’weel (misinterpretation)
and Tahreef (changing of the meaning or wording) has no evidence. Rather, we
affirm what is literally stated in the Quraan.
False Interpretation of “Looking“
Linguistically, the person who receives
reward could never be described as “looking”. Looking is an action (اسم الفاعل) and not a person who receives reward (مفعول به).
Another false Ta’weel of the word “looking”
is where the people of innovation have said it means “To look at the power and
ability of Allaah” similar to where Allaah, the Most High, Says:
“Have
you (O Muhammad) not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the
Elephant?”
[al-Feel 105:1]
And,
“Have
you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow” [al-Furqaan 25:45]
Response: where is the proof for such an
interpretation? Despite the wording being similar, looking and pondering are
clearly two different actions.
Also, the looking which affirms the seeing of
Allaah is specific for the Day of Judgment and not general for us to reflect
upon.
Next post on Affirmation of al-Istiwaa
(Allaah Being above His Creation)
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