“(Some) faces, that day, will be radiant. Looking towards their lord.” (Qur’an 75:22-23)
At first blush one cannot be faulted for seeing this as a proof for the theological position that Muslims will see Allah (swt) in the next life.
May Allah (swt) reward brother Assad, the servant of Allah (swt) who did the translation from our noble Shaykh and teacher.
*Translated from Shaykh Rashid bin Salim Al Busafi -هللا حفظه -book “المراقي خالصة شرح في الراقي بغية“
There are four quick points to consider.
Point 1.
As for the ayah {On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be bright, () Awaiting the mercy of their lord { َيْو َمِئٍذ }. Quran: ن )22ٰ )ى َّ لَ ِإ ها َبِّر َإ ِ23–22–75[ })23( ٌرة َظ ِنا ,[ there’s no daleel in it perceiving Allah by vision because (Al Nathar) (النظر (does not necessary mean to see, as (Al Nathar) (النظر (to something does not necessarily mean seeing it, as when one says, I looked at the hilal but I didn’t see it.
Point 2.
(النظر) (Al Nathar) comes with multiple meanings in the language, and the correct meaning is confirmed through the context it has been mentioned in, so the (Al Nathar) (النظر (comes with the meaning of waiting even if it was preceded by (Ila) (إلى, (so it doesn’t come with only the meaning of seeing, as that is refuted by the Quran itself As Allah says { نَّ ِإ ِذي َن ِإ َي َعْهِد ْش ال َت ُرو َن َّ ِ ْي َماِنهِ ْم هَّللا ب ِ َأ َوَأ ا َمنً ِئ َك َقلِياًل ثَ ٰ ولَ ُهْم َخاَل َق اَل ُأ َو ُم ُهُم اَل اآْل ل ِفي ِخ َرِة َ ُي َكلِّ َين ْم ُظ َو ُر هَّللا اَل ُ ْيهِ لَ ِإ َيْو َم ِقَيا َمِة َو ْم اَل الْ ُهْم ُي َز ِّكيهِ َول ا ٌب َ َعذ لِيٌم{ َ أ َQur’an 3:77[ أ
“Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment.” (Qur’an 3:77)
So is it said that, those who sell out God’s covenant and their own oaths for a small price, is it said that Allah doesn’t see them in the Akhira?!
Point 3.
This Ayah came in the context of describing the day of judgment, and the day of gathering to be exact. And that’s by the proof of its context {{On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be bright,() Awaiting the mercy of their lord ()And ˹other˺ faces will be gloomy,() ا ِض َرةٌ ُو ُجوهٌ َيْو َمِئٍذ } {.in anticipation of something devastating ن )22ٰ )ى َّ لَ ِإ َنا ِظ َرةٌ )23ِ )إ َرِّب َها َت ن ُظ َبا ِس َرةٌ )24ُّ )ن َوُو ُجوهٌ َيْو َمِئٍذ َأ َع َل َأ ُيف َها ْ ِ ٌرة َقِفا َب { so if (Nathira) (ناظرة (was of the meaning of seeing then it won’t be except on that day; because he described that by saying (on that day) (ذٍيومئ (and those who differ with us they have not agreed on it happening on the gathering, add to that, the ayah came with the style of comparison between two types of faces, so these are radiant, happy, waiting for the mercy of its lord, while the others are contorted and gloomy expecting what will break their backs from punishment. So, it’s in pity waiting for it to come. Add to that that the description by faces in this ayah means the known organ which the feelings appear on. What is in the soul. What the soul is feeling will be expressed on the face. As the contentment and happiness can be identified through his face, and fearful and frightened can also be identified by his face, and the face organ is not the organ responsible for seeing.
Point 4.
Add to that, that what could be perceived by one sense from the human senses can be perceived by other senses, especially the senses which are foremost compared to others. So, what is perceived by one sense is certainly perceived by others, so is that said about Allah swt?
Point 5.
The foremost of (Al Jar wa Al Majroor) (والمجرور الجار (in the ayat { ىَ ٰل ِإ ِإ َرِّب َها implies } نا ِظ َرةٌ limitation and confinement. So, if (ناطرة (was explained to mean seeing then it implies that it won’t see on that day except its lord, and nobody said this ever, so the foremost of (Al Jar wa Al Majroor) (والمجرور الجار (implies the preclusion of explaining the (Al Nathar) (النظر (in the ayah to mean seeing.
The Sunni Muslims who hold these beliefs attribute to Imam Shafi’i the belief of the Atheist!
And they hold that seeing Allah is the thing that made Allah the Exalted worthy to be worshiped, and that if he Allah Tabaraka wa Ta’ala was not seen in the Akhira then he was not worthy to be worshiped in this dunya, and to you some of what they said: we find ibn Al Qayyim links to Imam Shafi’e that he said “if Mohammed bin Idrees did not known that he won’t see his lord in the akhira then he wouldn’t have worshiped him” and he said “I oppose ibn Aliyyah in everything even in saying La Illaha Illa Allah, as I say: la Illaha Illa Allah that can be seen in the akhira, and he says: La Illaha Illa Allah that cannot be seen in the Akhira…” and in another narration he said “ If Mohammed ibn Idrees was not certain that he’ll see Allah Azza Wa Jal he wouldn’t have worshiped him”. And this is talk that makes bodies grasp, and minds flabbergasted, as this is the Quran within our hands, we do not find that that the worship of Allah the Exalted was conditioned in any position of it with seeing him swt!! This is the belief of the Atheist!
See for yourself!
May Allah (swt) guide you dear reader! May Allah (swt) guide the Muslim ummah!
Prima Quran 