How can Allah be seen if He's not in a direction?
I have formulated the following based on Sh Saeed Foudah’s commentary of Aqida Tahawiyyah (p.600-601):
Before we delve into this issue, it’s important to define the meaning of Ru’yah:
From a lexical perspective, the word Ru’yah means a number of things. Allamah al-Asfahani mentions in his al-Mufradaat:
‘’Ru’yah means perception/apprehension of the seen [idraak al-mar’iyy] and that can be of types in accordance with the strength of the self.
1. It can take place with the senses and whatever functions like it.
Allah says in the Quran:
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيم
You will most certainly see the
blazing Fire. (102:6)
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
Then you will most certainly see it with the eye of certainty. (102:7)
But also: فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ
Allah will see your deeds (9:105)
Whereas know that Allah does not have senses or a physical instrument by which He sees. He transcends that.
2. It can take place through imagining [wahm] and envisioning [takhyeel].
Like when saying ‘’I could already see Zayd walking,’’ but also like Allah says in the Quran:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلآئِكَةُ
And if you had seen when the angels cause to die those who disbelieve (8:50)
3. It can take place by pondering [tafakkur].
إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ
Surely I see what you do not see. (8:48)
4. It can take place with the mind [aql].
Allah says in the Quran:
مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى
The heart did not deny, what it saw (53:11)
Based on that we also interpret the verse:
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى
And certainly he also saw him during another descent. (53:13)’’
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These all are manners of Ru’yah, according to its lexical application. Thus, Ru’yah means apprehension [idraak]. This word [idraak] is, in the more general sense of the word, applied to knowledge [‘ilm]. It is said that knowledge is apprehension [al-'ilm idraak].
It’s not a prerequisite for this type of idraak – which is Ru’yah – that things face one another or that there are light rays between them. Nor do one’s eyes need to be opened, just like it’s not necessary in case of ‘ilm.
Take for example the hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) where he said ‘’Surely I see you behind me and in front of me.’’ It means that Allah informed him with the states of the Muslims by creating a vision of them within the Prophet, whereas they were behind him. This is clear proof that facing one another is not a prerequisite for vision.
I have formulated the following based on Sh Saeed Foudah’s commentary of Aqida Tahawiyyah (p.600-601):
Before we delve into this issue, it’s important to define the meaning of Ru’yah:
From a lexical perspective, the word Ru’yah means a number of things. Allamah al-Asfahani mentions in his al-Mufradaat:
‘’Ru’yah means perception/apprehension of the seen [idraak al-mar’iyy] and that can be of types in accordance with the strength of the self.
1. It can take place with the senses and whatever functions like it.
Allah says in the Quran:
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيم
You will most certainly see the
blazing Fire. (102:6)
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
Then you will most certainly see it with the eye of certainty. (102:7)
But also: فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ
Allah will see your deeds (9:105)
Whereas know that Allah does not have senses or a physical instrument by which He sees. He transcends that.
2. It can take place through imagining [wahm] and envisioning [takhyeel].
Like when saying ‘’I could already see Zayd walking,’’ but also like Allah says in the Quran:
وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلآئِكَةُ
And if you had seen when the angels cause to die those who disbelieve (8:50)
3. It can take place by pondering [tafakkur].
إِنِّي أَرَى مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ
Surely I see what you do not see. (8:48)
4. It can take place with the mind [aql].
Allah says in the Quran:
مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى
The heart did not deny, what it saw (53:11)
Based on that we also interpret the verse:
وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى
And certainly he also saw him during another descent. (53:13)’’
----
These all are manners of Ru’yah, according to its lexical application. Thus, Ru’yah means apprehension [idraak]. This word [idraak] is, in the more general sense of the word, applied to knowledge [‘ilm]. It is said that knowledge is apprehension [al-'ilm idraak].
It’s not a prerequisite for this type of idraak – which is Ru’yah – that things face one another or that there are light rays between them. Nor do one’s eyes need to be opened, just like it’s not necessary in case of ‘ilm.
Take for example the hadith of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) where he said ‘’Surely I see you behind me and in front of me.’’ It means that Allah informed him with the states of the Muslims by creating a vision of them within the Prophet, whereas they were behind him. This is clear proof that facing one another is not a prerequisite for vision.