Will the believers see their Lord in Paradise
Question
Is it proven that the believers will see their Lord in the Hereafter?
Answer
Praise be to Allaah. The blessings which Allaah bestows upon His slaves cannot be counted. Allaah has singled out the believers for additional blessings in this world, as He has blessed them with Islam, and chosen them to be guided by the Qur’aan, and He will bless them exclusively in Paradise with the greatest blessing that He can bestow, which is the honour of looking upon His holy Face in the Paradise of ‘Adan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah (shining and radiant).
Looking at their Lord (Allaah)”
[al-Qiyaamah :22-23]
i.e., the faces of the believers will be beautiful and radiant, joyful because they are looking at the Face of their Lord. Al-Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “They will look at their Lord and their faces will become radiant with His Light.”
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “[The phrase] ‘Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah (shining and radiant)’ means, because of the blessing. ‘Looking at their Lord’ means, looking upon the Face of their Lord.” This is the opinion of the mufassireen among the scholars of the Sunnah and hadeeth.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There they will have all that they desire and We have more (for them, i.e. a glance at the All-Mighty, All-Majestic”[Qaaf 50:35]
What is meant by “more” here is looking upon the Face of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, as that was interpreted by ‘Ali and Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with them).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“For those who have done good is the best reward and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allaah)”
[Yoonus 10:26]
The “best reward” is Paradise, and “even more” is looking upon the Face of Allaah, as that was explained by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh (266) from Suhayb, according to whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, Allaah will say, ‘Do you want anything more?’ They will say, ‘Have You not brightened our faces, admitted us to Paradise and saved us from Hell?’ Then the veil will be lifted and they will not have seen anything more dear to them than looking upon their Lord, may He be glorified and exalted. This is what is meant by ‘even more.’” Then he recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“For those who have done good is the best reward and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allaah)”
[Yoonus 10:26]
So once you know that the people of Paradise will not be given anything there that is more dear to them than looking upon the Face of their Lord, it will become clear to you just how great is the deprivation and loss that awaits the sinners whom Allaah warns with the words (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nay! Surely, they (evil doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day” [al-Mutafiffoon 83:15]
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound
How beautiful are the words of al-Shaafa’i, which were narrated from him by al-Rabee’ ibn Sulaymaan – who was one of his students – who said: “I was with Muhammad ibn Idrees [i.e., al-Shaafa’i], who had received a letter from Upper Egypt in which it said, ‘What do you say about the aayah,
“Nay! Surely, they (evil doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day”
[al-Mutafiffoon 83:15]?’Al-Shaafa’i said: ‘Because they will be veiled by the wrath (of Allaah), this indicates that the friends of Allaah will see Him beceause He is pleased with them.’”
This is some of the evidence from the Qur’aan which proves that the believers will see their Lord in Paradise.
With regard to the evidence in the Sunnah, there is a great deal of it. For example:
1 – Al-Bukhaari (6088) and Muslim (267) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that some people said: “O Messenger of Allaah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” The Messenger of Allaah said, “Do you doubt that you see the moon on the night when it is full?” They said, “No, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said, ‘Do you doubt that you see the sun when there is no cloud?” They said, “No, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said, “You will see Him likewise…”
According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari: “you will not have any doubts or disputes concerning seeing Him,” and seeing Him will not cause you any hardship or make you tired. And Allaah knows best. Summarized from Sharh Muslim.
2 – Also in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 6883; Muslim, 1002), it is narrated that Jareer ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “We were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), looking at the moon on the night of the fourteenth (of the month). He said, ‘You will see your Lord with your own eyes just as you are looking at this (moon), without any doubt that you are seeing Him.’”
The comparison in this hadeeth is between seeing and seeing, i.e., just as we see the sun in all clarity on a cloudless day, and no one prevents anyone else from seeing it despite the large numbers of people looking at it, and just as we see the moon completely on the night when it is full, and we see it so clearly, despite the large numbers of people who are looking at it, so too the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection, so fully and clearly. But there is no comparison in the ahaadeeth between what is seen in one case and the other, may Allaah be exalted far above such a thing, for there is nothing like unto Allaah, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.
3 – al-Bukhaari (4500) and Muslim (6890) narrated from Abu Moosa that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Two gardens of silver, their vessels and everything in them, and two gardens of gold, their vessels and everything in them. And there will be nothing between the people and their seeing their Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, except the veil of pride concealing His Face in the Paradise of ‘Adan.”
The ahaadeeth about seeing Allaah were narrated by nearly thirty Sahaabah. Whoever learns them will have certain knowledge that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said them. So whoever claims after this that no one will see Allaah in the Hereafter is rejecting the Qur’aan and the message with which Allaah sent His Messengers, and he is exposing himself to the stern warning mentioned in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Nay! Surely, they (evil doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day” [al-Mutafiffoon 83:15]
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and we ask Him to bestow upon us the joy of looking upon His holy Face…. Ameen.
See Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, 1/209 ff; A’laam al-Sunnah al-Manshoorah by Shaykh Haafiz al-Hukami, p. 141.