ON THE VISION OF ALLAH 'SEEING ALLAH'

'SEEING ALLAH' 

{An Excerpt from 'Kashif al-Ilbas'}

 

By: Shaykh al-Islam Al-Hajj Ibrahim ibn Al-Hajj Abdullahi Niasse (ra)

 

 

Interpreted from the Arabic by:

Muhammad Abdullahi al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi

Facebook: www.facebook.com/muhammad.abdullahialtijanialibrahimi

Email: m.abdullahi@live.com

 

 

 

ON THE VISION OF ALLAH

"Know that the Sufis speak with a technical vocabulary of their own, which is not limited to the external meaning of words. No one comprehends them except those ho have drunk from what they have drunk.  It is possible that they may be criticized by those who are spiritually blind, deprived of the light of affirmation (nur al-tasdiq) and unable to confirm what the Sufi‘s claim.  It is also possible that the critic or the one in denial (Munkir) may base their criticism and denial on untenable arguments, because he hasn’t directly experienced the thing he is denying in order to know how to actually refute it. 

 

If the critic hears someone claim to having seen the Real, he will say: ’Allah says, ’The eyes do not perceive Him’ (6:103), but the one who is witnessing Allah doesn’t claim to have seen by means of the eyes.  He does not notice the eyes (absar), or anything else. The one who sees anything besides Him who is seen (mashhud), and is convinced of its existence, even a speck of dust or an atom, has associated a partner with Allah.  Of all people, the person claiming the vision of Allah is totally convinced of the saying of Allah, ‘Vision does not comprehend Him, but He comprehends all vision’ (6:103).

 

The one who denies the vision of Allah may also cite the following Qur’anic verses: ’When Musa came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord had spoken to him, he said, ’My Lord, show Yourself to me, that I may look at You!’  He said, ’You will not see Me, but look at the mountain, if it stays still in its place, then you will see Me.’  When his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble to dust.  And Musa fell down in a swoon. When he recovered consciousness, he said: ’Glory to You! To You I turn in repentance, and I am the first of the believers.’(7:143)

 

You should be fully cognizant of the fact that there is no incongruity between His saying ‘You will not see Me’ and His saying ‘Then you will see Me’.  Know that when a servant performs the Nawafil (supererogatory acts), Allah pulls them by Divine Attraction (Jadhban) to His love. In this enraptured condition, the servant is no longer aware of himself, or anything else; not what came before, nor what comes after, not any part of himself, nor the whole of himself.  He becomes absent from his personal witnessing (shuhud), and is consumed in the intensity of his Master’s Presence (Jalla wa ‘Alla).  In this spiritual state, he witnesses the Divine Presence (Hadrat), as before the (creation of) the world and as after the (creation of the) Hereafter; as before the before and as after the after.  This Divine Presence has no beginning and no ending, no above and no below, no right and no left, no ’how’ (kayf) and no definition (inhisar), no name (ism) and no attribute (sifat), no going forward (muqabila) and no going backward (mudabira), no connection (itisal) and no realization, no entering (dakhala) and no exit (kharija), no sensation (hiss) and no perception (idrak), no incarnation (hulul) and no fusion (ittihad).  The lover becomes annihilated in the Beloved, and he becomes annihilated to his own annihilation (fani fana’uhu).  So nothing remains except the Divine Self (al-Huwiyya).

 

The one who has entered this spiritual state may speak words which seem impossible to those who have not ’tasted’ or directly experienced it, however his conduct (adab) in this matter is perfect in the sight of Allah.  In this regard, Abu Madyan al-Ghawth (ra) said:

 

‘Do not blame the drunkard in his state of intoxication, because the burden of responsibility (taklif) has been lifted from us in our state of inebriation.’

 

The one claiming the spiritual state (of seeing Allah) is not being deceitful, he has only realized the intent and desire of Allah.  There are no words and no means of expression for the vision (ru’ya) which is claimed by the people of spiritual distinction, for in this state all rational explanation comes to an end.  There are Qur’anic verses and Prophetic narrations which provide evidence of this.  If we assume for the sake of argument that they are claiming the (ocular) vision of Allah, they are not claiming it in this world or the Hereafter.  However, the vision of Allah is among the accepted possibilities (al-mumkinat) according to the scholars of Ahl Sunnah, whose opinions will be soon presented.  For now, let me state that the Qur’anic verse, ’The eyes do not perceive Him’ (6:103) is only a generalization (’Umum) that permit’s a particularization (Takhsis).  Since the miraculous feat (karama) of a saint particularizes the definitive sciences (al-’Ulum al-Qat’iyya), how could it not be the same for a theoretical generalization (al-’Umum al-Thanni)?  Once this has been established, we will present what the scholars have said, beginning with the Fuqaha (jurists/exoteric scholars) and moving on to the Sufi Imams.

 

The erudite scholar Badruddin Mayyara (ra) said in his commentary (Sharh) on Ibn ’Ashir (Mukhtasar al-Durr ‘Ala’l Murshid al-Mu’in):

 ‘Among the acceptable possibilities (al-Mumkinat) according to the people of Truth is the creation’s vision of our Lord.  Since He exists, and it is possible for every existent being to be seen with the faculty of vision, He may also be seen, but in a manner that suits His Majesty, without spatiality or direction (jihat), physicality (jirmiyya), partiality or relativity (tahayyiz). Some may try to force the issue, as if demanding to see or encounter Him, forgetting that the authority belongs to Him alone.  Unsatisfied with the middle course, they fluctuate between extreme nearness and extreme distance.  They should know that He is the One who comes at speed, and there is no incumbency on Him to be seen, since He has already accepted non-appearance. 

 ‘Knowledge of Him has been accepted as permissible in a manner which befits His Majesty, without delimitation (Ghayr Ihata). It is likewise permissible to see Him, Jalla wa ‘Alla, with the vision (basar), in a manner which suits His Exaltedness.  It is impossible fo this vision of Him to be tainted with confusion or distraction, because of the impossibility of any confusion being connected to Him.  If the seer would associate the vision (ru’ya) of Him with any confusion whatsoever, the seer would not be permitted even a glance.  For how could confusion be associated with Him, when in one single glance He unveils Himself to the seer with the infinite manifestations of His Essence, without restriction or delimitation. If it were otherwise, He would not be distinguishable from the other things to which confusion is attached.’

[END OF QUOTE]

 

 Ibrahim al-Laqani (ra, Ash’ari theologian & author ‘Jawharat al-Tawhid’) said in a poem, as quoted in Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shanawani’s commentary of the Mukhtasar of Bukhari (’Hashiya al-Shanawani ala Mukhtasar Ibn Abi Jamra li al-Bukhari’):

 ‘He can indeed be seen with the eyes (absar), but without any ’how’ or explanation (kayf) or any limitation (inhisar).’

 

In the ’Al-Ida’a al-Dujanna fi Aqa’id Ahl Sunnah’ (of Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Maqarri), it says:

 ‘The vision of God with the eyes (absar) is possible according to the people who can see (ahl al-istibsar)!’  

 

One of the ‘Arifin (Gnostic saints) has said in poetic verse:

‘Say ‘Allah!’ and turn from the universe and what it contains, if your goal is the attainment of perfection!  Once you truly recognize Him, everything else besides.

 

Allah will cease to exist, separately or as a whole! Know that you and all of the worlds would be in a state of obliteration and fleeting evanescence, if not for Him.

 

Before His Essence, nothing has existence in and of itself.  Indeed, the illusion of existence other than Him is the essence of deceit! So the Gnostics have become annihilated to themselves, not seeing anything except Him, the Exalted and Supreme. 

 

They have perceived that everything besides Him, in reality, is only falsehood, whether past, present or future!’

 

Another of the Gnostics said:

‘Since coming to know God, I have not seen anything else, for looking at another is forbidden to us! Since being gathered in the Divine Presence, I have not feared being scattered, for today we have obtained the totality of existence!’ 

 

Another of the Gnostics said:

‘The secret of my secret is that from the nearness of the Holy One I have been annihilated, but with this annihilation (Fana) from myself I have been brought to life! And I have been sent back to abide (Baqa) in order to give expression of the Beauty of His Presence for all of the thirsty seekers who are madly in love.  I have brought forth amazing things from the heavenly kingdom (Malakut), and I have not encountered another of the creation similarly endowed.’ 

 

There are many of such expressions made by the Sufi people, expressions drawing support from the flood (Tayyar) of the ocean of Exclusive Divine Oneness (Bahr al-Tawhid al-Khas)

  

~SHAYKH AL-ISLAM IBRAHIM IBN AL-HAJJ ABDULLAHI NIASSE (ra) in ‘Kashif al-Ilbas’ (Removal of Confusion)

[Interpreted from the Arabic by Muhammad Abdullahi al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi)

 

 

 (تحقيق الرؤية التي تدعي الرجال وما قال العلماء في رؤية ذات الباري جل وعلا )

 

فأقول – وبالله التوفيق وهو الهادي بمنه إلى سواء الطريق : اعلم أن القوم يتكلمون بألفاظ في اصطلاحهم ليست على ظاهرها ، ولا يعرفها إلا من شرب من مشاربهم ، وربما أنكرها اعمى البصيرة المحروم نور التصديق ويستحلون صدق ما يدعون ، وربما أنكر المنكر بحجج داحضة حيث لم يهتد إلى الشيء المنكر فيعرف ما يدفع به ، وإذا سمع أحدا يدعي مشاهدة الحق يقول : قال تعالى ( لا تدركه الأبصار ) والمشاهد لا يدعي الإدراك ولا يرى الأبصار ولا يرى سوى ، وكل من يرى سوى مشهوده ولو ذرة يعتقده هو لم ينفي الشريك ، فمدعى المشاهدة هو اتم الناس اعتقادا أن لا تدركه الأبصار وهو يدرك الأبصار وربما احتج المنكر بقوله تعالى ( لن تراني ) وأعلم أن قوله تراني وقوله ( فسوف تراني ) لا معارضة بينهما فأفهم ، وأعلم أن الله يجذب عبده إذا تقرب إليه بنوافل الخير حتى أحبه جذباً لا يعرف العبد فيه نفسه ولا غيره ولا أوله ولا آخره ولا جزءه ولا كله ، يغيب عن شهوده ويستهلك في شدة استحضار مولاه جل وعلا ، فيشاهد في ذلك الحال حضرة قبل الدنيا وبعد الآخرة وقبل القبل وبعد البعد ، ليس لها أول ولا آخر ولا فوق ولا تحت ولا يمين ولا شمال ولا كيف ولا انحصار ولا اسم ولا صفة ولا مقابلة ولا مدابرة ولا اتصال ولا انفصال ولا داخل ولا خارج ولا حس ولا إدراك ولا حلول ولا اتحاد ، فنى المحب في محبوبه ، وفنى فناءه فلم يبقى إلا الهوية ، وصاحب هذا يبرز منه كلام يقتضي عند من لا ذوق له دعوى المستحيل وأدبه في ذلك مع الله كامل ، ولذاك قال أبو مدين الغوث :-

 

فلا تلم السكران في حال سكره ......... فقد رفع التكليف في سكرنا عنا

 

ولا يدعي شيئا محالاً إذ هو ادرى بمراد الحق جل وعلا ، وصاحب هذا المقام لا كلام له ولا عبارة إذ قد انقطعت العبارة ، فهذا الذي اشرنا إليه هي الرؤية التي تدعي الرجال ، وقد تقدم من الآيات والآحاديث بما يدل على ذلك ما فيه غنية وكفاية ، وإن سلمنا تسليما جدلياً أنهم يدعون رؤية الله فما ادعوها في الدنيا ولا في الآخرة ورؤية الله تعالى من جملة الممكنات على مذهب أهل السنة كما سيأتي في انقال العلماء الأجلة وقله ( لا تدركه الأبصار) عموم يقبل التخصيص ، وكرامة الولي تخصص العلوم القطعية ، فكليف بالعموم الظني ؟ وإذا تمهد هذا فنأتي بما قال العلماء ونقدم كلام الفقهاء قبل كلام الأئمة الصوفية فقد قال بدر الدين العلامة ميارة في شرحه على ابن عاشر ما نصه :- ومن الممكنات الجائزة عند أهل الحق رؤية المخلوق لمولانا جل وعلا على ما يليق به تبارك وتعالى من غير جهة ولا جرمية ولا تحيز ؛ لأنه تعالى موجود وكل موجود يصح أن يرى بالبصر واستدعاء الرؤية لمقابلة المرئي والجهة له والتوسط بين القرب جدا والبعد جدا إنما هو عادي يقبل التخلف ، وكما صح أن يعلم مولانا جل وعلا على ما يليق بجلاله وعظمته من غير احاطة ، فكذا يصح أن يرى جل وعلا بالبصر على ما يليق به تعالى ، وليست الرؤية بإنبعاث شعاع يتصل بالمرئي حتى تستحيل رؤيته جل وعلى لإستحالة اتصل الشعاع به تبارك وتعالى إذ لوكانت الرؤية بإتصال الشعاع بالمرئي لزم أن لا يرى الرائي إلا مقدار حدقته ، فكيف وهو ينكشف للرائي في نظرة واحدة اضعاف ذاته اضعافا لا حصر لها ، بحيث يقطع أنه لا يمكن أن ينفصل منه شعاع يتصل بأدنى شيء منها أهـ منه بلفظه وقال اللقانيكما في شرح الشنواني لمختصر البخاري :ومنه أن ينظر بالأبصار... لكن بلا كيف ولا انحصار وقال في الإضاءة : ورؤية الإله بالأبصار........ تجوز عند أهل الإستبصار

وقال بعض العارفين :الله قل وذر الوجود وما حوى ... إن كنت مرتادا بلوغ كمال فالغير دون الله إن حققته .. عدم على التفصيل والإجمال وأعلم بأنك والعوالم كلها ... لولاه في محو وفي اضمحلال من لا وجود لذاته من ذاته ... فوجوده لولاه عين محال فالعارفون فنوا بأن لم يشهدوا ... شيئا سوى المتكبر المتعال ورؤوا سواه على الحقيقة باطلا... في الحال والماضي والإستقبال وقال آخر : مذ عرفت الإله لم أرى غيراً ... وكذا الغير عندنا ممنوع مذ تجمعت ما خشيت افتراقا ... فأنا اليوم واصل مجموع وقال آخر :سر السر من جناب القدس افناني ... لكن بذاك الفناء عني قد احياني وردني للبقاء لكي اعبر عن .....جمال حضرته لكل هيمان فطرت في ملكوت من عجائبه ... لم الق غير وجود ما له ثان

وغير ذلك من عبارات القوم التي مددها تيار بحر التوحيد الخاص