What Is the Ruling of Someone Saying They Saw Allah in This Life?
Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question
The Ahl as-Sunna believes that no one other than the holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Allah or will be able to see Allah in this world in a wakeful state but there are some people who quote a narration attributed to Sayyiduna Ali that he was asked, “Have you seen your Lord?” and he replied “When I pray I do not prostrate unless I see my Lord.”
This narration seems to contradict the basic creed so please clarify. May Allah reward you.
I’ve never come across any source of this narration but I see people quoting it a lot. May Allah guide us All, Ameen.
Answer
I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.
If such a narration is established, it would be understood to refer to the beholding of Allah with the “eye” of one’s heart (basira). This is the state referred to in the Hadith Jibril, in which the Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) explained the perfection of faith (ihsan) as being,
“The perfection of faith is to worship Allah as through you behold Him…” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Related Links:
Can You See Allah in a Dream?
How Do I Pray Like Allah Is Seeing Me or I Am Seeing Allah?
Does Seeing Allah Imply that He Has a Body, Form, or Limitations?
Did the Messenger of Allah Behold Allah with his Eyes?
Do Only Men See Allah Most High on Fridays in Paradise?
And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
