Day 3: How To See God

“To Allah belong the East and the West, and wherever you turn, there is the countenance of Allah, for Allah is All-Pervading and All-Knowing.” Qur'an 2 verse 115

Everywhere you look and in everything you see, there is the sign and handiwork of God. The proof of His existence is in us and in all that exist. His countenance and reality is all around. From the depth of all hearts to the uncharted terrains of the yet-to-be-discovered galaxies, there is the presence of God.

He is ever so near and aware of every action of every human. In fact, God states that, “…verily We shall recount their whole story with knowledge for We were never absent (at any time or place).” Qur'an 7 verse 7. This is why His continuous presence must never be undermined, in whatever we do. He knows and He is aware. Nothing escapes Him because “…He is with you wheresoever you may be.  And Allah sees well all that you do.” Qur'an 57 verse 4

If He is really everywhere and cannot be missed, how do you then see Him? Sighting God is possible, but not with the human eyes considering all the human frailties and the earth’s limiting nature. The human nature and the earth we live on are both fragile. Some certain exposure could prove too much to these. Indeed, they cannot withstand the true lights of God.  

This was the case when the people of Prophet Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) demanded to ‘see’ God. They pushed Musa (rather, they pushed their luck) too far. They then gathered by a mountain looking at the top expecting to see God, or even a glimpse of Him. The light that shown accompanied by the sky’s and earth’s tremor caused their loss of consciousness. God reminds them thus: “…remember you said: ‘O Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly’ but you were dazed with thunder and lightning even as you looked on. Then We raised you up after your death; you had the chance to be grateful.” Qur'an 2 verses 55-56

Yet some people arrogantly seek ‘sighting’ Him as the evidence of His existence. Their challenge is not new neither is there sarcasm. The same attitude was flaunted at the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Qur'an explains:  “Such as fear not the meeting with Us (for Judgment) say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us or (why) do we not see our Lord?" Indeed they have an arrogant conceit of themselves and mighty is the insolence of their impiety!” Qur'an 25 verse 21.

Those who have true faith accept that we cannot see Him physically though we can feel his presence, but He can see us: “No vision can grasp Him but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet He is acquainted with all things.” Qur'an 6 verse 103. However, we have no doubt that we shall see God on a different day in a different world (Al-Jannah).

We believe that He is ever so near that he hears our heartbeat and the surreal fathoms of our soul. God asks rhetorically in the Qur'an: “..who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him and who relieves its suffering and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Little it is that you heed!” Qur'an 27 verse 62

- Contributed by Shamsideen AbuSuad, UK.