The Face of Allah ta’ala

Seeing Allah in the Hereafter

From Suhayb, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, Allah 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 Allah)” [Yoonus 10:26] (Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh 266)

Tafsir of verse 26 of Surat Yunus:

He will grant them on top of all of that and even better, the honor of looking at His Noble Face. This is the increase that is greater than anything that had been given. They will not deserve that because of their deeds, but rather, they will receive it by the grace of Allah and His mercy. The explanation that this refers to looking at Allah’s Noble Face was narrated from Abu Bakr, Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, `Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Layla, `Abdur-Rahman bin Sabit, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, `Amir bin Sa`ad, `Ata’, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Muhammad bin Ishaq, and others from the earlier and later scholars. There are many Hadiths that contain the same interpretation. Among these Hadiths is what Imam Ahmad recorded from Suhayb that Allah’s Messenger recited this Ayah: 

“For those who have done good is the best reward and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah)” [Yoonus 10:26]

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhumma) said: “[The aya] ‘Some faces that Day shall be Naadirah (shining and radiant) (al Qiyama 75:22)’ means, because of the blessing. ‘Looking at their Lord’ means, looking upon the Face of their Lord.” This is the opinion of the mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an) among the scholars of the Sunnah and Hadith.

Narrated Jarir bin `Abdullah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “You will definitely see your Lord with your own eyes.” [Sahih al-Bukhari #7435]

Narrated `Adi bin Hatim:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “There will be none among you but his Lord will speak to him, and there will be no interpreter between them nor a screen to screen Him.” [Sahih al-Bukhari #7443]

Narrated Qais:

Jarir said, “We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he looked at the moon -full-moon- and said, ‘Certainly you will see your Lord as you see this moon and you will have no trouble in seeing Him. So if you can avoid missing (through sleep or business, etc.) a prayer before the sunrise (Fajr) and a prayer before sunset (`Asr), you must do so.’ He then recited Allah’s Statement: And celebrate the praises Of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting.” (Qaf 50.39) Isma`il said, “Offer those prayers and do not miss them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari #554)

Narrated ‘Abu Huraira radhi Allahu ‘anhu :

Some people said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” He said, “Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the sun when it is not hidden by clouds?” They replied, “No, Allah’s Messenger.” He said, “Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the moon when it is full and not hidden by clouds?” They replied, “No, O Allah’s Messenger!” He said, “So you will see Him (your Lord) on the Day of Resurrection similarly. Allah will gather all the people and say, ‘Whoever used to worship anything should follow that thing. ‘So, he who used to worship the sun, will follow it, and he who used to worship the moon will follow it, and he who used to worship taghut will follow them; and then only this nation (i.e., Muslims) will remain, including their hypocrites. Allah will come to them in a shape other than they know and will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘We seek refuge with Allah from you. This is our place; (we will not follow you) till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes to us, we will recognize Him.

Then Allah will come to them in a shape they know and will say, “I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘(No doubt) You are our Lord,’ and they will follow Him. Then a bridge will be laid over the (Hell) Fire.” Allah’s Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam) added, “I will be the first to cross it. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day, will be ‘Allahumma Sallim, Sallim (O Allah, save us, save us!),’ and over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of as Sa’dan (a thorny tree). Didn’t you see the thorns of as-Sa’dan?”

The companions said, “Yes, O Allah’s Messenger.” He added, “So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of as-Sa-dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah.

We will order the angels to take them out and the angels will know them by the mark of the traces of prostration (on their foreheads) for Allah banned the fire to consume the traces of prostration on the body of Adam’s son. So they will take them out, and by then they would have burnt (as coal) And then water, called Ma’ul Hayat (water of life) will be poured on them, and they will spring out like a seed springs out on the bank of a rainwater stream.

And there will remain one man who will be facing the (Hell) Fire and will say, ‘O Lord! It’s (Hell’s) vapor has poisoned and smoked me and its flame has burnt me; please turn my face away from the Fire.’ He will keep on invoking Allah till Allah says, ‘Perhaps, if I give you what you want, you will ask for another thing?’ The man will say, ‘No, by Your Power, I will not ask You for anything else.’ Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. The man will say after that, ‘O Lord, bring me near the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say (to him), ‘Didn’t you promise not to ask for anything else? Woe to you, O son of Adam! How treacherous you are!’

The man will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will say, ‘But if I give you that, you may ask me for something else.’ The man will say, ‘No, by Your Power. I will not ask for anything else.’ He will give Allah his covenant and promise not to ask for anything else after that. So Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise, and when he sees what is in it, he will remain silent as long as Allah will, and then he will say, ‘O Lord! Let me enter Paradise.’ Allah will say, ‘Didn’t you promise that you would not ask Me for anything other than that? Woe to you, O son of Adam ! How treacherous you are!’

On that, the man will say, ‘O Lord! Do not make me the most wretched of Your creation,’ and will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will smile and when Allah will smile because of him, then He will allow him to enter Paradise, and when he will enter Paradise, he will be addressed, ‘Wish from so-and-so.’ He will wish till all his wishes will be fulfilled. Then Allah will say: ‘All this (i.e. what you have wished for) and as much again therewith are for you.’” Abu Huraira added: That man will be the last of the people of Paradise to enter (Paradise).

At-Tabaraani narrated in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (6717) that Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Jibreel came to me with something like a white mirror in his hand, on which there was a black spot. I said: ‘What is this, O Jibreel?’ He said: ‘This is Jumu‘ah (Friday); it is the master of days and we call it Yawm al-Mazeed (the day of more – cf. “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]).’ I said: ‘O Jibreel, what does “more” mean?’ He said: ‘That is because your Lord has allocated a valley in Paradise that is more fragrant than white musk. When Friday comes, among the days in the hereafter, the Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, will descend from His Throne (‘Arsh) to His Kursiy, and the Kursiy will be surrounded with seats of light on which the Prophets will sit. These seats will be surrounded with footstools of gold on which the martyrs will sit. The people of the chambers will come down from the chambers and sit on sand hills of musk, and those who sit on the sand hills will not think that those who sit on the footstools and seats are any better off than them. Then the Owner of Majesty and Honour will appear and say: ‘Ask of Me.’ They will say: ‘We ask for Your good pleasure, O Lord.’ He will say: ‘It is because I am pleased with you that you are in My Paradise, and you are honoured.’ Then He will say (again): ‘Ask of Me.’ They will say all together: ‘We ask for Your good pleasure.’ He will ask them to testify that He is pleased with them. Then He will say (once more): ‘Ask of Me,’ and they will ask of Him until each one of them is finished. Then He will grant them that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and it has not crossed the mind of any human.”

It was also narrated by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Sifat al-Jannah (88) via another isnaad; he added: “… there is nothing that they are more eager for than Friday; the more they gaze more upon their Lord, the more they will increase in honour.”

Al-Mundhiri said:

It was narrated by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya and by at-Tabaraani in al-Awsat with two isnaads, one of which is jayyid qawiy. A shorter version was also narrated by Abu Ya‘la; the men of its isnaad are the men of as-Saheeh. And it was also narrated by al-Bazzaar. (End quote from at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb, 4/311)

Ad-Daaraqutni narrated with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn al-Mubaarak: al-Mas‘oodi told us, from al-Minhaal ibn ‘Amr, from Abu ‘Ubaydah, from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, who said: “Hasten to Jumu‘ah, for verily Allah will appear to the people of Paradise every Friday when they gather at a sand hill of camphor, and their closeness to Him will be commensurate with the degree to which they hastened to Jumu‘ah in this world.”

When this Verse:–‘Say (O Muhammad!): He has Power to send torments on you from above,’ (al An’am 6.65) was revealed; The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I take refuge with Your Face.” Allah revealed: ‘..or from underneath your feet.’ (al An’am 6.65) The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “I seek refuge with Your Face!” Then Allah revealed: ‘…or confuse you in party-strife.’ (al An’am 6.65) On that, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “This is easier.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 7406]

Allah ﷻ says:

And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned. (al-Qasas 28:88)

Al-Bukhari reported: Allah the Exalted said, “Everything will perish except His face,” (al Qasas 28:88) which means everything will perish except His dominion, or it is said everything will perish except what was intended for the sake of Allah. (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab At-Tafseer, Surah Al-Qasas 28:88)

Allah ﷻ says:

And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor. (ar Rahman 55:27)