Tarikh (al-Tabari) 821
The Night Journey and the Ascension
وَاخْتَلَفَ الصَّحَابَةُ: هَلْ رَأَى رَبَّهُ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ أَمْ لَا ؟ فَصَحَّ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَبَّهُ، وَصَحَّ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ( رَآهُ بِفُؤَادِهِ ). وَصَحَّ عَنْ عائشة وَابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ إِنْكَارُ ذَلِكَ، وَقَالَا: إِنَّ قَوْلَهُ: ( وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى ) [ النَّجْمِ: 13 ] إِنَّمَا هُوَ جِبْرِيلُ. وَصَحَّ عَنْ ( أبي ذر أَنَّهُ سَأَلَهُ: هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ ؟ فَقَالَ: نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ )، أَيْ: حَالَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ رُؤْيَتِهِ النُّورُ، كَمَا قَالَ فِي لَفْظٍ آخَرَ: ( رَأَيْتُ نُورًا ). وَقَدْ حَكَى عُثْمَانُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الدَّارِمِيُّ اتّفَاقَ الصَّحَابَةِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَرَهُ. قَالَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ ابن تيمية قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ: وَلَيْسَ قَوْلُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: " إِنَّهُ رَآهُ " مُنَاقِضًا لِهَذَا، وَلَا قَوْلُهُ: ( رَآهُ بِفُؤَادِهِ )، وَقَدْ صَحَّ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " رَأَيْتُ رَبِّي تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى " وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا فِي الْإِسْرَاءِ، وَلَكِنْ كَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لَمَّا احْتُبِسَ عَنْهُمْ فِي صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَهُمْ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ رَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةَ فِي مَنَامِهِ، وَعَلَى هَذَا بَنَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، وَقَالَ: نَعَمْ رَآهُ حَقًّا، فَإِنَّ رُؤْيَا الْأَنْبِيَاءِ حَقٌّ وَلَا بُدَّ، وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَقُلْ أحمد رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّهُ رَآهُ بِعَيْنَيْ رَأْسِهِ يَقَظَةً، وَمَنْ حَكَى عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ وَهِمَ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَكِنْ قَالَ مَرَّةً: رَآهُ، وَمَرَّةً قَالَ: رَآهُ بِفُؤَادِهِ، فَحُكِيَتْ عَنْهُ رِوَايَتَانِ، وَحُكِيَتْ عَنْهُ الثَّالِثَةُ مِنْ تَصَرُّفِ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ: أَنَّهُ رَآهُ بِعَيْنَيْ رَأْسِهِ، وَهَذِهِ نُصُوصُ أحمد مَوْجُودَةٌ، لَيْسَ فِيهَا ذَلِكَ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّهُ رَآهُ بِفُؤَادِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ اسْتِنَادُهُ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ( مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى ) [ النِّجْمِ: 11 ] ثُمَّ قَالَ: ( وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى ) [ النَّجْمِ: 13 ] وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّهُ مُسْتَنَدُهُ، فَقَدْ صَحَّ عَنْهُ ﷺ أَنَّ هَذَا الْمَرْئِيَّ جِبْرِيلُ، رَآهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي خُلِقَ عَلَيْهَا، وَقَوْلُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ هَذَا هُوَ مُسْتَنَدُ الْإِمَامِ أَحْمَدَ فِي قَوْلِهِ: ( رَآهُ بِفُؤَادِهِ )، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى فِي سُورَةِ النَّجْمِ: ( ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى ) [ النَّجْمِ: 8 ] فَهُوَ غَيْرُ الدُّنُوِّ وَالتَّدَلِّي فِي قِصَّةِ الْإِسْرَاءِ، فَإِنَّ الَّذِي فِي ( سُورَةِ النَّجْمِ ) هُوَ دُنُوُّ جِبْرِيلَ وَتَدَلِّيهِ، كَمَا قَالَتْ عائشة وَابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، وَالسِّيَاقُ يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ: ( عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَى ) [ النَّجْمِ: 5 ] وَهُوَ جِبْرِيلُ: ( ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَى وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَى ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى ) [ النَّجْمِ: 6 - 8 ] فَالضَّمَائِرُ كُلُّهَا رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى هَذَا الْمُعَلِّمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْقُوَى، وَهُوَ ذُو الْمِرَّةِ، أَيْ: الْقُوَّةُ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي اسْتَوَى بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَى، وَهُوَ الَّذِي دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى، فَكَانَ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ قَدْرَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى، فَأَمَّا الدُّنُوُّ وَالتَّدَلِّي الَّذِي فِي حَدِيثِ الْإِسْرَاءِ فَذَلِكَ صَرِيحٌ فِي أَنَّهُ دُنُوُّ الرَّبِّ تَبَارَكَ وَتَدَلِّيهِ، وَلَا تَعَرُّضَ فِي ( سُورَةِ النَّجْمِ ) لِذَلِكَ، بَلْ فِيهَا أَنَّهُ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى، وَهَذَا هُوَ جِبْرِيلُ، رَآهُ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ ، مَرَّةً فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَمَرَّةً عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الصَّوَابَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ أَهْلُ الْحَقِّ [أَنَّ] رُؤْيَةَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مُمْكِنَةٌ غَيْرُ مُسْتَحِيلَةٍ عَقْلًا، وَأَجْمَعُوا أَيْضًا عَلَى وُقُوعِهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَإِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَرَوْنَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى. وَزَعَمَتْ طَوَائِفُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَا يَرَاهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، وَأَنَّ رُؤْيَتَهُ مُسْتَحِيلَةٌ عَقْلًا. وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالُوهُ خَطَأٌ صَرِيحٌ وَجَهْلٌ قَبِيحٌ. وَقَدْ تَظَاهَرَتْ أَدِلَّةُ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَإِجْمَاعُ الصَّحَابَةِ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنْ سَلَفِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى إِثْبَاتِ رُؤْيَةِ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى فِي الْآخِرَةِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ. وَرَوَاهَا أَحَدٌ وَعِشْرُونَ صَحَابِيًّا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَآيَاتُ الْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيمِ فِيهَا مَشْهُورَةٌ، وَاعْتِرَاضَاتُ الْمُبْتَدِعَةِ عَلَيْهَا، لَهَا أَجْوِبَةٌ مَذْكُورَةٌ فِي كُتُبِ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ. وَأَمَّا رُؤْيَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الدُّنْيَا فَمُمْكِنَةٌ عَقْلًا وَسَمْعًا ، وَمَذْهَبُ أَهْلِ الْحَقِّ أَنَّ الرُّؤْيَةَ قُوَّةٌ يَجْعَلُهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي خَلْقِهِ، وَلَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهَا اتِّصَالُ الْأَشِعَّةِ وَلَا مُقَابَلَةُ الْمَرْئِيِّ وَلَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ. وَلَكِنْ جَرَتِ الْعَادَةُ فِي رُؤْيَةِ بَعْضِنَا بَعْضًا بِوُجُودِ ذَلِكَ عَلَى جِهَةِ الِاتِّفَاقِ لَا عَلَى سَبِيلِ الِاشْتِرَاطِ. وَقَدْ قَرَّرَ أَئِمَّتُنَا الْمُتَكَلِّمُونَ ذَلِكَ بِالدَّلَائِلِ الْجَلِيَّةِ، وَلَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْ رُؤْيَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى إِثْبَاتُ جِهَةِ اللَّهِ -تَعَالَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ- بَلْ يَرَاهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَا فِي جِهَةٍ، كَمَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ لَا فِي جِهَةٍ. وَبَيَانُ الدَّلِيلِ الْعَقْلِيِّ عَلَى جَوَازِهَا بِطَرِيقِ الِاخْتِصَارِ أَنَّ الْبَارِيَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مَوْجُودٌ، وَكُلُّ مَوْجُودٍ يَصِحُّ أَنْ يُرَى، فَالْبَارِي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَصِحُّ أَنْ يُرَى. أَمَّا الصُّغْرَى فَظَاهِرَةٌ، وَأَمَّا الْكُبْرَى، فَلِأَنَّ الْحُكْمَ يَدُورُ مَعَ عِلَّتِهِ وُجُودًا وَعَدَمًا. وَقَدْ تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ الْمَوْجُودَ هُوَ الْعِلَّةُ لِصِحَّةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، وَلَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْ جَوَازِهَا وُقُوعُهَا وَعَدَمُ تَعَلُّقِهَا، إِنَّمَا هُوَ لِجَرْيِ عَادَتِهِ تَعَالَى بِعَدَمِ خَلْقِهَا فِينَا الْآنَ، مَعَ جَوَازِ خَلْقِهَا فِينَا، إِذْ هِيَ غَيْرُ مُسْتَحِيلَةٍ وَهُنَا أَبْحَاثٌ مَحَلُّهَا الْكُتُبُ الْكَلَامِيَّةُ. وَبَيَانُ الدَّلِيلِ الشَّرْعِيِّ عَلَى جَوَازِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا أَنَّ مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ، رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَلِيمَهُ، الْعَارِفَ بِهِ سَأَلَ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى الرُّؤْيَةَ، فَقَالَ: رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ [الْأَعْرَافُ: 143] مَعَ اعْتِقَادِهِ أَنَّهُ تَعَالَى يُرَى، فَسَأَلَهَا. وَفِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ دَلِيلَانِ. الْأَوَّلُ: مُحَالٌ أَنْ يَجْهَلَ نَبِيٌّ مَا يَجُوزُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَمَا لَا يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهِ، بَلْ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ إِلَّا جَائِزًا غَيْرَ مُحَالٍ، لِاسْتِحَالَةِ سُؤَالِ الْمُحَالِ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَلَكِنَّ وُقُوعَهُ وَمُشَاهَدَتَهُ مِنَ الْغَيْبِ الَّذِي لَا يَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ أَعْلَمَهُ إِيَّاهُ وَأَطْلَعَهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ تَعَالَى غَيْرَ نَافٍ لِلْجَوَازِ: لَنْ تَرَانِي »، دُونَ لَنْ أَرَى الْمُؤْذِنَةَ بِنَفْيِهِ أَيْ لَنْ تُطِيقَ وَلَا تَحْتَمِلُ رُؤْيَتِي الْآنَ لِتَوَقُّفِهَا عَلَى مُعَدٍّ لَهَا فِي الرَّائِي لَمْ يُوجَدْ فِيكَ بَعْدُ. وَمَثَّلَ لَهُ مِثَالًا بِمَا هُوَ أَقْوَى مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ مُوسَى ﷺ وَأَثْبَتُ، وَهُوَ الْجَبَلُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي [الْأَعْرَافُ: 143]. وَهَذَا هُوَ الدَّلِيلُ الثَّانِي: وَبَيَانُهُ أَنَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَّقَ رُؤْيَةَ مُوسَى إِيَّاهُ تَعَالَى بِاسْتِقْرَارِ جَبَلِ الْمُنَاجَاةِ فِي مَكَانِهِ وَقْتَ التَّجَلِّي لَهُ، وَالشَّيْءُ الْمُعَلَّقُ بِالْمُمْكِنِ مُمْكِنٌ، إِذْ مَعْنَى التَّعْلِيقِ الْإِخْبَارُ بِثُبُوتِ الْمُعَلَّقِ عِنْدَ ثُبُوتِ الْمُعَلَّقِ بِهِ. وَعَلَى هَذَا فَالشَّرْطِيَّةُ خَبَرِيَّةٌ إِذَا كَانَ الْجَزَاءُ فِي الْأَصْلِ خَبَرِيًّا كَمَا هُنَا. فَثَبَتَ إِمْكَانُ الرُّؤْيَةِ ضَرُورَةَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَخْبَرَ بِوُقُوعِهَا عَلَى بَعْضِ التَّقَادِيرِ، وَالْمُحَالُ لَا يَقَعُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنَ التَّقَادِيرِ أَصْلًا، وَإِذَا ثَبَتَ الْإِمْكَانُ انْتَفَى الِامْتِنَاعُ وَبِالْعَكْسِ وَهُنَا أَبْحَاثٌ مَحَلُّهَا الْكُتُبُ الْكَلَامِيَّةُ. وَقَوْلُ مُوسَى ﷺ: تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ، أَيْ مِنَ الْإِقْدَامِ عَلَى سُؤَالِي إِيَّاهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَا لَمْ تُقَدِّرْهُ لِي. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ قَوْلَهُ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ [الْأَعْرَافُ: 143] إِنَّمَا كَانَ لِمَا غَشِيَهُ مِنْ شِدَّةِ مَا أَفْضَى بِهِ إِلَى أَنَّ صُعِقَ، كَمَا تَقُولُ مِنْ فِعْلٍ جَائِرٍ عَرَاكَ مِنْهُ مَشَقَّةٌ: تُبْتُ عَنْ فِعْلِ مِثْلِهِ. وَقَالَ الْقَاضِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْهُذَلِيُّ، فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: لَنْ تَرَانِي [الْأَعْرَافُ: 143] أَيْ لَيْسَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُطِيقَ النَّظَرَ إِلَيَّ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّ مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَيَّ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَاتَ، أَيْ فِي الْحَالِ، بِشَهَادَةِ صَعْقِ مُوسَى إِذْ رَأَى الْجَبَلَ» وَقَالَ الْقَاضِي: «وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ لِبَعْضِ السَّلَفِ وَالْمُتَأَخِّرِينَ أَنَّ رُؤْيَتَهُ تَعَالَى فِي الدُّنْيَا مُمْتَنِعَةٌ، لَا مِنْ حَيْثُ ذَاتُهَا، لِثُبُوتِ جَوَازِهَا فِيهَا بِمَا مَرَّ، وَإِنَّمَا امْتَنَعَتْ فِيهَا لِضَعْفِ تَرَاكِيبِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا وَقُوَاهُمْ، وَكَوْنِهَا مُتَغَيِّرَةً عُرْضَةً لِلْآفَاتِ مِنْ نَوَائِبَ مُقَلْقِلَةٍ وَنَوَاكِبَ لِلْأَكْبَادِ مُعَلَّقَةٍ تُنْذِرُ بِالْمَوْتِ وَالْفَنَاءِ، فَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُمْ قُوَّةٌ عَلَى الرُّؤْيَةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا. فَإِذَا كَانَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَرُكِّبُوا تَرْكِيبًا آخَرَ وَرُزِقُوا قُوًى ثَابِتَةً بَاقِيَةً وَأُتِمَّتْ أَنْوَارُ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَقُلُوبِهِمْ حَصَلَ بِذَلِكَ قُوَّةٌ عَلَى الرُّؤْيَةِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ». وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ نَحْوَ هَذَا لِلْإِمَامِ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ: «لَمْ يُرَ فِي الدُّنْيَا لِأَنَّهُ بَاقٍ وَلَا يُرَى الْبَاقِي بِالْفَانِي. فَإِذَا كَانَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَرُزِقُوا أَبْصَارًا بَاقِيَةً رُئِيَ الْبَاقِي بِالْبَاقِي» وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالَهُ الْإِمَامُ مَالِكٌ كَلَامٌ حَسَنٌ مَلِيحٌ، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى الِاسْتِحَالَةِ إِلَّا مِنْ حَيْثُ ضَعْفُ الْقُدْرَةِ، فَإِذَا قَوَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَنْ شَاءَ أَقْدَرَهُ عَلَى حَمْلِ أَعْبَاءِ الرُّؤْيَةِ فِي حَقِّهِ فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ كَانَ. قَالَ الْحَافِظُ: «وَوَقَعَ فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ مَا يُؤَيِّدُ هَذِهِ التَّفْرِقَةَ فِي حَدِيثٍ مَرْفُوعٍ فِيهِ: «وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَرَوْا رَبَّكُمْ حَتَّى تَمُوتُوا». وَأَخْرَجَهُ ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ - بِخَاءٍ مُعْجَمَةٍ مَضْمُومَةٍ فَزَايٍ مَفْتُوحَةٍ. مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، وَمِنْ حَدِيثِ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ. فَإِذَا جَازَتِ الرُّؤْيَةُ فِي الدُّنْيَا. عَقْلًا، فَقَدِ امْتَنَعَتْ سَمْعًا. لَكِنْ مَنْ أَثْبَتَهَا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ إِنَّ الْمُتَكَلِّمَ لَا يَدْخُلُ فِي عُمُومِ خِطَابِهِ». قَالَ الْقَاضِي: «وَلَا حُجَّةَ لِمَنِ اسْتَدَلَّ عَلَى مَنْعِهَا بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ [الْأَنْعَامُ: 103] لِاخْتِلَافِ التَّأْوِيلَاتِ فِي الْآيَةِ، فَقَدْ قِيلَ: الْمُرَادُ بِالْإِدْرَاكِ الْإِحَاطَةُ، فَلَا نَفْيَ فِيهَا لِمُطْلَقِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، وَقِيلَ: لَا تُدْرِكُهُ أَبْصَارُ الْكُفَّارِ، وَقِيلَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وَالْجَوَابُ الصَّحِيحُ: أَنَّهُ لَا دَلَالَةَ فِي هَذَا النَّفْيِ عَلَى عُمُومِ الْأَوْقَاتِ وَلَا حَالٍ مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ لِأَنَّهُ مَسْكُوتٌ عَنْهُ. فَمِنْ أَيْنَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ فِي وَقْتٍ مِنَ الْأَوْقَاتِ وَلَا حَالٍ مِنَ الْأَحْوَالِ؟ بَلْ يَتَعَيَّنُ الْحَمْلُ عَلَى النَّفْيِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى دَارِ الدُّنْيَا جَمْعًا بَيْنَ الْأَدِلَّةِ السَّمْعِيَّةِ». وَقَالَ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الْقُرْطُبِيُّ فِي الْمُفْهِمِ: «الْأَبْصَارُ» جَمْعٌ مُحَلًّى بِالْأَلِفِ وَاللَّامِ، فَيَقْبَلُ التَّخْصِيصَ، وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ سَمْعًا فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: كَلا إِنَّهُمْ عَنْ رَبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَمَحْجُوبُونَ [الْمُطَفِّفِينَ: 15] فَيَكُونُ الْمُرَادُ الْكُفَّارُ، بِدَلِيلِ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ، إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ [الْقِيَامَةُ: 22، 23] قَالَ: فَإِذَا جَازَتْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ جَازَتْ فِي الدُّنْيَا لِتَسَاوِي الْوَقْتَيْنِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى الرَّائِي» انْتَهَى. قَالَ الْحَافِظُ: «وَهُوَ اسْتِدْلَالٌ جَيِّدٌ». وَقَدْ يُسْتَدَلُّ بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ عَلَى جَوَازِ إِمْكَانِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، إِذْ لَوِ امْتَنَعَتِ الرُّؤْيَةُ لَمَا حَصَلَ التَّمَدُّحُ فِي الْآيَةِ بِنَفْيِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، وَوَجْهُ الْمُلَازَمَةِ أَنَّ الْمُمْتَنِعَ مُنْتَفٍ فِي حَدِّ ذَاتِهِ، فَلَا يَكُونُ نَفْيُهُ صِفَةَ مَدْحٍ، لِأَنَّهُ ضَرُورِيٌّ كَالْمَعْدُومِ الْمُمْتَنِعِ الرُّؤْيَةِ، لَا يُمْدَحُ بِعَدَمِ رُؤْيَتِهِ، إِذْ لَا يَكُونُ: «الْمَعْدُومُ لَا يُرَى» تَمَدُّحًا، لِامْتِنَاعِ رُؤْيَةِ الْمَعْدُومِ. وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ التَّمَدُّحُ بِنَفْيِ عَدَمِ رُؤْيَتِهِ تَعَالَى فَتَكُونُ رُؤْيَتُهُ مُمْكِنَةٌ، وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ التَّمَدُّحَ بِنَفْيِ عَدَمِ الرُّؤْيَةِ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ فِي إِمْكَانِ رُؤْيَتِهِ تَعَالَى لَكِنَّهُ لَا يُرَى لِلِامْتِنَاعِ وَتَعَذُّرِ الْإِبْصَارِ وَالتَّحَجُّبِ بِحِجَابِ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْجَلَالِ لَا فِي أَنَّهُ لَا يُرَى لِامْتِنَاعِ رُؤْيَتِهِ تَعَالَى. لَكِنَّ الصِّفَاتِ السَّلْبِيَّةَ عَلَى هَذَا، صِفَاتُ تَمَدُّحٍ، وَإِنْ جَعَلْنَا الْإِدْرَاكَ فِي الْآيَةِ عِبَارَةً عَنِ الرُّؤْيَةِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْإِحَاطَةِ بِجَوَانِبِ الْمَرْئِيِّ وَحُدُودِهِ. فَدَلَالَةُ الْآيَةِ حِينَئِذٍ عَلَى جَوَازِ الرُّؤْيَةِ بَلْ عَلَى تَحَقُّقِهَا بِالْوُقُوعِ، أَظْهَرُ مِنْ دَلَالَتِهَا عَلَى الْجَوَازِ بِمَا ذُكِرَ مِنَ التَّمَدُّحِ. إِذِ الْمَعْنَى عَلَى هَذَا لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ، إِذْ نَظَرْتَ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْإِحَاطَةِ، لِأَنَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى، مَعَ كَوْنِهِ مَرْئِيًّا بِالْأَبْصَارِ لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْإِحَاطَةِ، لِتَعَالِيهِ قَطْعًا عَنِ التَّنَاهِي وَعَنِ الِاتِّصَافِ بِالْحُدُودِ الَّتِي هِيَ النِّهَايَاتُ وَالْجَوَانِبُ عَلَى مَا تَبَيَّنَ فِي كُتُبِ الْكَلَامِ. وَالْإِحَاطَةُ بِمَا لَا يَتَنَاهَى مُحَالٌ. وَلِهَذَا مَزِيدُ بَيَانٍ يَأْتِي فِي الْكَلَامِ عَلَى حَدِيثِ عَائِشَةَ ؓ. وَمَعَ الْقَوْلِ بِجَوَازِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، لَمْ يَحْصُلْ لِبَشَرٍ غَيْرِ نَبِيِّنَا ﷺ، عَلَى مَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْخِلَافِ، وَمَنِ ادَّعَاهَا غَيْرُهُ فَهُوَ ضَالٌّ. كَمَا جَزَمَ بِكُفْرِهِ الْإِمَامُ مُوَفَّقُ الدِّينِ الْكَوَاشِيُّ - بِالْفَتْحِ وَالتَّخْفِيفِ وَبِالْمُعْجَمَةِ- وَالْإِمَامُ الْمَهْدَوِيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرَيْهِمَا، وَالْإِمَامُ جَمَالُ الدِّينِ الْأَرْدُبِيلِيُّ - بِالْفَتْحِ وَسُكُونِ الرَّاءِ وَضَمِّ الدَّالِ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَكَسْرِ الْمُوَحَّدَةِ وَسُكُونِ التَّحْتِيَّةِ- فِي كِتَابِ «الْأَنْوَارِ» إِذْ قَدْ سَأَلَهَا نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ وَكَلِيمُهُ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ، وَلَمْ تَحْصُلْ لَهُ، أَفَتَحْصُلُ لِآحَادِ النَّاسِ؟ هَذَا مِمَّا يُتَوَقَّفُ فِيهِ. فَصْلٌ: وَإِذَا عُلِمَ مَا تَقَرَّرَ فَفِي رُؤْيَةِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لِرَبِّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَيْلَةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ مَذْهَبَانِ: فَنَفَتْهَا عَائِشَةُ وَهُوَ الْمَشْهُورُ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، وَجَاءَ مِثْلُهُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَإِلَيْهِ ذَهَبَ كَثِيرُونَ مِنَ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ وَالْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ. وَبَالَغَ الْحَافِظُ عُثْمَانُ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الدَّارِمِيِّ، فَنَقَلَ فِيهِ الْإِجْمَاعَ، وَالثَّانِي أَنَّهُ رَآهُ. وَرَوَى عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَحْلِفُ بِاللَّهِ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ إِثْبَاتَهَا، وَكَانَ يَشْتَدُّ عَلَيْهِ إِنْكَارُ عَائِشَةَ لَهَا. وَبِهِ قَالَ سَائِرُ أَصْحَابِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَبِهِ جَزَمَ كَعْبُ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالزُّهْرِيُّ وَمَعْمَرٌ وَآخَرُونَ. وَبِهِ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ وَغَالِبُ أَتْبَاعِهِ. وَجَنَحَ ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ إِلَى تَرْجِيحِهِ بِمَا يَطُولُ ذِكْرُهُ. ثُمَّ اخْتَلَفُوا: هَلْ رَآهُ بِعَيْنِهِ أَوْ بِقَلْبِهِ؟ وَالْقَوْلَانِ رُوِيَا عَنِ الْإِمَامِ أَحْمَدَ. وَقَالَ الْإِمَامُ النَّوَوِيُّ: الرَّاجِحُ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ بِعَيْنَيْ رَأْسِهِ لَيْلَةَ الْمِعْرَاجِ، وَبَسَطَ الْكَلَامَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَاسْتَدَلَّ بِأَشْيَاءَ نُوَزِّعُ فِي بَعْضِهَا كَمَا سَيَأْتِي بَيَانُهُ فِي ذِكْرِ أَدِلَّةِ الْمَذْهَبِ الْأَوَّلِ. وَذَهَبَ جَمَاعَةٌ إِلَى الْوَقْفِ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَلَمْ يَجْزِمُوا بِنَفْيٍ وَلَا إِثْبَاتٍ لِتَعَارُضِ الْأَدِلَّةِ، وَرَجَّحَ ذَلِكَ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الْقُرْطُبِيُّ فِي الْمُفْهِمِ، وَعَزَاهُ لِجَمَاعَةٍ مِنَ الْمُحَقِّقِينَ، وَقَوَّاهُ بِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْبَابِ دَلِيلٌ قَاطِعٌ. وَغَالِبُ مَا اسْتَدَلَّتْ بِهِ الطَّائِفَتَانِ ظَوَاهِرُ مُتَعَارِضَةٌ قَابِلَةٌ لِلتَّأْوِيلِ. قَالَ: وَلَيْسَتِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ مِنَ التَّعْظِيمَاتِ فَيُكْتَفى فِيهَا بِالدَّلَالَةِ الظَّنِّيَّةِ، فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنَ الْمُعْتَقَدَاتِ فَلَا يُكْتَفَى فِيهَا إِلَّا بِالدَّلِيلِ الْقَطْعِيِّ. وَقَالَ السُّبْكِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ فِي السَّيْفِ الْمَسْلُولِ: «لَيْسَ مِنْ شَرْطِهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَاطِعًا مُتَوَاتِرًا بَلْ مَتَى كَانَ حَدِيثًا صَحِيحًا وَلَوْ ظَاهِرًا وَهُوَ مِنْ رِوَايَةِ الْآحَادِ، جَازَ أَنْ يُعْتَمَدَ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَسَائِلِ الِاعْتِقَادِ الَّتِي يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهَا الْقَطْعُ، عَلَى أَنَّا لَسْنَا مُكَلَّفِينَ بِذَلِكَ». انْتَهَى. وَقَالَ الْقَاضِي فِي الشِّفَاءِ وَغَيْرِهِ «لَا مِرْيَةَ فِي الْجَوَازِ، إِذْ لَيْسَ فِي الْآيَاتِ: لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ [الْأَنْعَامُ: 103]، لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي [الْأَعْرَافُ: 143] نَصٌّ فِي الْمَنْعِ لِلرُّؤْيَةِ، بَلْ هِيَ مُشِيرَةٌ لِلْجَوَازِ كَمَا تَقَرَّرَ ذَلِكَ. وَأَمَّا وُجُوبُ وُقُوعِهَا لِنَبِيِّنَا ﷺ، وَالْقَوْلُ بِأَنَّهُ رَآهُ بِعَيْنِهِ، فَلَيْسَ فِيهِ قَاطِعٌ أَيْضًا وَلَا نَصٌّ يُعَوَّلُ عَلَيْهِ، إِذِ الْمُعَوَّلُ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ عَلَى آيَتَيِ النَّجْمِ: مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى [النَّجْمُ: 11] وَ مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى [النَّجْمُ: 17]. وَالتَّنَازُعُ بَيْنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ فِيهِمَا مَأْثُورٌ، وَالِاحْتِمَالُ لَهُمَا مِنْ حَيْثُ دَلَالَتُهُمَا عَلَى الرُّؤْيَةِ وَعَدَمِهَا مُمْكِنٌ، لِعَدَمِ صَرَاحَتِهِمَا بِهَا، لَا أَثَرَ قَاطِعٌ مُتَوَاتِرٌ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِذَلِكَ. وَحَدِيثُ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّهُ رَآهُ بِعَيْنِهِ أَوْ بِفُؤَادِهِ إِنَّمَا نَشَأَ عَنِ اعْتِقَادٍ لَمْ يُسْنِدْهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَتَّى يُعْتَبَرَ فَيَجِبَ الْعَمَلُ بِاعْتِقَادِ مُضَمِّنِهِ مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ رَبَّهُ. وَمِثْلُهُ حَدِيثُ شَرِيكٍ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ فِي تَفْسِيرِ الْآيَةِ بِأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ، وَحَدِيثُ مُعَاذٍ: «رَأَيْتُ رَبِّي فِي أَحْسَنِ صُورَةٍ»، مُضْطَرِبُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَالْمَتْنِ. وَحَدِيثُ أَبِي ذَرٍّ مُخْتَلِفٌ مِنْ حَيْثُ اللَّفْظُ مُحْتَمِلٌ لِأَنْ يَكُونَ رَآهُ أَوْ لَمْ يَرَهُ، مُشْكِلٌ مِنْ حَيْثُ جَعَلَ ذَاتَهَ نُورًا، فَرُوِيَ: «نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ» - بِفَتْحِ أَوَّلِهِ وَتَشْدِيدِ النُّونِ- أَيْ نُورًا لَنْ أَرَاهُ، أَيْ لِجَرْيِ الْعَادَةِ بِأَنَّ النُّورَ إِذَا غَشَى الْبَصَرَ حَجَبَهُ فِي رُؤْيَتِهِ لِمَا وَرَاءَهُ، وَرُوِيَ: «نُورَانِيٌّ، أَيْ بِكَسْرِ النُّونِ الثَّانِيَةِ وَتَشْدِيدِ التَّحْتِيَّةِ». قَالَ الْقَاضِي: «وَهَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ لَمْ تَقَعْ لَنَا، وَلَا رَأَيْتُهَا فِي أَصْلٍ مِنَ الْأُصُولِ، وَمُحَالٌ أَنْ تَكُونَ ذَاتُهُ تَعَالَى نُورًا، إِذِ النُّورُ جِسْمٌ يَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهُ، وَمِنْ ثَمَّ كَانَتْ تَسْمِيَتُهُ نُورًا بِمَعْنَى ذِي النُّورِ أَوْ خَالِقِهِ. وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ الْآخَرِ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «رَأَيْتُ نُورًا». وَلَيْسَ يُمْكِنُ الِاحْتِجَاجُ بِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا لِإِفْصَاحِهِمَا بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَرَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ الصَّحِيحُ «رَأَيْتُ نُورًا»، فَقَدْ أَخْبَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَرَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى، وَإِنَّمَا رَأَى نُورًا مَنَعَهُ وَحَجَبَهُ عَنْ رُؤْيَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى. وَإِلَى قَوْلِهِ: «رَأَيْتُ نُورًا» يَرْجِعُ قَوْلُهُ: «نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ»، أَيْ كَيْفَ أَرَاهُ مَعَ كَوْنِ حِجَابِهِ النُّورَ الْمُغَشِّي لِلْبَصَرِ، وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِثْلُ الْحَدِيثِ الْآخَرِ مِنْ حَيْثُ الْمَعْنَى: حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ، كَمَا رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَغَيْرُهُ. وَقَالَ أَيْضًا فِي الْإِكْمَالِ: وَقَفَ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا فِي هَذَا. وَقَالَ: لَيْسَ هَذَا عَلَيْهِ دَلِيلٌ وَاضِحٌ، وَلَكِنَّهُ جَائِزٌ، وَرُؤْيَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي الدُّنْيَا جَائِزَةٌ. ذِكْرُ أَدِلَّةِ الْقَوْلِ الْأَوَّلِ زَادَ الشَّيْخَانِ وَعَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ جَرِيرٍ وَغَيْرُهُمْ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، زَادَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: لَقِيَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كَعْبًا بِعَرَفَةَ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: إِنَّا بَنُو هَاشِمٍ نَزْعُمُ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ نَقُولُ: أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ رَأَى رَبَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ. فَكَبَّرَ كَعْبٌ حَتَّى جَاوَبَتْهُ الْجِبَالُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَسَّمَ رُؤْيَتَهُ وَكَلَامَهُ بَيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُوسَى عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ [فَكَلَّمَ مُوسَى مَرَّتَيْنِ] وَرَآهُ مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ مَرَّتَيْنِ». ثُمَّ اتَّفَقُوا. قَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ: فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمَتَاهْ، هَلْ رَأَى مُحَمَّدٌ رَبَّهُ؟ فَقَالَتْ: لَقَدْ قَفَّ شَعْرِي بِمَا قُلْتَ، أَيْنَ أَنْتَ مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ مَنْ حَدَّثَكَهُنَّ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ: فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْفِرْيَةَ، مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَأَى رَبَّهُ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ: فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْفِرْيَةَ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ [الْأَنْعَامُ: 103]، وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ [الشُّورَى: 51]، وَمَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ: فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْفِرْيَةَ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ: وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا [لُقْمَانُ: 34] وَمَنْ حَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ كَتَمَ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ، وَفِي لَفْظٍ فَقَدْ أَعْظَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْفِرْيَةَ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَتْ: يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ [الْمَائِدَةُ: 67] وَلَكِنَّهُ رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ فِي صُورَتِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ.. زَادَ الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ وَمُسْلِمٌ قَالَ وَمَسْرُوقٌ: وَكُنْتُ مُتَّكِئًا فَجَلَسْتُ فَقُلْتُ: أَلَمْ يَقُلِ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى [النَّجْمُ: 13]. إِنَّ أَوَّلَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ: «لَا، إِنَّمَا رَأَيْتُ جِبْرِيلَ مُنْهَبِطًا». وَرَوَى الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ طَرِيقِ هَمَّامٍ، وَمُسْلِمٌ عَنْ طَرِيقِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، وَمِنْ طَرِيقِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، ثَلَاثَتُهُمْ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ: لَوْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَسَأَلْتُهُ، فَقَالَ: عَنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ كُنْتَ تَسْأَلُهُ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ: هَلْ رَأَى رَبَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى. قَالَ: إِنِّي قَدْ سَأَلْتُهُ قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ: نُورٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ» وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: رَأَيْتُ نُورًا. تَنْبِيهَاتٌ الْأَوَّلُ: قَالَ جَمَاعَةٌ: لَمْ تَنْفِ عَائِشَةُ وُقُوعَ الرُّؤْيَةِ بِحَدِيثٍ مَرْفُوعٍ، وَلَوْ كَانَ مَعَهَا لَذَكَرَتْهُ، وَإِنَّمَا اعْتَمَدَتِ الِاسْتِنْبَاطَ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرَتْ مِنْ ظَاهِرِ الْآيَةِ وَمَا قَالُوهُ غَفْلَةً عَنْ قَوْلِهَا: إِنَّهَا سَأَلَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا رَأَيْتُ جِبْرِيلَ مُنْهَبِطًا. الثَّانِي: مَنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ خَاطَبَهَا عَلَى قَدْرِ عَقْلِهَا، وَمَنْ حَاوَلَ تَخْطِئَتَهَا فِيمَا ذَهَبَتْ إِلَيْهِ فَهُوَ مُخْطِئٌ قَلِيلُ الْأَدَبِ. الثَّالِثُ: قَوْلُ ابْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ: «أَنَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبْلَ الْإِسْرَاءِ، فَأَجَابَهُ بِمَا أَجَابَهُ، وَلَوْ سَأَلَهُ بَعْدَ الْإِسْرَاءِ لَأَجَابَهُ بِالْإِثْبَاتِ، ضَعِيفٌ جِدًّا، فَإِنَّ عَائِشَةَ ؓ سَأَلَتْهُ بَعْدَ الْإِسْرَاءِ وَلَمْ تَثْبُتْ لَهَا الرُّؤْيَةُ». الرَّابِعُ: احْتِجَاجُ عَائِشَةَ بِالْآيَةِ خَالَفَهَا فِيهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، فَرَوَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَحَسَّنَهُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْحَكَمِ بْنِ أَبَانٍ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: مُحَمَّدٌ رَأَى رَبَّهُ. قُلْتُ: أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: «لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ» ؟ قَالَ: «وَيَحْكَ، ذَلِكَ نُورُهُ إِذَا تَجَلَّى بِنُورِهِ الَّذِي هُوَ نُورُهُ، وَقَدْ رَأَى رَبَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ». وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْآيَةِ الْإِحَاطَةُ بِهِ عِنْدَ رُؤْيَتِهِ، لَا نَفْيُ أَصْلِ رُؤْيَتِهِ. وَقَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ: الْمُرَادُ بِالْإِدْرَاكِ الْإِحَاطَةُ، وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى لَا يُحَاطُ بِهِ، وَإِذَا وَرَدَ النَّصُّ بِنَفْيِ الْإِحَاطَةِ لَا يَلْزَمُ مِنْهُ نَفْيُ الرُّؤْيَةِ بِغَيْرِ إِحَاطَةٍ، وَأَمَّا احْتِجَاجُهَا بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلا وَحْيًا [الشُّورَى: 51] فَالْجَوَابُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَوْجُهٍ: أَحَدُهَا: أَنَّهُ لَا يَلْزَمُ مَعَ الرُّؤْيَةِ وُجُودُ الْكَلَامِ حَالَ الرُّؤْيَةِ، فَيَجُوزُ وُجُودُ الرُّؤْيَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ كَلَامٍ، الثَّانِي: أَنَّهُ عَامٌّ مَخْصُوصٌ بِمَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنَ الْأَدِلَّةِ، الثَّالِثُ: مَا قَالَ بَعْضُ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْوَحْيِ هُنَا الْكَلَامُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَاسِطَةٍ، وَأَنَّ الْقَوْلَ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُحْتَمَلًا لَكِنَّ الْجُمْهُورَ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْوَحْيِ هُنَا الْإِلْهَامُ وَالرُّؤْيَا فِي الْمَنَامِ وَكِلَاهُمَا يُسَمَّى وَحْيًا. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ، فَقَالَ الْوَاحِدِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ بِمَعْنَاهُ غَيْرُ مُجَاهِرٍ لَهُمْ بِالْكَلَامِ بَلْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَرَوْنَهُ، وَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ أَنْ يَكُونَ هُنَاكَ حِجَابٌ يَفْصِلُ مَوْضِعًا عَنْ مَوْضِعٍ، وَيَدُلُّ عَلَى تَحْدِيدِ الْمَحْجُوبِ، فَهُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَا يَسْمَعُ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَرَ الْمُتَكَلِّمَ. الْخَامِسُ: قَوْلُ كَعْبٍ: «وَكَلَّمَهُ مُوسَى مَرَّتَيْنِ»، فِيهِ نَظَرٌ. وَالْحَقُّ أَنَّهُ كَلَّمَهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُمَا، كَمَا يُرْشِدُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَى [طَه 17] وَقَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. وَمَا أَعْجَلَكَ عَنْ قَوْمِكَ يَا مُوسَى [طه: 83]. وَقَوْلُهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: فَإِنَّا قَدْ فَتَنَّا قَوْمَكَ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ [طه 85] وَقَوْلُهُ تَقَدَّسَ اسْمُهُ: فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ [الْأَعْرَافُ: 145]، وَقَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: اذْهَبَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ [طه: 43]، وَقَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَأَلْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةً مِنِّي وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي إِذْ تَمْشِي أُخْتُكَ، إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ.
Translation
✧ The Companions differed as to whether he saw his Lord that night or not. It is authentically reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that he saw his Lord, and it is authentically reported from him that he said: “He saw Him with his heart.” It is authentically reported from ʿĀʾishah and Ibn Masʿūd that they denied that, and they said: His saying: “And indeed he saw him at another descent, by the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary” [al-Najm: 13] refers only to Jibrīl. It is authentically reported from Abū Dharr that he asked him: “Did you see your Lord?” He said: “Light—how could I see Him?” meaning: light came between me and seeing Him, as he said in another wording: “I saw light.” ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd al-Dārimī related the consensus of the Companions that he did not see Him. Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah sanctify his soul, said: Ibn ʿAbbās’s saying “he saw Him” does not contradict this, nor does his saying “he saw Him with his heart.” It is authentically reported from him that he said: “I saw my Lord, Blessed and Exalted,” but that was not during the Night Journey; rather, it was in Madinah when he was delayed from them in the morning prayer, then he informed them of seeing his Lord, Blessed and Exalted, that night in his sleep. On this basis Imam Aḥmad, may Allah have mercy on him, built his view, and he said: Yes, he saw Him truly, for the vision of the prophets is true and must be so. But Aḥmad, may Allah have mercy on him, did not say that he saw Him with the eyes of his head while awake. Whoever related that from him has erred concerning him. Rather, he said once: he saw Him, and once: he saw Him with his heart. Thus two narrations are related from him, and a third is related from him, arising from the disposition of some of his companions: that he saw Him with the eyes of his head. These are the extant texts of Aḥmad; there is nothing of that in them. As for Ibn ʿAbbās’s saying that he saw Him with his heart twice, if its basis is His saying, Exalted: “The heart did not lie about what it saw” [al-Najm: 11], then He said: “And indeed he saw him at another descent” [al-Najm: 13], and the apparent meaning is that its basis is that, then it is authentically reported from him ﷺ that the one seen here is Jibrīl, whom he saw twice in his created form. Ibn ʿAbbās’s saying is the basis of Imam Aḥmad’s saying: “He saw Him with his heart,” and Allah knows best. As for His saying, Exalted, in Sūrat al-Najm: “Then he drew near and came down” [al-Najm: 8], that is not the same as the drawing near and coming down in the story of the Night Journey. What is in Sūrat al-Najm is the drawing near and coming down of Jibrīl, as ʿĀʾishah and Ibn Masʿūd said, and the context indicates it, for He said: “One of mighty powers taught him” [al-Najm: 5], and that is Jibrīl: “possessed of soundness; and he stood poised, being on the higher horizon; then he drew near and came down” [al-Najm: 6–8]. All the pronouns refer back to that teacher of mighty powers, who is the one possessed of soundness, meaning strength, and he is the one who stood poised on the higher horizon, and he is the one who drew near and came down, and was from Muḥammad ﷺ at a distance of two bows’ length or nearer. As for the drawing near and coming down in the ḥadīth of the Night Journey, that is explicit that it is the drawing near and coming down of the Lord, Blessed and Exalted, and Sūrat al-Najm does not address that. Rather, in it is that he saw him at another descent by the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and this is Jibrīl: Muḥammad ﷺ saw him in his form twice, once on earth and once by the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and Allah knows best. Know that the correct position, which the people of truth hold, is that vision of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is possible and not impossible rationally, and they also agree that it will occur in the Hereafter and that the believers will see Allah, Exalted. Various factions of the people of innovation claimed that no one among His creatures will see Allah, Exalted, and that seeing Him is rationally impossible. What they said is clear error and ugly ignorance. The proofs from the Book and the Sunnah and the consensus of the Companions and those after them among the predecessors of the ummah have been numerous in affirming the believers’ vision of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, in the Hereafter. Twenty-one Companions narrated it from the Prophet ﷺ, and the verses of the glorious Qur’an concerning it are well known. The objections of the innovators to them have answers mentioned in the books of the scholars of kalām from the people of the Sunnah. As for vision of Allah, Exalted, in this world, it is possible rationally and textually. The position of the people of truth is that vision is a power that Allah, Exalted, places in His creatures, and it is not conditioned on the connection of rays or the facing of the seen object or anything else. But the habit in our seeing one another occurs with the presence of that by way of coincidence, not by way of condition. Our imams among the scholars of kalām have established that with clear proofs. Vision of Allah, Exalted, does not entail affirming a direction for Allah—may He be exalted above that—; rather, the believers will see Him not in a direction, just as they know that He is not in a direction. The rational proof for its permissibility, in brief, is that the Creator, Glorified and Exalted, exists, and every existent may be seen, so the Creator, Mighty and Majestic, may be seen. The minor premise is evident, and the major premise is because the ruling revolves with its cause in existence and non-existence. It has been shown that existence is the cause of the validity of vision. From its permissibility it does not follow that it has occurred or that it is not attached; its non-occurrence is only due to His habitual practice, Exalted, of not creating it in us now, while it is possible for Him to create it in us, since it is not impossible. Here there are discussions whose place is in the books of kalām. The scriptural proof for its permissibility in this world is that Mūsā b. ʿImrān, the Messenger of Allah and His interlocutor, who knew Him, asked Allah, Glorified and Exalted, for vision, saying: “My Lord, show me, that I may look upon You” [al-Aʿrāf: 143], with his belief that He, Exalted, can be seen, so he asked for it. In this verse are two proofs. The first: it is impossible that a prophet be ignorant of what is permissible for Allah, Exalted, and what is not permissible for Him. Rather, he did not ask except for something permissible, not impossible, because it is impossible for the prophets to ask for the impossible. But its occurrence and its observation belong to the unseen that none knows except Allah, and whom He informs of it and acquaints with it. So He, Exalted, said to him, without negating its permissibility: “You shall not see Me,” rather than “I shall not be seen,” which would indicate negation. That is, you will not be able to bear seeing Me now, because it depends on a preparation in the seer that does not yet exist in you. And He gave him an analogy with what is stronger and more stable than His prophet Mūsā ﷺ, namely the mountain, in His saying: “But look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then you shall see Me” [al-Aʿrāf: 143]. This is the second proof. Its explanation is that He, Exalted, made Mūsā’s vision of Him conditional upon the mountain’s remaining in its place at the time of His self-disclosure to it. What is conditioned upon a possible thing is possible, since the meaning of conditioning is the report that the conditioned thing will be established when the condition is established. On this basis, the conditional sentence is informative, since the apodosis is originally informative, as here. Thus the possibility of vision is established, because necessarily Allah, Exalted, reported its occurrence under some set of circumstances, and the impossible never occurs under any circumstances at all. When possibility is established, impossibility is negated, and vice versa. Here there are discussions whose place is in the books of kalām. Mūsā’s saying ﷺ: “I repent to You,” meaning from venturing to ask Him for it in this world when You have not decreed it for me. It is said: his saying “I repent to You” [al-Aʿrāf: 143] was only because of what overwhelmed him from the intensity of what he had brought about until he was thunderstruck, as you say about a permissible act from which hardship afflicts you: I repent of doing the like of it. Al-Qāḍī Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī said concerning His saying, Exalted: “You shall not see Me” [al-Aʿrāf: 143], meaning: no human being can bear looking at Me in this world, and whoever looks at Me in this world dies, that is, immediately, as witnessed by Mūsā’s being thunderstruck when he saw the mountain.” Al-Qāḍī said: “I have seen for some of the predecessors and later scholars that seeing Him, Exalted, in this world is impossible, not in terms of its essence, since its permissibility in it is established by what has passed. Rather, it is impossible in this world because of the weakness of the compositions and powers of the people of this world, and because they are subject to change and exposed to afflictions from unsettling calamities and misfortunes that lacerate the livers and warn of death and extinction. Thus they do not have the strength for vision in this world. But when they are in the Hereafter and are composed with a different composition and granted stable, enduring powers, and the lights of their eyes and hearts are completed, then they will have strength for vision in the Hereafter.” I have seen something similar from Imam Mālik b. Anas, may Allah have mercy on him. He said: “He is not seen in this world because He is everlasting, and the everlasting is not seen by the perishable. When they are in the Hereafter and are granted everlasting eyes, the everlasting will be seen by the everlasting.” What Imam Mālik said is good and excellent speech, and it contains no indication of impossibility except in terms of weakness of capacity. When Allah, Exalted, strengthens whom He wills, He enables him to bear the burden of vision in his case at any time. Al-Ḥāfiẓ said: “In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim there occurs what supports this distinction in a marfūʿ ḥadīth, in which it says: “And know that you will never see your Lord until you die.” Ibn Khuzaymah—with a ḍammah on the khāʾ and a fatḥah on the zāy—narrated it from the ḥadīth of Abū Umāmah and from the ḥadīth of ʿUbādah b. al-Ṣāmit. So if vision is permissible in this world rationally, it is precluded textually. But one who affirms it for the Prophet ﷺ may say that the speaker does not enter into the general scope of his own address.” Al-Qāḍī said: “There is no argument for one who cites His saying, Exalted: “Vision does not perceive Him” [al-Anʿām: 103] to deny it, because of the differences of interpretation in the verse. It has been said: what is meant by perception is encompassment, so there is no negation of vision in general. It has been said: the eyes of the disbelievers do not perceive Him, and other interpretations have been given. The correct answer is that this negation contains no indication of generality over all times or any state, because it is unspoken. How does one know that the meaning is: the eyes do not perceive Him at any time or in any state? Rather, it must be interpreted as negation with respect to the abode of this world, in order to reconcile the textual proofs.” Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Qurṭubī said in al-Mufhim: “Al-abṣār” is a plural made definite by the definite article, so it accepts specification. That is established textually in His saying, Exalted: “Nay, indeed, from their Lord that day they will be veiled” [al-Muṭaffifīn: 15]. Thus the intended meaning is the disbelievers, as indicated by His saying, Exalted: “Faces that day will be radiant, looking at their Lord” [al-Qiyāmah: 22–23]. He said: If it is permissible in the Hereafter, it is permissible in this world, since the two times are equal with respect to the seer.” End of quote. Al-Ḥāfiẓ said: “It is a good inference.” This verse may also be used as proof for the possibility of vision, since if vision were impossible, there would be no praise in the verse by negating vision. The point of the correlation is that the impossible is negated in its own essence, so its negation is not an attribute of praise, because it is necessary, like the nonexistent whose vision is impossible. One is not praised for its not being seen, since “the nonexistent is not seen” is not praise, because vision of the nonexistent is impossible. But praise by negating non-vision of Him, Exalted, is established, so vision of Him is possible. The upshot is that praise by negating non-vision only occurs because vision of Him, Exalted, is possible, but He is not seen because of the impossibility and difficulty of perception and the veiling by the veil of majesty and grandeur, not because vision of Him, Exalted, is impossible. However, the negative attributes on this basis are attributes of praise. If we make perception in the verse an expression for vision in the sense of encompassing the sides and limits of the seen object, then the verse’s indication of the permissibility of vision—indeed, of its actual occurrence—is more apparent than its indication of permissibility by the mentioned praise. For the meaning on this basis is: vision does not perceive Him when one looks at Him in the sense of encompassment, because He, Blessed and Exalted, while being seen by the eyes, is not perceived by the eyes in the sense of encompassment, because He is exalted beyond finitude and beyond being characterized by limits, which are extremities and sides, as is explained in the books of kalām. Encompassing what is infinite is impossible. There is further explanation of this in the discussion of the ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah ؓ. While holding to its permissibility in this world, it has not occurred to any human other than our Prophet ﷺ, according to what is in that of disagreement, and whoever claims it for other than him is astray. Imam Muwaffaq al-Dīn al-Kawāshī—with a fatḥah and no shaddah, and with a muʿjamah—and Imam al-Mahdawī in their two tafsīrs, and Imam Jamāl al-Dīn al-Ardabīlī—with a fatḥah, a sukūn on the rāʾ, a ḍammah on the unpointed dāl, a kasrah on the bāʾ, and a sukūn on the yāʾ—in the book al-Anwār, definitively declared the disbelief of such a claimant, since the Prophet of Allah, His Messenger, and His interlocutor Mūsā b. ʿImrān asked for it and it did not occur for him, so will it occur for ordinary people? This is something in which one should pause. Section: When what has been established is known, regarding the Prophet’s ﷺ seeing his Lord, Blessed and Exalted, on the Night of the Ascension, there are two schools of thought: ʿĀʾishah denied it, and this is the well-known view from Ibn Masʿūd, and similar has come from Abū Hurayrah, and many scholars of ḥadīth and kalām adopted it. Al-Ḥāfiẓ ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd al-Dārimī went to an extreme and transmitted consensus on it. The second is that he saw Him. ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated from Maʿmar from al-Ḥasan that he used to swear by Allah that Muḥammad ﷺ saw his Lord. Ibn Khuzaymah narrated from ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr affirming it, and he was distressed by ʿĀʾishah’s denial of it. The rest of the companions of Ibn ʿAbbās held this view, and Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, al-Zuhrī, Maʿmar, and others definitively held it. Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī and most of his followers held it. Ibn Khuzaymah inclined to preferring it with what would take long to mention. Then they differed: did he see Him with his eyes or with his heart? Both views are related from Imam Aḥmad. Imam al-Nawawī said: the preponderant view of most scholars is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw his Lord with the eyes of his head on the Night of the Ascension. He elaborated on that and cited proofs, some of which we will contest, as will come in the discussion of the proofs of the first school. A group adopted suspension in this issue and did not definitively negate or affirm it, because of the conflicting proofs. Imam Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Qurṭubī preferred that in al-Mufhim, attributed it to a group of the verifying scholars, and strengthened it by saying that there is no decisive proof in this matter. Most of what the two parties cite are conflicting apparent meanings that are open to interpretation. He said: This issue is not one of the matters of veneration in which probable indication is sufficient. Rather, it is one of the matters of creed, in which only decisive proof suffices. Al-Subkī, may God have mercy on him, said in al-Sayf al-Maslūl: "It is not a condition for it to be a definitive mutawātir [report]; rather, whenever it is a sound ḥadīth, even if apparent, and it is from the narration of single individuals (āḥād), it is permissible to rely on it in that matter because that is among the matters of belief in which certainty is stipulated, although we are not obligated to that." End quote. Al-Qāḍī [ʿIyāḍ] said in al-Shifāʾ and elsewhere: "There is no dispute concerning [its] permissibility, since the verses: 'Vision perceives Him not' [al-Anʿām: 103], and 'You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then you will see Me' [al-Aʿrāf: 143] do not contain an explicit text prohibiting the vision; rather, they indicate its permissibility, as that has been established. As for the necessity of its occurrence for our Prophet ﷺ, and the assertion that he saw Him with his own eyes, there is likewise no definitive [proof] in it, nor an explicit text that can be relied upon, since what is relied upon in it are the two verses of al-Najm: 'The heart did not lie [about] what it saw' [al-Najm: 11] and 'The sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress' [al-Najm: 17]. And the dispute among the imams concerning the two [verses] is well-known, and the possibility of either interpretation regarding their indication of the vision or its absence is possible, due to their lack of explicitness about it; there is no definitive, mutawātir report from the Messenger of God ﷺ about that. The ḥadīth of Ibn ʿAbbās that he saw Him with his eyes or with his heart only arose from a belief that he did not trace back to the Prophet ﷺ so that it could be considered, making it obligatory to act upon the belief of its implication of his seeing his Lord. Similar to it is the ḥadīth of Sharīk from Abū Dharr in the interpretation of the verse that the Prophet ﷺ saw his Lord, and the ḥadīth of Muʿādh: 'I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form,' which is muddled in both chain and text. And the ḥadīth of Abū Dharr is variant in wording and admits the possibility that he saw Him or did not see Him, problematic in that it made His essence light; it is narrated: 'Nūrun annā arāhu,' with a fatḥah on its first letter and a shaddah on the nūn, i.e., 'a light, how can I see Him?' meaning I will never see Him, because it is customary that when light overwhelms the sight, it veils it from seeing what is beyond it; and it is narrated: 'Nūrānī,' that is, with a kasrah on the second nūn and a shaddah on the letter yāʾ." Al-Qāḍī said: "This latter narration has not reached us, and I have not seen it in any of the original sources, and it is impossible that His essence, exalted is He, be light, since light is a body, and God, mighty and majestic, is far above that. Hence His being called light is in the sense of possessor of light or its creator. And in the other ḥadīth: I asked the Messenger of God ﷺ: 'Have you seen your Lord?' The Messenger of God ﷺ said: 'I saw a light.' And it is not possible to use either of them as proof because they clearly state that he did not see Him. If the sound [version] is 'I saw a light,' then the Messenger of God ﷺ reported that he did not see God, exalted is He, but rather saw a light that prevented him and veiled him from seeing God, exalted is He. And to his saying 'I saw a light' returns his saying: 'Nūrun annā arāhu,' i.e., 'How can I see Him when His veil is light that overwhelms the sight?' And this ḥadīth is like the other ḥadīth in meaning: 'His veil is light,' as narrated by Muslim and others. And he also said in al-Ikmāl: Some of our shaykhs paused at this and said: There is no clear evidence for it, but it is permissible, and the vision of God, exalted is He, in this world is permissible. Mention of the proofs for the first opinion Al-Bukhārī and Muslim, ʿAbd al-Razzāq, ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Jarīr and others added on the authority of Masrūq; ʿAbd al-Razzāq and those after him added on his authority, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās met Kaʿb at ʿArafah and asked him about something, and Ibn ʿAbbās said: "We, the Banū Hāshim, claim," and in one wording, "we say: that Muḥammad ﷺ saw his Lord twice." Kaʿb exclaimed 'Allāhu akbar' until the mountains echoed it back to him. Then he said: "God apportioned His vision and His speech between Muḥammad and Moses, peace be upon them both; [He spoke to Moses twice] and Muḥammad ﷺ saw Him twice." Then they agreed. Masrūq said: I entered upon ʿĀʾishah and said: "O my mother, did Muḥammad see his Lord?" She said: "My hair stood on end at what you said. Where are you with regard to three things? Whoever narrates them to you has lied," and in one wording: "has fabricated a great lie against God. Whoever narrates to you that Muḥammad saw his Lord has lied," and in one wording: "has fabricated a great lie against God." Then she recited: 'Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted' [al-Anʿām: 103], 'And it is not for any human that God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil' [al-Shūrā: 51]. "And whoever narrates to you that he knows what will be tomorrow has lied," and in one wording: "has fabricated a great lie against God." Then she recited: 'And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow' [Luqmān: 34]. "And whoever narrates to you that he concealed [something] has lied," and in one wording: "has fabricated a great lie against God." Then she recited: 'O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message' [al-Māʾidah: 67]. "But he saw Gabriel in his [true] form twice." Imam Aḥmad and Muslim added: Masrūq said: "I had been reclining, so I sat up and said: 'Did not God, exalted is He, say: And he certainly saw him in another descent [al-Najm: 13]?" She said: "I was the first of this community to ask the Messenger of God ﷺ about that, so I said: O Messenger of God, have you seen your Lord? He said: 'No, I only saw Gabriel descending.'" Imam Aḥmad narrated through the path of Hammām, and Muslim through the path of Muʿādh b. Hishām from his father, and through the path of Yazīd b. Ibrāhīm, all three from Qatādah from ʿAbd Allāh b. Shaqīq, who said: I said to Abū Dharr: "If I had seen the Messenger of God ﷺ, I would have asked him." He said: "About what would you have asked him?" He said: "I would have asked him: Did he see his Lord, blessed and exalted is He?" He said: "I did ask him; I said: O Messenger of God, have you seen your Lord? He said: 'A light, how can I see Him?'" And in one narration: "I saw a light." Points of note First: A group said: ʿĀʾishah did not negate the occurrence of the vision with a marfūʿ ḥadīth; had she had one, she would have mentioned it. She only relied on deduction from what she mentioned of the apparent meaning of the verse. And what they said is heedless of her statement that she asked the Prophet ﷺ about that, for she said: "O Messenger of God, have you seen your Lord?" He said: "I only saw Gabriel descending." Second: Whoever says that the Prophet ﷺ addressed her according to her level of understanding, and whoever attempts to show her error in what she went to is himself mistaken and lacking in proper manners. Third: Ibn al-Jawzī's statement: "Abū Dharr asked the Messenger of God ﷺ before the Night Journey, and he answered him with what he answered; had he asked him after the Night Journey, he would have answered him with affirmation," is very weak, for ʿĀʾishah, ؓ, asked him after the Night Journey and the vision was not established for her. Fourth: ʿĀʾishah's use of the verse as proof was opposed by Ibn ʿAbbās. Al-Tirmidhī narrated and deemed it ḥasan through the path of al-Ḥakam b. Abān from ʿIkrimah from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: "Muḥammad saw his Lord." I said: "Does not God, exalted is He, say: 'Vision perceives Him not'?" He said: "Woe to you! That is His light; when He manifests Himself with His light, which is His light, he saw his Lord twice." The upshot is that the intended meaning of the verse is encompassment of Him at the time of seeing Him, not negation of the very seeing of Him. Al-Nawawī said: The intended meaning of 'perceiving' is encompassing, and God, exalted is He, cannot be encompassed. When the text comes negating encompassment, it does not necessitate negating the vision without encompassment. As for her use of His saying, exalted is He: 'And it is not for any human that God should speak to him except by revelation' [al-Shūrā: 51] as proof, the response to it is from several aspects: First, it is not necessary that with the vision there be speech at the time of the vision; thus it is permissible for the vision to occur without speech. Second, it is general but specified by the aforementioned evidence. Third, what some scholars said: that the meaning of 'revelation' here is speech without an intermediary, and that the statement, even if ambiguous, the majority hold that the meaning of 'revelation' here is inspiration and dream-vision, both of which are called revelation. As for His saying, exalted is He: 'or from behind a veil,' al-Wāḥidī and others said its meaning is that He does not confront them with speech openly, but they hear His speech, exalted is He, from where they do not see Him; the intended meaning is not that there be a veil separating one place from another, indicating the delimitation of the veiled one. It is like what is heard from behind a veil where the speaker is not seen. Fifth: Kaʿb's statement: "And He spoke to Moses twice" is questionable. The truth is that He spoke to him more than twice, as indicated by His saying, exalted is He: 'And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?' [Ṭā Hā: 17], and His saying, mighty and majestic is He: 'And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?' [Ṭā Hā: 83], and His saying, blessed and exalted is He: 'Indeed, We have tried your people after you' [Ṭā Hā: 85], and His saying, sanctified be His name: 'Take it with strength' [al-Aʿrāf: 145], and His saying, exalted is He: 'Go, both of you, to Pharaoh' [Ṭā Hā: 43], and His saying, mighty and majestic is He: 'And I cast upon you love from Me, and that you be brought up under My eye, when your sister walked,' and other such verses.
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