IBN HANBAL ON SEEING HIS lord

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He will by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise. [al-Shoora 42:51].

Abu Hurayrah said: Some people said, O Messenger of Allah, will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? He said, Do you have any doubt about seeing the sun on a cloudless day? They said, No, O Messenger of Allah. He said, Do you have any doubt about seeing the full moon on a cloudless night? They said, No, O Messenger of Allah. He said, You will see Him just as clearly on the Day of Resurrection

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6088). It is clear that the idea that Allah will not be seen in this life was well-entrenched in the minds of the Sahaabah. They were asking about the Hereafter, and this is what the Prophets answer also referred to.

Abu Dharr said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, Have you seen your Lord? He said, (There is) light, how could I see Him? This light, which prevented him from seeing Him, is a veil of light, which is further explained in the hadith of Abu Moosa, who said, The Messenger of Allah stood up and told us five things: Allah does not sleep, and it is not befitting that He should sleep. He lowers the scale and lifts it. The deeds in the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night. His veil is the light. If He were to withdraw it (the veil), the splendour of His countenance would consume His creation as far as His sight reaches. (Reported by Imaam Ahmad and Muslim, 263).

Further clear evidence comes in the hadith which warns against the Dajjaal (antichrist): Written between his eyes is (the word) kaafir, which will be read by everyone who hates his works, or every believer will read it. Know that none of you will see your Lord until he dies. (Reported by Muslim, 5215).

So any claim that anyone but the Prophet can see Allah in reality is impossible, according to the consensus of the scholars. However, there is some disagreement among the scholars as to whether or not the Prophet saw Allah on the night of the Miraaj. The correct view is that he did not see Him physically, with his own two eyes, because when he was asked about this, he said, (There is) light, how could I see Him? According to another report, he said, I saw light. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not see Him, but he saw His veil of light.

The question of whether Allah may be seen in a dream does not contradict the fact that Allah cannot be seen in reality in this world, because all the texts quoted above speak about physical vision when one is awake, not the vision of the heart when one is asleep. Proof that the latter kind of vision is possible is to be seen in the hadith about the dispute of the chiefs on high (the angels). Ibn Abbaas said, The Messenger of Allah said, My Lord came to me tonight in the most beautiful form. I think he said, in a dream. He said, O Muhammad, do you know what the chiefs on high disputed about? I said, No. He put His hand between my shoulder-blades and I could feel its coolness on my chest (or just beneath my throat), then I knew everything that is in the heavens and on earth. He said, O Muhammad, do you know what the chiefs on high disputed about? I said, Yes. He said, About expiation, and expiation is staying in the mosque after prayers, walking to join congregational prayers, and doing wudoo properly in adverse conditions. Whoever does that will live a good life and die a good death, and will be as sinless as the day his mother bore him. He said, O Muhammad, when you pray, say Allahumma innee asaluka fal al-khayraat wa tark al-munkaraat wa hubb al-masaakeen, wa idha aradta bi ibaadika fitnatan faqbudni ilayka ghayra maftoon (O Allah, I ask you to make me do good deeds and avoid evil deeds, and to make me love the poor and wretched. If You want to test Your slaves, then take me unto You without subjecting me to the trial). Ones status in Paradise may be raised by spreading the greeting of salaam, feeding others, and praying at night when people are sleeping. (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 16026; and by al-Tirmidhi, 3159, who said it is a SAHEEH HASAN HADITH).

Some of the scholars have commented that it is possible to see Allah in a dream.

Imaam al-Daarimi said, in his refutation of Bishr ibn Ghiyaath, This seeing took place in a dream, and in a dream it is possible to see Allah in any shape or form. (p. 166)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, A believer may see his Lord in a dream, in various forms according to his faith and belief. If his eemaan is correct, he can only see Him in a beautiful form, and if his faith is lacking, this will be reflected in the way he sees Him. Seeing Allah in a dream is not like seeing Him in reality. It may have different interpretations and meanings referring to something in reality. (al-Fatawa, 3/390)

He also said, Whoever sees Allah in a dream sees Him in a form that corresponds to his own state. If he is righteous, he will see Him in a beautiful form, which is why the Prophet saw him in the most beautiful form.(al-Fatawa, 5/251)

Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn Baz was asked about the ruling concerning one who claims to have seen the Lord of Glory in a dream, and whether it was true, as some claim, that Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had seen the Lord of Glory in his dreams more than one hundred times. The Shaykh answered as follows:

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and others said that it is possible for a man to see his Lord in a dream, but what he sees is not reality, because there is nothing like Allah. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [al-Shoora 42:11]. Nothing in His creation is like unto Him. A person may dream that his Lord is speaking to him, and no matter what kind of image he sees, that image is not Allah, because there is nothing that is like Allah in any way. Shaykh Taqiy al-Deen mentioned that dreams differ according to the state of the person who is dreaming. The more righteous and closer to goodness a person is, the more correct his dream will be, but the truth is still something other than what he sees, because the guiding principle is still that there is nothing like unto Allah.

He may hear a voice and be told such-and-such, or to do such-and-such, without any clear image resembling anything in creation, because there is nothing at all like unto Allah. Some people may imagine that they have seen their Lord when in fact this is not the case. The Shaytaan may deceive a person and make him imagine that he is their Lord, as it was reported that he made Abd al-Qaadir al-Jeelaani see him on a throne above water, and said, I am your Lord and I freed you from doing any duties (worship, etc.). Abd al-Qaadir al-Jeelaani said, Get lost, O enemy of Allah! You are not my Lord, because the commands of my Lord are not cancelled for anyone, or some similar words.

As for whether Imaam Ahmad saw his Lord, I do not know if this is true or not. It is said that he saw his Lord but I do not know if this is true. (Is it possible to see Allah in this world?; see also Seeing Allah in a Dream – Islam Question & Answer)

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal used to be severely tortured for just saying that Qur’an is not created. At that time, the caliph, Al Mu’tasim was also with the opinion that Qur’an was created. So one day, Imam Ahmad was imprisoned and as Sulaiman said, ‘He was then carried to the prison and the people departed, so I departed with them. Then when the next day arrived the people came (to the door of al Mu’tasim) so I came with them and stood in front of the chair. Then al-Mu’tasim appeared and sat on the chair and said, ‘Bring Ahmad ibn Hanbal.’ So he was brought and when he stood in front of him al-Mu’tasim said to him, ‘How were you in your cell during the night, O’ son of Hanbal?’ He said, “In goodness, and all praises are due to Allah.” Al-Mu‘tasim said, ‘O’ Ahmad, I saw a dream yesterday.’ He said, “And what did you see, O’ Ameer-ul-Mu’minin?” He said, ‘I saw in my dream as if there were two lions approaching me and they desired to tear me apart. And then two angels appeared and repelled them from me. They gave me a hook and said to me, “This written (piece) is the dream that Ahmad ibn Hanbal saw in his cell.” So what is it that you saw, O’ son of Hanbal?’

So Ahmad faced al-Mu’tasim and said, “O’ Ameer-ul-Mu’minin is the book with you?” He said, ‘Yes, and when I awoke, I read what was in it.’ So Ahmad said to him, “O’ Ameer-ul-Mu’minin, I saw as if the Day of Judgement had been established, and as if Allah had gathered the first and the last (of people) in a single plain and He was calling them to account. Whilst I was standing, I was called for, so I proceeded until I stood in front of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and He said to me, ‘O’ Ahmad, for what were you beaten?’ I said, “On account of the Qur’an.” He said, “And what is the Qur’an?” I said, “Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You.” He said, ‘From where do you (derive and) say this?’ I said, “O’ Lord, ‘Abdur-Razzaq narrated to me.” So ‘Abdur Razzaq was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O ‘Abdur Razzaq?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where do you (derive and) say this?’ He said, ‘Ma’mar narrated to me.’ So Ma’mar was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, 0 Ma’mar?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where do you (derive and) say this?’ He said, ‘Az Zuhri narrated to me.’ So Az Zuhri was called for and he was Brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O’ Zuhri?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ So Allah said, ‘From where do you (derive and) say this?’ He said, “Urwah narrated to me.’ So ‘Urwah was brought, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an?’ He said, ‘Your Words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘O ‘Urwah, from where do you (derive and) say this?’

He said, “Aa’ishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, narrated to me.’ So ‘Aa’ishah was called for and she was brought, until she was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to her, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O’ ‘Aa’ishah?’ She said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where do you (derive and) say this?’ She said, ‘Your Prophet Muhammad narrated to me.’ He said, ‘So Muhammad was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O’ Muhammad?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ So the Prophet said, ‘Jibreel narrated to me.’

So Jibreel was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O’ Jibreel?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ He said, ‘Such did Israafeel narrate to me. So Israafeel was called for and he was brought, until he was made to stand in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and Allah, the Sublime, said to him, ‘What do you say about the Qur’an, O’ Israafeel?’ He said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You,’ so Allah said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ He said, ‘I saw that in the Lawhul-Mahfoodh (the Preserved Tablet).’ So the Preserved Tablet was brought and stood in front of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and He said, ‘O’ Lawh, what do you say about the Qur’an?’ And it said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You.’ Then Allah, the Exalted said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ And the Lawh said, ‘Such did the Qalam (the Pen) inscribe upon me.’ Then the Pen was brought until it stood in front of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, so Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said to it, ‘O Qalam, what do you say about the Qur’an?’ The Qalam said, ‘Your words, O’ Allah, belonging to You.’ So Allah said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ The Qalam said — ‘You dictated and I wrote.’ Then Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, said, ‘The Qalam has spoken the truth. The Lawh has spoken the truth. Israafeel has spoken the truth. Jibreel has spoken the truth. Muhammad has spoken the truth. ‘Aa’ishah has spoken the truth. ‘Urwah has spoken the truth. Az-Zuhri has spoken the truth. Ma’mar has spoken the truth. ‘Abdur-Razzaq has spoken the truth. Ahmad ibn Hanbal has spoken the truth. The Qur’an is My Speech, it is not created.’

Sulaiman as-Sijzi said, ‘Al-Mu’tasim leapt upon hearing that and said, ‘You have spoken the truth, O’ son of Hanbal.’ Then al- Mu’tasim repented, ordered the necks of Bishr al-Mareesee and Ibn Abi Duwaad to be beaten and revered Ahmad ibn Hanbal and bestowed upon him, but (Ahmad) refrained from that. He was then ordered to be taken to his house and was taken.’ (The Dream of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal ; see also i-saw-a-dream-imam-ahmad-ibn-hanbal.pdf)