Question:
Assalamualaikum wrm.wbt.,
Is it true that we can meet Allah SWT in paradise in the hereafter?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrm. wbt.,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
The Blessing of Meeting Allah SWT in Paradise
Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah scholars have agreed that meeting Allah SWT is not something that is impossible when considered logically and wajib through sam’iy evidences. They also agreed that the believers will meet Him in the hereafter. As for the opinion from some of the Muktazilites, Khawarij, Jahmiyyah and Murji’ah who claimed that we cannot meet with Allah SWT in paradise, their opinion is wrong and it contradicts the evidences in the Quran, sunnah and both ijma’ of the Companions R.Anhum and the salafussoleh. (Refer Syarh al-‘Aqidah al-Tohawiyyah by Imam Ibn Abi al-‘Izz pg. 188; Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim by al-Imam al-Nawawi 3/15; Syarh al-‘Aqa’id al-Nasafiyyah by Imam al-Taftazani pg. 77-79 dan Majmu’ al-Fatawa Ibn Taimiyyah 3/389)
Among the clearest evidences is the statement of Allah SWT:
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ ﴿٢٣﴾
“[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, Looking at their Lord.”
Surah al-Qiyamah (22-23)
The same is stated in another statement of His:
لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ
“For them who have done good is the best [reward] and extra.”
Surah Yunus (26)
From Suhaib RA, the Prophet PBUH recited the above verse of Surah Yunus and then, the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا دَخَلَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ الْجَنَّةَ - قَالَ - يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى تُرِيدُونَ شَيْئًا أَزِيدُكُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ أَلَمْ تُبَيِّضْ وُجُوهَنَا أَلَمْ تُدْخِلْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَتُنَجِّنَا مِنَ النَّارِ - قَالَ - فَيَكْشِفُ الْحِجَابَ فَمَا أُعْطُوا شَيْئًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
“When those deserving of Paradise would enter Paradise, the Blessed and the Exalted would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say: Hast Thou not brightened our faces? Hast Thou not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Fire? He (the narrator) said: He (God) would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would he dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.”
Sahih Muslim (181) and Sunan Ibn Majah (187)
Allah SWT states in another verse:
لَهُمْ مَا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ
“They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.”
Surah Qaf (35)
The same is stated in His statement:
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
Surah al-Mutoffifin (15)
Imam al-Baihaqi narrated according to Imam al-Syafi’e, this verse is the evidence that those of whom Allah SWT loves will be able to meet Him in which He is happy with them. (Refer Ma’rifah al-Sunan wa al-Atsar 1/191)
Furthermore, tsabit is also a hadith narrated by Jarir bin Abdillah R.A:
كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ نَظَرَ إِلَى الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ قَالَ " إِنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْقَمَرَ لاَ تُضَامُّونَ فِي رُؤْيَتِهِ
We were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) and he looked at the moon on the night of the full-moon and said, "You people will see your Lord as you see this full moon, and you will have no trouble in seeing Him,”
Sahih al-Bukhari (7434) and Sahih Muslim (633)
Likewise, it is stated in a hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Umar R.Anhuma, the Prophet PBUH said:
تَعَلَّمُوا أَنَّهُ لَنْ يَرَى أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ رَبَّهُ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ
“You must know that not one of you will ever see his Lord until he dies.”
Sahih Muslim (2930)
The blessing of being able to see and meet Allah SWT is the greatest blessing of all (al-Lazzah al-Kubra) which would make the people of paradise forget about all the other blessings. Thus, the Prophet PBUH calls for the Muslimin to make the blessing of meeting and seeing Allah SWT as their main motivator in striving for Paradise. The blessing of seeing Allah SWT is the greatest of all other material blessings. (Refer Ihyaa’ Ulum al-Din 4/543)
Regarding the matters of the ways we would be able to meet and see Allah SWT, it is among the matters of the unseen and hence, will not be discussed. It is enough to belief that Allah SWT is unlike anything or anyone. This is in accordance with His statement:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ
“There is nothing like unto Him,”
Surah al-Syura (11)
Conclusion
In short, we would like to state that the blessing of seeing and meeting Allah SWT in paradise is something that has been agreed upon by the scholars of Ahlussunah wal jamaah according to numerous evidences from al-Quran and al-Sunnah. There is none who contradict this except the people of bid’ah from among the Muktazilites, Khawarij, Jahmiyyah and Murji’ah.
Wallahua’lam.