Al-Qiyamah (The Resurrection): (23) "And faces on that Day looking toward their Lord."

The Issue of Seeing God on the Day of Resurrection

Know that the majority of the Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis) rely on this verse to affirm that the believers will see God, the Exalted, on the Day of Resurrection.

However, the Mu'tazilah (Rationalists) have two main points regarding this verse:

1. To demonstrate that its apparent meaning does not necessitate seeing God.
2. To present an alternative interpretation (Ta'wil).

The Mu'tazilah argue that the verb naẓar (to look) when followed by the preposition ilā (to/toward) is not synonymous with ru'yah (seeing/vision). Instead, it refers to the preliminary action leading to sight: the turning of the eye toward the object intended to be seen, in pursuit of seeing it.

They draw an analogy:

• The looking of the eye (naẓar al-'ayn) is to sight (ru'yah) as the looking of the heart (naẓar al-qalb) is to knowledge (ma'rifah), and as listening attentively (iṣghā’) is to hearing (samāʿ).
• Just as attentive listening precedes hearing, and the heart's focus precedes knowledge, so too does the eye's turning precede sight.

They offer several proofs that naẓar is not the same as ru'yah:

1. The Verse on Disbelievers: God says, "{And you see them looking toward you, while they do not see you}" (Al-A'rāf: 198). This verse affirms naẓar occurring in the absence of ru'yah, proving they are different.
2. Descriptive Adjectives: Naẓar can be described by states that ru'yah cannot. One can say, "He looked at him with a hostile glance (naẓaran sharzan)," or "a look of anger/satisfaction." This is because the movement of the pupil indicates these states, but sight itself is not described this way (one does not say, "He saw him with a hostile sight").
3. Sequence of Action: Phrases like, "Look at him until you see him," or "I looked at him, and then I saw him," establish ru'yah as the goal (ghāyah) of naẓar, necessitating a difference between the two.
4. Mutual Facing: The phrase "The houses are mutanāẓirah" means they are facing each other. Here, the meaning of naẓar (facing) is present, but the meaning of ru'yah (actual sight) is not necessarily present.
5. Poetry Example: A poet states:

   "Faces looking toward the Merciful on the Day of Badr, Awaiting deliverance." The poet affirms naẓar coupled with ilā even when sight had not yet occurred.

6. Abū ʿAlī al-Fārisī's Argument: He argued that naẓar means turning the pupil toward the location of the desired object, not the act of perception itself. He cited poetry where someone expresses longing:

   "O my days, can my weeping repay you in kind, While my breaths are drawn toward you? How can I, when I look toward the side Where you are among the sides, looking?" He argued that if naẓar meant ru'yah, the speaker would not seek a reward for it, as seeing the beloved is one of the greatest desires itself.

7. Specificity of Direction: The phrase "{looking toward their Lord}" implies that their looking is exclusively toward God and nothing else. This is supported by the use of the preposition ilā (toward) in other verses where it denotes exclusivity (e.g., "{To your Lord is the final destination on that Day}" [Al-Qiyāmah: 12]). Since it is established that the believers will look at countless things on the Day of Judgment (as they are the secure ones who "will have no fear, nor will they grieve"), and the verse restricts their looking to God, the intended meaning of naẓar toward God cannot be ru'yah (since they look at other things too).
8. Negation of Naẓar vs. Ru'yah: God says, "{And He will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection}" (Āl ʿImrān: 77). If He had said, "He will not see them," it would have sufficed. The negation of naẓar while not negating ru'yah proves they are different concepts.

Based on these points, the Mu'tazilah conclude that the naẓar mentioned in this verse is not ru'yah.

The Mu'tazilah offer three main interpretations to reconcile the verse with their premise that God cannot be seen:

First Interpretation: Naẓar means Expectation/Waiting

The meaning is that their faces will be expecting/awaiting the reward of their Lord. This is supported by verses like:

• "{So wait, indeed we are waiting with you}" (An-Naml: 35).
• "{And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] respite until a time of ease}" (Al-Baqarah: 280).

Objections to this interpretation:

1. Usage: They claim naẓar coupled with ilā is not used for mere waiting.
2. Emotional State: Waiting involves anxiety and pain, which is unfitting for the people of bliss on the Day of Resurrection.

Rebuttals to the Objections:

1. Rebuttal to Usage: Naẓar coupled with ilā is used for expectation and hope. A poet says:

   "And when I look toward you, O King, While the sea is beneath you, you increase my favors upon me." The distinction is that waiting for a person's physical arrival uses naẓar without the preposition (naẓartu). But waiting for their provision or aid (rafd or maʿūnah) often uses ilā (e.g., "My gaze is toward God, then toward you"). Furthermore, even the blind might say, "My eye is fixed upon you" in this context. Alternatively, the preposition ilā here might not be for transitive action but might refer to "a blessing" (ni'mah). The meaning would be: "Faces on that Day radiant, awaiting the blessing of their Lord."

2. Rebuttal to Emotional State: If the one waiting is certain of receiving what they await, their waiting is accompanied by the greatest pleasure, not anxiety.

Second Interpretation: Implied Addition (Iḍmār al-Muḍāf)

The meaning is: "Looking toward the reward of their Lord." They argue this interpretation is necessary because textual and rational proofs have established that God's vision is impossible.

Counter-Argument: If naẓar means turning the eye, then the verse "{And He will not look at them}" (referring to God looking at the disbelievers) would imply God does not turn His eye toward Hellfire, which is absurd. If they argue it means "looking with mercy," that is precisely the argument we (the Sunnis) use against their initial premise.

Third Interpretation: Focus of Desire/Supplication

The meaning is that their faces will be asking for nothing and desiring nothing except from God. This aligns with the Prophet's saying, "Worship God as if you see Him." Due to their intense supplication and severance of hope from all others, they are metaphorically described as looking at Him.

Regarding the Mu'tazilah claim that naẓar is not ru'yah, we have two points:

First Point: Establishing Naẓar as Ru'yah

1. The Case of Moses (PBUH): God recounts Moses saying, "{I will look at you}" (Al-A'rāf: 143). If naẓar only meant turning the pupil toward the object, this verse would imply Moses attributed a physical direction (jiha) and location (makān) to God, which is impossible.
2. Sequence with Will: Naẓar is described as being contingent upon irādah (will/desire), meaning naẓar follows the will. Turning the pupil, however, is not subsequent to the will; it is immediate. Therefore, naẓar must mean the perception itself.

Second Point: Accepting Naẓar as Preliminary Action, but Applying the Result

Even if we concede that naẓar means turning the pupil in pursuit of sight, since carrying the verse in its literal sense (turning the eye) is impossible (as God has no physical location), we must carry it over to its consequence (musabbab), which is ru'yah. This is an application of the cause's name to the effect.

Carrying it over to ru'yah is preferable to carrying it over to intizār (waiting), because turning the pupil is directly related to sight (as a cause), whereas there is no direct connection between turning the pupil and waiting.

We have two points regarding their claim that naẓar means waiting:

1. Quranic Usage: Naẓar meaning waiting is frequent in the Qur'an, but it is never coupled with the preposition ilā that conveys transitive action. Examples of waiting without ilā: "{Wait for us, we will take some of your light}" (Al-Hadid: 13) and "{Do they await anything other than its interpretation?}" (Al-A'rāf: 53). We maintain that naẓar coupled with ilā (leading to a face/object) means either sight or an action that immediately precedes sight. Thus, it cannot mean waiting, to avoid ambiguity.
2. Poetry Refutation: Regarding the poetry cited:
   • The correct narration of the poem is: "Faces looking toward the Merciful on the Day of Bikr [a person's name or place], awaiting deliverance."
   • The "Merciful" (Raḥmān) referred to here is Musaylimah the Liar, as his followers called him the Raḥmān of Yamāmah. His companions were looking to him for deliverance from the enemy.
   • Regarding the poet who said, "And when I look toward you, O King," this cannot mean waiting, as mere waiting does not necessitate a gift. It must mean, "And when I ask you," because looking toward someone is a prelude to conversation, making it permissible to use the term for the subsequent action.
   • If they insist ilā means "a blessing," then ilā becomes a noun referring to a blessing. This implies that the mere existence of any blessing, however small, fulfills the term. The people of bliss on the Day of Judgment will be in complete, perfect blessings. It is absurd to promise such people that they will be awaiting a single crumb of bread or a drop of water (which is what "awaiting a blessing" implies in this context). This is as nonsensical as promising an earthly king that in a year, his status will be such that he will be awaiting a single morsel of bread.

Second Point on Waiting: The Superiority of the Hereafter

Even if naẓar coupled with ilā sometimes means waiting in the Arabic language, this verse cannot be interpreted that way. The pleasure of waiting, coupled with the certainty of attainment, was already experienced in the world. Therefore, the Hereafter must bring something greater than that to warrant mention as a motivation for the Hereafter. It cannot simply be the "nearness of attainment," as that is already known rationally. Thus, their interpretation of waiting is invalidated.

Rebuttal to the Second Interpretation (Reward)

Interpreting it as "looking toward the reward of their Lord" is abandoning the apparent meaning (ẓāhir). They claim this is necessary because rational and textual proofs show God cannot be seen. We have demonstrated in our rational works the weakness of those proofs, so there is no need to detail them here.

Verse 24: "{And faces on that Day distressed, Tadhunnu that a crushing calamity will befall them.}"

(The text transitions to the next verse, indicating the contrast between the two groups of faces.)