The Meaning of the Ziyarat of Allah

The Sunnis related many traditions to the effect that the people of Paradise will see Allah with their own eyes.[1] The Shia, on the other hand, believe that not only is Allah imperceptible by the eyes, but that His Essence (Dhat) cannot be imagined, thought about, or described. A number of verses in the Quran attest this rational fact.[2] Any imagination or perception of the Essence of Allah is a creation of our mind, and the Creator is far removed from such a perception. Therefore, we have no way to comprehend His Essence. We only understand by reason that He should be purified from two limits: non-existence and likeness. Due to His abundant signs, we know that He is not non-existent, and at the same time, we know that He has no similarity whatsoever with any type of existence that we know and comprehend. This implies that the Essence of Allah cannot be seen. Anything that is partially or entirely captured by our faculties is a limited, composed, and created being and any created being needs a creator. If one could see the Lord by eyes, then his eyes have made Him a created being like other beings. He who likens Allah to His creation has indeed taken associates with Alla

Hence, if the mentioned traditions by the Sunnis regarding viewing Allah are true, they should have a different interpretation. In the following widely reported narration, the eigth Imam, al-Ridha (PBUH), was asked about one of such traditions, and below is his interesting response. Abu Salt al-Hirawi (RA) narrated:

عَنِ الهِِِرَوِيّ قالَ: قُلتُ لِعَلِيِّ بنِ مُوسَى الرِّضا (ع): يَا ابنَ رَسولِ اللهِ! ما تَقولُ فِي الحَديثِ الّذي يَرويهِ أهلُ الحَديثِ إنّ المؤُمِنينَ يَزورونَ رَبّهم مِن مَنازِلِهم فِي الجنّة؟ فقالَ (ع): يا أبا الصَّلتِ إنّ اللهَ تَباركَ وَ تَعالى فَضَّلَ نَبيَّهُ مُحمّداً (ص) عَلى جَميعِ خَلقِهِ مِنَ النَّبيينَ وَ الملائِكَةِ وَ جَعلَ طاعَتَهُ طاعَتَهُ وَ مُبايَعَتَهُ مُبايَعَتَهُ وَ زِيارَتَهُ فِي الدُّنيا وَ الآخِرَةِ زِيارَتَه، فقالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أطاعَ اللَّهَ، و قال: إنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبايِعُونَكَ إنَّما يُبايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أيْدِيهِمْ، و قال النَّبي (ص): مَن زارَني في حَياتي أو بَعدَ مَوتي فَقَد زارَ اللهُ جَلَّ جَلالُه، وَ دَرَجَةُ النبيِّ (ص) في الجنَّةِ أرفعُ الدَّرَجاتِ، فَمَن زارَهُ إلى دَرَجَتِهِ فِي الجنّة مِن مَنْزِلِهِ فَقَد زارَ اللهَ تَباركَ و تَعالى.

I asked Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha (PBUH): “O son of the Messenger of Allah! What do you say about that which is related by the narrators of Hadith that the believers shall visit their Lord from their houses in Paradise?” [3]  He (PBUH) said: “O Aba Salt! Verily Allah favored the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF) over all His creation including the prophets and the Angels. He made/rendered obedience to him as obedience to Him, pledging allegiance to him as pledging allegiance to Him, and visiting him (Ziyarat) in this world and in the hereafter as visiting Him. Allah, the mighty and the majestic, says, ‘Whoever obeys the Messenger, he has indeed obeyed Allah,’ (4:80) and ‘Verily those who pledge allegiance to you, they have indeed pledged allegiance to Allah; the hand of Allah is over their hands.’ (48:10) And the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said, ‘He who visits me during my lifetime or after my death has indeed visited Allah, the glorious.’ In fact, the degree of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) in Paradise is the highest (of all), and therefore, he who visits him in his degree in Paradise, from his house, has indeed visited Allah, the mighty and the majestic.”

قالَ: فَقُلتُ لَهُ: يَا ابنَ رَسولِ اللهِ فَما مَعنَى الخبرِ الَّذي رَوَوْهُ أنَّ ثَوابَ لا إلهَ إلّا الله النَّظَرُ إلى وَجهِ اللهِ؟ فَقالَ (ع): يا أبَا الصَّلتِ مَن وَصَفَ اللهَ بِوَجهٍ كَالوُجوهِ فَقَد كَفَرَ، وَ لكِنْ وَجهُ اللهِ أنبياؤُهُ وَ رُسلُه وَ حُجَجُهُ صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِم. هُمُ الَّذينَ بِهِم يُتَوَجَّهُ إلَى اللهِ وَ إلى دينِهِ وَ مَعرِفَتِهِ، وَ قالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْها فانٍ وَ يَبْقى‏ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ. و قالَ عَزَّ و جَلَّ: كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ هالِكٌ إلاَّ وَجْهَهُ. فَالنَّظّرُ إلى أنبِياءِ اللهِ وَ رُسلِهِ وَ حُجَجِهِ (ع) في دَرَجاتِهِم ثَوابٌ عَظيمٌ لِلمُؤمِنينَ يَومَ القِيامَةِ، وَ قَد قالَ النَبيُّ (ص): مَن أبْغَضَ أهلَ بَيتي وَ عِترَتي لمَ يَرَني وَ لَم أرَهُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ، و قالَ (ص): إنَّ فيكُم مَن لا يَراني بَعدَ أن يُفارِقُني. يا أبا الصَّلتِ إنَّ اللهَ تَباركَ وَ تَعالى لا يوُصَفُ بِمكانٍ وَ لا يُدرَكُ بِالأبصارِ و الأوهامِ.

I further asked the Imam, “O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is the meaning of the Hadith that they narrate: ‘The reward for saying, there is no God but Allah, is looking toward the face of Allah?’” The Imam (PBUH) answered, “He who describes Allah by a face like faces, has indeed become a disbeliever. The face of Allah is His Prophets, His Messengers and His Proofs, peace be upon them, through whom people turn towards Allah, His religion, and His cognizance. Allah, the mighty and the majestic, says, ‘All that is over it shall perish, but shall remain the face of Your Lord, to Whom belong majesty and honor.’ (55:26-27) Further, Allah says, ‘Everything shall perish but His face.’ (28:88) Thus, (that narration means) looking toward the Prophets of Allah, His Messengers, and His Proofs in their degrees is a great reward for the believers on the Day of Judgment. Verily the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said, ‘He who hates my household and my progeny, shall not see me (i.e., shall not see my mercy) nor shall I see him (i.e., nor do I pay attention to him) on the Day of Judgment.’ He (PBUH&HF) also said: ‘Verily amongst you are people who shall not see me after my departure.’ O Aba Salt! Verily Allah cannot be described by place and cannot be perceived by vision or imagination.” [4]

“Wajh” means face or direction. When we want to pay attention to someone, we direct ourselves toward his face. The face is also means of identification. In order to know Allah, one should direct himself toward His “face”: the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and his Ahl al-Bait (PBUT). They are the means of remembrance and addressing Allah, and only through them can one properly recognize Him. They are the proofs (al-Hujja) of Allah, His “hand” of mercy over His creation, His “tongue” in expounding His commandments, and His “eyes” as witnesses over His creations. Allah is exalted beyond having organs as He is the creator of the face, eye, and hand. Whatever is other than Allah falls into the category of His creation and Allah does not need any of His creation. He is almighty, ever hearing and seeing without means. Yet, He has created means for His servants. It is narrated that Imam Ali (PBUH) stated:

وَ كُلُّ ما فِي الذِّكرِ الحَكيمِ وَ الكِتابِ الكَريمِ وَ الكَلامِ القَديمِ مِن آيةٍ تُذكَرُ فيهَا العَينُ وَ الوَجهُ و اليَدُ و الجَنْبُ، فَالمرادُ مِنهَا الوَلِيُّ.

“Any verse in the Book of Allah in which one of the words ‘eye’, ‘face’, ‘hand’, or ‘side’ is mentioned (for Allah), it is referring to the Wali (the divinely appointed authority).” [5]

Allah does not have a body to see or visit. Rather, He has defined visitation of His Messenger (PBUH&HF) as a symbolic visitation of Him in this world and the hereafter. In addition, since the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and the Imams (PBUT) from his family were created from one light, visiting the Imams is visiting the Prophet (PBUH&HF), which is, in turn, visiting Allah. Zaid Ibn al-Shahham narrated:

عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع): مَا لِمَنْ زَارَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ (ص)؟ قَالَ: كَمَنْ زَارَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ... قَالَ: قُلْتُ فَمَا لِمَنْ زَارَ أحَداً مِنْكُمْ؟ قَالَ: كَمَنْ زَارَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ (ص).

I asked Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH), “What is (the benefit) of a person who visits the (the grave of the) Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)?” He answered, “He is like the one who has visited Allah, the mighty and the majestic …” I further asked, “How about the person who visits one of you (Ahl al-Bait)?” He (PBUH) replied, “He is like the one who has visited the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF).” [6]

[1] See, for instance, Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 9, Hadith 530-532.

[2] C.f. the holy Quran, 6:103, 7:143, and 42:11.

[3] A similar narration for this Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) by the Sunnis, which explicitly uses the term Ziyarat of Allah (Yazuruna Rabbahum) is found in al-Durr al-Manthur, by al-Suyuti, vol. 8, page 354, under the commentary of Chapter 75, Verses 22-23 of the Quran, narrated by Anas Ibn Malik.

[4] al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 408; Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (PBUH), vol. 1, p. 115, Hadith 3; Kitab al-Tawhid, p. 117, Hadith 21; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 4, p. 31, Hadith 6.

[5] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 25, p. 173.

[6] al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 585, Hadith 5; Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 150, Hadith 4; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 97, p. 119, Hadith 15.