Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-An'am -> Allah is Your Lord

Allah said,

﴿ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظڈظ€ظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظ€ظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(Such is Allah, your Lord!) Who created everything and has neither a son nor a wife,

﴿ظ„ط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط®ظژظ€ظ„ظگظ‚ظڈ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظگ ط´ظژظ‰ظ’ط،ظچ ظپظژط§ط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈ﴾

(None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him,) Alone without partners, and attest to His Oneness, affirming that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Allah has neither descendants, nor acsendants, wife, equal or rival,

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظگ ط´ظژظ‰ظ’ط،ظچ ظˆظژظƒظگظٹظ„ظŒ﴾

(And He is the Guardian over all things.) meaning, Trustee, Watcher and Disposer of affairs for all things in existence, giving them provisions and protection by day and night. Seeing Allah in the Hereafter Allah said,

﴿ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظڈ﴾

(No vision can grasp Him) in this life. The vision will be able to look at Allah in the Hereafter, as affirmed and attested to by the numerous Hadiths from the Prophet through authentic chains of narration in the collections of the Sahihs, Musnad and Sunan collections. As for this life, Masruq narrated that `A'ishah said, "Whoever claims that Muhammad has seen his Lord, will have uttered a lie against Allah, for Allah the Most Honored, says,

﴿ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظڈ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظژ﴾

(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.)'' In the Sahih (Muslim) it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari narrated from the Prophet ,

آ«ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظژ ظ„ظژط§ ظٹظژظ†ظژط§ظ…ظڈ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ ظٹظژظ†ظ’ط¨ظژط؛ظگظٹ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ ظٹظژظ†ظژط§ظ…ظژطŒ ظٹظژط®ظ’ظپظگط¶ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظگط³ظ’ط·ظژ ظˆظژظٹظژط±ظ’ظپظژط¹ظڈظ‡ظڈطŒ ظٹظڈط±ظ’ظپظژط¹ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط¹ظژظ…ظژظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظگ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظگطŒ ظˆظژط¹ظژظ…ظژظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظگ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظگطŒ ط­ظگط¬ظژط§ط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظڈظˆط±ظڈ ط£ظژظˆظگ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظڈ ظ„ظژظˆظ’ ظƒظژط´ظژظپظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژط£ظژط­ظ’ط±ظژظ‚ظژطھظ’ ط³ظژط¨ظڈط­ظژط§طھظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظ’ظ‡ظگظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ط§ظ†ظ’طھظژظ‡ظژظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط¨ظژطµظژط±ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط®ظژظ„ظ’ظ‚ظگظ‡آ»

(Verily, Allah does not sleep and it does not befit His majesty that He should sleep. He lowers the scale (of everything) and raises it. The deeds of the day are ascended to Him before the night, and the deeds of the night before the day. His Veil is the Light -- or Fire -- and if He removes it (the veil), the Light of His Face will burn every created thing that His sight reaches.) In the previous ﴿revealed﴾ Books there is this statement, "When Musa requested to see Him, Allah said to Musa: `O Musa! Verily, no living thing sees Me, but it dies and no dried things sees me, but it rolls up.' '' Allah said,

﴿ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ طھظژط¬ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظ‰ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظگظ„ظ’ط¬ظژط¨ظژظ„ظگ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¯ظژظƒظ‘ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژط®ظژط±ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظˆط³ظژظ‰ طµظژط¹ظگظ‚ظ‹ط§ ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط¢ ط£ظژظپظژط§ظ‚ظژ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط³ظڈط¨ظ’ط­ظژظ€ظ†ظژظƒظژ طھظڈط¨ظ’طھظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظژ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظژط§ظ’ ط£ظژظˆظ‘ظژظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Musa fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.'') ﴿7:143﴾. These Ayat, Hadiths and statements do not negate the fact that Allah will be seen on the Day of Resurrection by His believing servants, in the manner that He decides, all the while preserving His might and grace as they are. The Mother of the Faithful, `A'ishah, used to affirm that Allah will be seen in the Hereafter, but denied that it could occur in this life, mentioning this Ayah as evidence,

﴿ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظڈ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظژ﴾

(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.) Her denial was a denial of the ability to encompass Him, meaning to perfectly see His grace and magnificance as He is, for that is not possible for any human, angel or anything created. Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظژ﴾

(but His grasp is over all vision.) means, He encompasses all vision and He has full knowledge of them, for He created them all. In another Ayah, Allah said;

﴿ط£ظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژط·ظگظٹظپظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژط¨ظگظٹط±ظڈ ﴾

(Should not He Who has created know And He is the Most Subtle, Well Acquainted (with all things).) ﴿67:14﴾ It is also possible that `all vision' refers to those who have the vision. As-Suddi said that Allah's statement,

﴿ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ طھظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظڈ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط¨ظ’طµظژظ€ط±ظژ﴾

(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.) means, "Nothing sees Him (in this life), but He sees all creation.'' Abu Al-`Aliyah said that Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژط·ظگظٹظپظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژط¨ظگظٹط±ظڈ﴾

(He is the Most Subtle, Well-Acquainted (with all things).) means, "He is the Most Subtle, bringing forth all things, Well-Acquainted with their position and place.'' Allah knows best. In another Ayah, Allah mentions Luqman's advice to his son,

﴿ظٹط¨ظڈظ†ظژظ‰ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ† طھظژظƒظڈ ظ…ظگط«ظ’ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط­ظژط¨ظ‘ظژط©ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط®ظژط±ظ’ط¯ظژظ„ظچ ظپظژطھظژظƒظڈظ†ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ طµظژط®ظ’ط±ظژط©ظچ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظگ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگ ط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظ„ظژط·ظگظٹظپظŒ ط®ظژط¨ظگظٹط±ظŒ ﴾

(O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Verily, Allah is Most Subtle, Well Acquainted) ﴿31:16﴾

﴿ظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظژطµظژط¢ط¦ظگط±ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط¨ظ’طµظژط±ظژ ظپظژظ„ظگظ†ظژظپظ’ط³ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¹ظژظ…ظگظ‰ظژ ظپظژط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگط­ظژظپظگظٹط¸ظچ - ظˆظژظƒظژط°ظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ†ظڈطµظژط±ظ‘ظگظپظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظٹظژظ€طھظگ ظˆظژظ„ظگظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¯ظژط±ظژط³ظ’طھظژ ظˆظژظ„ظگظ†ظڈط¨ظژظٹظ‘ظگظ†ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظگظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(104. Verily, Basa'ir (proofs) have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) himself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so against himself, and I am not a Hafiz over you.) (105. Thus We explain variously the verses so that they (the disbelievers) may say: "You have Darasta (studied)'' and that We may make the matter clear for the people who have knowledge.)