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  1. Home
  2. Critical Examination of Islam
  3. What is the nature of God?
  4. Why can't we see God?

Why can't we see God?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved What is the nature of God?
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  • S Offline
    S Offline
    Shogunsami
    wrote on last edited by
    #6

    Of course I understand those verses shouldn't be taken literally. Maybe metaphorically it is pointing to the reality?

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    • D Offline
      D Offline
      drfazl
      wrote on last edited by
      #7

      Salam,

      Wherever you turn to, there is the face of Allah -

      This means the following

      Whatever be your walk of life, there is the guidance of Allah - so be thankful to Allah and seek Him for Guidance.

      Whatever be your direction, Allah keeps watch over you; He is Hearing, Seeing - so fear Allah; and Allah is with he who fears Him and thus guards himself.

      drfazl

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      • F Offline
        F Offline
        Farabi
        wrote on last edited by
        #8

        Talking about WJH. There is verse on surrah yusuf which said "Look for your father face" which mean, gaining yusuf father attention. I dont think God had WJH. On the afterlife we will be granted to "see" his face, but maybe on way we never imagine of. Maybe He will create a new sensation like sight and hear, as a translation to detect His presence. Maybe. Holy be Allah.

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        • M Offline
          M Offline
          Man_of_Faith
          wrote on last edited by
          #9

          You cannot see "God" because "God" has no physical form, but if you see the tree waving in the forest you have yet seen "God". The 'spirit' of "God" is everywhere, and it is what causes the autonomous function of the universe.

          "God's" can take an expression by causing a mountain to crumble, but "God" is still not there physically. "God" can take control over the air and cause sound waves to be produced into speech, but "God" is still not there physically. Or more exactly, "God" is there, but in omnipresence and only as an invisible sustainer.

          "God" only becomes visible to one who assimilates with the spiritual realm because there is where you shall seek "God".

          "God" had not intended for everyone to reach affinity because then hypocrites and bad people would be able to enter the Hereafter and that is not the plan. If that was the case "God" could make everyone accept by clearly showing authority and signs undeniable, but that would make people not worthy pass the test because hypocritical people would do exactly like that under slave-like conditions and their hearts/affinity not exposed.

          Have faith

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          • F Offline
            F Offline
            FreedomStands
            wrote on last edited by
            #10

            I've explained this in detail here

            http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9607171.msg362129#msg362129

            You will never see Allah, because if you "see" anything that is "information" (that which informs), and all "information" (visual, auditory, sensory, or even conceptual, and thoughts), are created by Allah.

            Allah is not made out of information at all, so is non-information, not a creation of any kind, literally in the image of "Nothing" not empty space, not blackness, not whiteness, nothing at all, no dimensions, and we are information which Allah creates and "encompasses" there is no "space" or "out there".


            Mujahid
            Maybe it's telling u that all that u know is essentially nothing because there's nothing at the end of it all

            FreedomStands
            well yes
            Allah is like nothing literally
            non-information
            the throne is information, but "nothing" is on it

            Mujahid That's one way of looking at it

            FreedomStands
            and everywhere
            well its what the Qur'an makes kind of clear even
            with the statement
            "SubhanAllah!" "Void is Allah" "Allah is like nothing" or "Nothing is Allah"
            and then
            Allah said "you can not see me" or "you will not see me"
            because there is nothing to see lol anything seen would be information aka creation
            but then
            showed what Allah is
            by annihilating the mountain
            making the mountain become nothing
            atomizing it
            into oblivion

            Mujahid Yeah interesting

            FreedomStands
            and then Musa fainted
            but Musa
            fainting even
            was showing what Allah is
            because Musa became unconscious, receiving no information
            which is called "returning to Allah"
            that's why it says when you die
            and when you sleep
            which is ceasing to "exist" "ceasing to receive any data"

            Mujahid
            Good thoughts

            FreedomStands
            when its a dreamless sleep
            then you "return to Allah"
            and the entire thing is "skipped"

            Mujahid Yeah

            FreedomStands
            because you can not experience "non information"
            there is nothing to experience
            so the next thing you know is information

            Mujahid Yes

            FreedomStands
            so that is why death is skipped and no matter "how long" we'll only know when we exist again
            then Musa

            Mujahid True

            FreedomStands
            7143
            When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When his senses recovered he said "Nothing are you! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe."

            woke up
            and Allah made him say or it was said by him
            "subhanaka tubtu ilayka waana awwalu almu/mineena"
            the first thing he said
            "Nothing are you!"
            and then said
            he now believes
            he is the first of the believers
            meaning he finally understood
            because he had been asking to see Allah
            and then this message is confirmed
            throughout the history even in the New Testament even in the Vedas and Bhagavad Gita
            and Buddhism and everything
            same thing

            Mujahid I have to see that phrase again before making any comments tho rest I understand

            FreedomStands
            Allah is not made of information, makes all information
            sure
            you'll find
            when carefully analyzed
            Subhan means void
            nothing

            Mujahid Yeah will have a look

            FreedomStands
            so people say it means "Glory Be To God From what they attribute"
            but really it just means Void is God, or Nothing is God
            entirely "unique" in that sense
            because everything is "information"
            and Allah is the One that isn't
            which can only be One

            Mujahid
            How'd u come to that tho?
            The void thing
            I want to know the process

            FreedomStands
            the void thing is the actual definition of the word lol

            Mujahid
            Is it?

            FreedomStands
            yes
            I didnt make that up lol
            or make it up like Man of Faith
            its the real definition of the word
            but people shy around it because it seems weird
            so they give it longer meanings like "devoid of what they attribute"

            Mujahid Void not glory?

            FreedomStands
            no it doesn't mean glory at all
            nothing at all connected to glory

            Mujahid Free from what they attribute comes later

            FreedomStands
            I know but they say often that is the meaning of "Void is Allah" but I will go find you the definition so you know it
            "Like he said, the origin for the word is sabh, voidness, or tasbeeh, making something void.
            This would render the term Subhan?allah to mean Allah is void"

            Mujahid
            It's not in the subhan etc just um well I need to look at it I'm unsure if it is what u say it i
            Who says that?

            FreedomStands
            well despite that, and you'll find what I say is real etymology

            Mujahid
            Like the quote above?

            FreedomStands
            the quote is from a normal website explaining it I can find many more, but this website is http//9dozen.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/s...s-meaning/
            but its the real etymology of sabh

            Mujahid
            I'll look into it for myself thanks tho it's interesting

            https//books.google.ca/books?id=EBBDD_q...id&f=false

            http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasbih

            Mujahid
            Ok ok u know I can use the Internet right?
            I will when I'm on the pc
            FreedomStands
            haha ok
            anyway
            besides just it actually saying that
            its also the only logical thing
            as I've explained in detail why its necessary

            Mujahid Yeah I know

            FreedomStands
            in the things long things you never take in...
            and then

            Mujahid Lol

            FreedomStands
            haha
            and also
            besides that its like super important
            in order to eschew all idolatries of the mind
            to realize Allah is the Annihilation (meaning of Nirvana even)
            Like Death
            that we really are a "Death Cult" lol

            Mujahid Great now we're nihilists

            FreedomStands
            but also that Allah isn't "just nothing" because "just nothing" can't do anything, Allah has the power to create things
            through his "Word" which greeks called Logos and Hindus called Vac
            it just refers to God's creative power
            in Japan its called Musubi
            sometimes its called Shakti
            in India
            and what God creates, instantly and out of nothing, are what I've described which is just "anything" I call it all "information"
            "that which informs"
            "is made known" first to Allah of course, then to all the "experiencers" whichever it is specifically made for and as
            to be part of their experience
            Allah encompasses all visions

            Mujahid Yes

            FreedomStands
            but no visions can encompass Allah

            6103
            No human vision can encompass Him, whereas He encompasses all vision for He alone is unfathomable, all-aware.

            meaning no information
            and Allah's power is information creation and destruction and creation

            Mujahid Uve got a really interesting thing here tho

            FreedomStands
            moment to moment the moment just before is no more so destroyed
            yeah see!
            trying to tell these people lol

            Mujahid It generally flows well too

            FreedomStands
            and I didnt make any of it up
            its not some weird theory its from all the scriptures
            let me add
            since people confuse the metaphor of "light"
            they don't realize why that metaphor is used
            not only is "light" used in two senses often as "knowledge" and "that which means manifest/seen/known"
            but besides that
            even real physical light is invisible
            and is only known by what it is reflected on
            but in the Qur'an it was used only as a metaphor
            and in the Bible
            "God who is has never been seen and can not be seen living in unapproachable "light" "
            doesn't mean like a sun
            light itself means knowledge but besides that actual light (and these are just metaphors but the reason light as a metaphor is even used) is because you can't see it
            it fills a room but the room appears empty

            Mujahid Yeah

            FreedomStands
            you only know of its presence by what it reflects on or makes seen
            and Allah literally is "what makes anything seen"
            as in creating the information

            Mujahid Yeah makes sense

            FreedomStands
            in Egypt, Allah was known as Amun (meaning Unseen, Hidden), who they also said is "like nothing, without form, without body, pure" and they attached the other name "Ra"
            Ra means "manifest" or really "what makes meanifest" because it was associated with light
            and it was believed by ancient people that the "eyes produce light"
            and so the sun was thought of as a kind of "eye"
            but in a metaphorical sense
            what God "looks upon" is what "is"
            that is "information" "what god is informed of"

            Mujahid V interesting thanks

            FreedomStands
            (understanding this is Allah's favor to you, and us, completely given without any reason or based in any conditions because Allah is unbound and entirely free, so the goodness from Allah is given entirely without basis, completely free, unconditional, unconditioned, auspiciousness which is the meaning also of the word Shiva)
            but its not that there is anything existing there first
            Allah creates it
            and the Egyptians understood this
            and worshipped Allah
            even in the same way
            as did the Sumerians
            even holding their hands
            the same way
            they have statues of "devotees" and they are doing all the poses
            our religion is very old (and is one religion)
            "Relinquishing all ideas of righteousness, Surrender (saranam) unto Me ALONE/EXCLUSIVELY (ekam). I will deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not despair." Bhagavad Gita 1866

            (ekam meaning One Ultimate there can never be two unindividuated because to have two requires individuation only information can be distinguished and can be two and God is not made of information and the total lack of all information, annihilation, is One)

            319
            Lo! religion with Allah (is) the Surrender (to His Will and Guidance). Those who (formerly) received the Scripture differed only after knowledge came unto them, through transgression among themselves. Whoso disbelieveth the revelations of Allah (will find that) lo! Allah is swift at reckoning.

            383
            Do they seek, perchance, a religion other than in God, although it is unto Him that whatever is in the heavens and on earth surrenders itself, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him all must return?

            384
            Say "We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed by their Sustainer unto Moses and Jesus and all the prophets we make no distinction between any of them. And unto Him do we surrender ourselves."

            385
            And whoever desires a religion other than the Surrender, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers.

            933
            It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the people of Shirk may detest (it).

            and its all the religions
            everywhere in the world the same message is there
            but people don't look

            Mujahid
            Not sure if the positions are due to something we have to do
            Usually there are a lot of simalritues due to human things etc
            Because we take on things usually the samish way
            As in respect
            Most cultures consider bowing

            FreedomStands
            yeah interesting, but I think they are just symbolic meditative postures, to remind people of different things, originally the "hands to the ears" was meaning "I hear" and then the hand thing on us means "obedience" and this is not me making it up this is historically known
            as the historical postures which symbolized "humility"
            "obedience
            so its "I hear, and I obey"

            Mujahid Yeah I agree

            FreedomStands and then we recite whatever, then we bow, and they all bow across the world, and all did wudu in the same way
            they all used to keep ritual purity which is now taken away from them
            it was super important to them
            well they happened to do it in the exact same way across the world

            56
            O ye who believe! When ye rise up for performing worship, wash you faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet (toilet), or ye have had sexual contact, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it (the clean dirt or sand). Allah would not place a burden on you, but He would purify you and would perfect His grace upon you, that ye may give thanks.

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            • FusionF Offline
              FusionF Offline
              Fusion
              wrote on last edited by
              #11

              I just wanna know that if we can not use the information given to us to try and attempt knowing the nature of God, and we cant put him physically. Then why God himself explained about his nature with giving examples of physical objects/references? Face is one example, yes he may not have a face like us but still does he have what is characterized as face in terms of what is face meant for?
              Then there are references to the word throne in many many verses and yet again God gives examples to us using the physical objects we see.

              117 He is the One who has created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water; so as to test who from among you works the best. And when you say ?You will be resurrected after the death,? those who have rejected say ?This is but clear magic!?

              103 Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He settled upon the Throne; He manages all affairs. There is no intercessor except after His permission. Such is God your Lord, so serve Him. Would you not remember?

              2255 ? 2261
              the heavens and the earth. Who will intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows their present and their future, and they do not have any of His knowledge except for what He wishes. His Throne encompasses all of the heavens and the earth and it is easy for Him to preserve them. He is the Most High, the Great."

              754 Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He settled upon the Throne.

              I would like to know the meaning of throne with respect to water, encompasses all heavens and earth, settling upon throne.

              All of above is PHYSICAL to me unless He just uses these terms to explain us, yet God can not be contained within his own creation.

              Cheers

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              • F Offline
                F Offline
                FindingRightPathToAllah
                wrote on last edited by
                #12

                Salaam,

                I am not sure, but may be because Allah is energy or a type of energy, so that's why we can't see Allah.

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                • M Offline
                  M Offline
                  Man_of_Faith
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #13

                  If you can see your hand when you raise your it then you have seen God.

                  That does not mean God is physical, but the visual illusion that you see is formed from the "force field" that is God. God sustains it like a kind of platform.

                  Salaam

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                  • F Offline
                    F Offline
                    FindingRightPathToAllah
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #14

                    If you can see your hand when you raise your it then you have seen God.

                    That does not mean God is physical, but the visual illusion that you see is formed from the "force field" that is God. God sustains it like a kind of platform.

                    Salaam

                    I just raised my hand and started imagining myself to see God. I don't know why that made me laugh though. Lol. But I agree with the believe that God is everywhere. I also believe the same, and Quran implies this in many verses.

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                    • M Offline
                      M Offline
                      Man_of_Faith
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #15

                      The raise your hand statement is meant as a little humorous.

                      Indeed God has no form nor is restricted to time or space, so God is ultimately omnipresent and part of every location at the same time, and God's "force field" is what forms the material illusion that you see and which your raised hand is part of. It is not wrong to have a pantheistic perception of God although I prefer to erase the traditional theism as inaccurate.

                      Salaam

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                      • J Offline
                        J Offline
                        JavaLatte
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #16

                        If you can see your hand when you raise your it then you have seen God.

                        I hope you could stop from telling such thing. Why you don't seem to have fear of Allah?

                        Remember this verse.

                        (2765) Say "None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.
                        And they do not perceive when they will be resurrected."

                        And these verses.

                        (6944) Now if he had dared to attribute some sayings unto Us,

                        (6945) We would indeed have seized him by his right hand,

                        (6946) and would indeed have cut his life-vein

                        (6947) and none of you could have saved him.

                        (694 And, verily, this is a reminder to all the God-conscious.

                        So be careful.

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                        • F Offline
                          F Offline
                          FindingRightPathToAllah
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #17

                          The raise your hand statement is meant as a little humorous.

                          Indeed God has no form nor is restricted to time or space, so God is ultimately omnipresent and part of every location at the same time, and God's "force field" is what forms the material illusion that you see and which your raised hand is part of. It is not wrong to have a pantheistic perception of God although I prefer to erase the traditional theism as inaccurate.

                          Salaam

                          That's how I feel too, but I am never sure. So, I just pray to God to guide me always if I am ever wrong as God knows the best. I am not sure about pantheistic though. Yes, God is part of universe, but God is beyond that, imo.

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                          • H Offline
                            H Offline
                            hawk99
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #18

                            Peace

                            C'mon folks you can't see Allah, and if you have or can, you either suffer from
                            misinformation or a mental condition.

                            7/143 And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said,
                            "My Lord, show me that I may look at You." said, "You will not see Me,
                            but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when
                            his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious.
                            And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and
                            I am the first of the believers."

                            God bless

                            peace

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                            • M Offline
                              M Offline
                              Man_of_Faith
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #19

                              Finding,

                              God is the existence and the only permanently and indefinitely existing and only those who merge with the same consciousness will continue to exist in God. What you see is a mere illusion which does not really exist but is projected by the "force" of God.

                              The error people make is that they force God to be a separate image due to some Pagan ideology about gods while we actually are supposed to be merged in that consciousness and so to say co-exist in it. It is not idolatry because you acknowledge that it is ultimately the only real existence and you yourself only alone exist in the flesh/illusion. You are basically nothing alone. You seek to exist in God directly by sharing affinity and thus merging.

                              Salaam

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                              • M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Man_of_Faith
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #20

                                Hawk99,

                                Exactly, Moses saw Allah through the flesh/illusion and just like the parable of raising the hand like I wrote to 'Finding'. A person with realization does not need more than the raised hand. And Moses apologize quickly afterwards.

                                Salaam

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                                • M Offline
                                  M Offline
                                  Man_of_Faith
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #21

                                  Because I have nothing to fear from Allah, JavaLatte.

                                  And that idea of a translation and interpretation you gave contradicts a lot of basic logic. If that was true you could not even interpret Quran nor know nothing. Besides even mainstream translations say what I say to an extent. God is omnipresent.

                                  Salaam

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                                  • H Offline
                                    H Offline
                                    hawk99
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #22

                                    Exactly, Moses saw Allah through the flesh/illusion and just like the parable of raising the hand like
                                    I wrote to 'Finding'. A person with realization does not need more than the raised hand. And Moses
                                    apologize quickly afterwards.

                                    Peace Man of Faith, thank you for your reply.

                                    Moses did not see Allah nope please re-read the ayat. Has your comprehension failed you?

                                    7/143 And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said,
                                    "My Lord, show me that I may look at You." said, "You will not see Me,
                                    but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when
                                    his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious.
                                    And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and
                                    I am the first of the believers."

                                    The mountain did not remain in place = no see.

                                    God bless

                                    peace

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                                    • J Offline
                                      J Offline
                                      JavaLatte
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #23

                                      Because I have nothing to fear from Allah, JavaLatte.

                                      Really? Then, I think that is serious problem, if only you knew.

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                                      • J Offline
                                        J Offline
                                        JavaLatte
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #24

                                        The mountain did not remain in place = no see.

                                        Indeed.

                                        @ MoF, please stop insisting in this. I think you follow your own conjecture, and it's risky for you to spread something like that to others.

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                                        • M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          Man_of_Faith
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #25

                                          I would fear Allah instead if I were you, JavaLatte, in trying to censor someone. It might be that you are deluded and I come with something that you cannot accept.

                                          Salaam

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