The question of whether Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) saw Allah with his own eyes during the Night Journey (Miraj) is a matter of scholarly discussion, but the majority opinion of the Sahaba (companions) and early scholars is that he did not see Allah with his physical eyes. Instead, he saw Allah with his heart, or saw a “light”. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Here is the breakdown of the correct, authenticated information:
1. The Strongest Opinion (No Physical Sight)
- The View of Aisha (R.A.): When asked if the Prophet saw his Lord, Aisha (R.A.) emphatically stated, “Whoever told you that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw his Lord was lying,” arguing that no human can see Allah in this world.
- Hadith Evidence: When asked by Abu Dharr (R.A.) if he saw his Lord, the Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “I saw light,” or in another narration, “He is veiled by Light, how could I see Him?” (Sahih Muslim).
- Scholarly Consensus: The majority of the Companions and the Salaf (early generations) agreed that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not see Allah with his physical eyes in this world. [1, 2, 5]
2. The Opinion of Ibn Abbas (R.A.) (Seeing with the Heart)
- Some narrations from Ibn Abbas (R.A.) suggest the Prophet did see Allah, but other narrations from him clarify that this was “seeing with his heart” (bi-qulbihi) rather than with his physical eyes.
- The Quranic verse, “The (Prophet’s) heart lied not (in seeing) what he saw” [An-Najm 53:11], is often interpreted as seeing with the heart. [1, 2, 6, 7]
3. What Was Seen in Surah An-Najm?
- Many scholars interpret the verses “And indeed he saw him at a second descent” [An-Najm 53:13] as referring to the Prophet (ﷺ) seeing the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) in his original form, not Allah.
- He did see the “greatest signs of his Lord” (Sidrat al-Muntaha), but that is not the same as seeing Allah directly with physical eyes. [7, 8]
4. Summary of Key Points
- Miraj was Physical: The Prophet (ﷺ) was taken physically (body and soul) on the Night Journey while awake, not in a dream.
- Veiled by Light: Allah is veiled by light, and it is not possible to see Him with physical eyes in this world.
- Future Vision: Believers will see Allah with their own eyes on the Day of Resurrection, but this will not occur in this world, with the possible exception of a spiritual/heart-based vision for the Prophet (ﷺ). [1, 2, 5, 6, 9]
Conclusion: The most accepted and cautious view is that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not see Allah with his eyes in this world, but saw Him with his heart or saw divine light. [3, 5]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/12423
[2] https://www.quora.com/Did-the-Prophet-Mohammed-meet-God-in-the-event-of-Meraj?top_ans=392499663
[3] https://www.facebook.com/groups/166266055288589/posts/1129784045603447/
[4] https://www.facebook.com/groups/166266055288589/posts/1129784045603447/
[5] https://www.facebook.com/groups/893210907478193/posts/3842267705905817/
[6] https://islamqa.info/en/answers/84314
[7] https://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/allah_seen.htm
[8] https://simplyislam.academy/blog/story-of-al-israh-wal-miraj