ʿAqāʾid Course Notes Index and FAQ – Tawhid

Please refer to Lesson 1 of the Class 11 Madressa manual.

Allāh (SWT) is beyond the limitations of space, time and matter. He would have to be limited to a physical body in order for us to be able to see Him with our physical eyes. Any God that can be seen with physical eyes should be rejected, for such a God is not worthy of worship.

Someone once came to Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (A) and said to the Imām that he wanted to see Allāh (SWT). The Imām told him to look at the sun. When the man tried to look, he had to immediately turn his face away from the sun because it was too bright for his eyes. The Imām then asked the man how it would be possible for him to see the Creator of the sun, if he couldn’t even bear to see the sun.

Although Allāh (SWT) is too great to be seen by our physical eyes, we can perceive Him through the eyes of our hearts. Someone once asked Imām ʿAlī (A) whether he had seen God, to which Imām replied: “I do not worship a God that I have not seen.” The Imām then explained that physical eyes cannot see Him, but the eyes of our hearts can perceive God through the realities of belief.

Please refer to Lesson 1 of the Class 8 Madressa manual.

Please refer to Lesson 1 of the Class 11 Madressa manual.

Allāh (SWT) has knowledge of all things, including knowledge of where each of us will end up in the Hereafter as a result of the decisions we will take in this world with our free-will. This knowledge does not mean that He has pre-destined our actions, just as the knowledge of a weatherman of the next day’s weather does not mean that he caused the weather to be such.

Please refer to Lesson 1 of the Class 11 Madressa manual.

Please refer to Lesson 2 of the Class 11 Madressa manual.

Please refer to Lesson 1 of the Class 8 Madressa manual.