God as a “Thing”

In Al-Kafi, it is stated regarding God:

“Shay’un la kal-ashya’” – a “thing” unlike other things.

This expression places God beyond the concepts of created beings, while affirming Him as a transcendent entity. The Imams employed different modes of expression depending on the capacity of the inquirer: for the general public, simple; for the spiritually advanced, profound; for disputatious questioners, argumentative; and for the sincere, mystical. This variety reflects the wisdom of the Imams in conveying esoteric knowledge.

Key point: God is a “thing,” but unlike other things. This terminology exempts Him from analogy or modification, elevating the vision of God to a higher order.

God’s Knowledge of His Essence

The Exalted Truth knows His own essence in its quality, entity, and reality:

“O One who knows except Himself, none.”

This principle emphasizes the human incapacity to fully comprehend the divine essence. Vision of God occurs only within the framework of divine grace and the seeker’s capacity. The Imams have placed the treasures of knowledge within reach, but benefiting from them requires purification of the self and spiritual readiness.

Stages of Spiritual Journey and Vision

In mystical practice, vision depends upon knowledge, closeness, and sincerity. Without purification and attainment, speaking of vision is impossible. Each seeker perceives the Truth according to their own existential capacity. Prophets, saints, and those in the terminal rank partake in this witnessing differently. Vision is the fruit of the spiritual path, achievable only through self-purification and the renunciation of greed and pure love.

Key point: Vision is the fruit of spiritual practice and pure love, flourishing through knowledge, proximity, and sincerity, with each seeker benefiting according to their capacity.

Challenges in the Imams’ Responses

The Imams faced difficulties when responding to questions on vision due to the limited capacity of the inquirer. At times, they used circumlocution to prevent bewilderment, similar to the Qur’anic response about the moons:

“Say: They are appointed times for mankind.” (Qur’an 2:189)

This approach demonstrates divine wisdom in explaining complex knowledge.

Degrees of Divine Light

The sunlight is a small part of the Throne’s light; the Throne is part of the Throne of the All-Encompassing; the All-Encompassing is part of the Veil; and the Veil is part of the Light of Truth. This hierarchy places divine majesty beyond human comprehension. Vision is possible only in the limited ranks of creation, while the heart, with faith, can apprehend higher realities.

Summary

This study, through the explanation of the Hadith of Ihsan, elucidates the vision of God, possible not merely with the physical eye, but with the heart and mystical insight. The entire universe is a vessel for divine witnessing, and each entity participates according to its capacity. Qur’anic, narrational, and devotional evidence, such as Kumayl’s supplication, Friday prayers, and Al-Kafi, affirm the possibility of vision within divine grace. The Imams, employing diverse languages, explained vision for different audiences: simple for the masses, profound for the select, argumentative for disputatious inquirers, and mystical for the sincere. Vision depends on knowledge, proximity, and sincerity, and without purification, it leads to bewilderment. God, as a “thing” unlike other things, is recognized through creation and divine favors, but His essence surpasses human understanding. Emphasis on the stages of vision and spiritual preparedness guides seekers toward witnessing the Truth along the spiritual path.

Epistemic Elucidation of the Hadith of Ihsan and Stages of Divine Vision

Manazil al-Sa’irin serves as a guiding light for seekers of mystical truth, particularly for those striving toward the realization of divine unity and witnessing the Truth. This writing explores the hadith:

“Worship God as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, indeed He sees you.”

This hadith not only addresses jurisprudential aspects of worship but examines the stages of servitude and lordship in a profound, structured manner.

Jurisprudential Dimensions and Levels of Worship

The hadith outlines two elevated stages of worship: first, worship with the imagination of seeing God; second, awareness of divine oversight. This analysis remains focused on linguistic and structural interpretation to clarify both apparent and hidden meanings within mystical practice. This approach acts as a key opening doors of knowledge for the seeker without overwhelming them in the complexities of higher unity.

Key point: The Hadith of Ihsan distinguishes two levels of worship: imaginative vision (as if seeing God) and awareness of divine supervision, reflecting varying degrees of attentiveness and knowledge in the spiritual path.

Higher Stage: Beyond “As If”

At a superior stage, worship transcends the imagination: the seeker perceives God directly, not metaphorically: “Worship God as you see Him.” The removal of “as if” signifies moving beyond imagination toward direct witnessing, akin to immersion in a sea of divine light. This stage, reflected in Imam Ali’s statement, “Cursed is the eye that does not see You,” demonstrates the actuality of witnessing and attainment of presence.

Absence and Presence in the Hadith Language

The expression “as if you see Him” refers to absence, since Gabriel, the addressee, is in presence while God is absent. This linguistic structure situates the hadith in the domain of unseen knowledge, analogous to a shadow compared to the light of direct witnessing. The Prophet assigned Gabriel to an unseen task, indicating a lower rank than saints fully immersed in unity and witnessing.

Multiplicity and Unity in the Hadith Structure

The presence of three distinct beings (Prophet, Gabriel, and God) places the hadith within multiplicity, as opposed to unity, comparable to a tree with branches extending in different directions versus a single root. Gabriel, as an angel, experiences limited ascent: “If I were to approach even an inch, I would burn.” This limit differentiates him from the saints who attain direct witnessing of unity.

Key point: The multiplicity in the hadith, due to the presence of Prophet, Gabriel, and God, distinguishes it from the unity stage. Gabriel’s ascent is limited, unlike saints who achieve witnessing of divine presence.

Addressing Gabriel versus Saints

The Prophet’s address to Gabriel occurs within multiplicity and absence, while addressing saints, such as Imam Ali, must occur within presence and unity:

“Ali is touched in the essence of God” – indicating direct presence and witnessing.

Verses such as “He indeed saw Him in the highest horizon” (Qur’an 53:7) denote actual witnessing. This level represents a peak attained by saints, whereas Gabriel operates at the foothills through duty.

Directive Nature of the Hadith versus Reports

The Hadith of Ihsan is a directive (worship God) rather than a report, unlike statements of the saints, which describe actualized witnessing. The directive nature positions the hadith within the potential realm: the seeker may achieve divine vision by following it, though realization is not guaranteed. Reports of saints testify to what has been actualized in unity.

Stages of Spiritual Practice and the Relation between Servitude and Lordship

In Misbah al-Sharia, servitude is defined as:

“Servitude is the essence, its reality is lordship.”

This connects servitude to lordship, suggesting servitude mirrors the light of lordship. Reducing servitude increases lordship, and vice versa, analogous to the displacement of water and air in a vessel, reflecting equilibrium between creation and reality in the spiritual path.

Witnessing the Truth and Infinite Stages of Spiritual Journey

Witnessing God is possible through all names and realms, as if the seeker is immersed in the infinite divine ocean, perceiving God in all manifestations. God sees Himself through all eyes, everywhere, in all forms, and the seeker may attain this comprehensive witnessing at the highest level. Vision illuminates all dimensions of existence.

Key point: Witnessing God through all names, realms, and forms enables the seeker to attain a comprehensive perception of divine manifestation at the highest spiritual stage.

Infinity of Spiritual Practice

The path of divine knowledge is infinite, moving from absence to presence, multiplicity to unity, and determination to indeterminacy. Restrictions exist only in the realm of creation, which saints transcend to reach the reality of divine unity. Qur’anic verse:

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that He is the Truth; all things bear witness to Him.” (Qur’an 41:53)

This highlights the witnessing of divine signs as a preliminary stage toward attaining unity.

Unity in “You Alone We Worship”

In “Iyyaka na’budu” (Surah Al-Fatiha, 5), the unity of worshipper and worshipped is evident: “You are the worshipper and You are the worshipped.” This expresses the essence of unity, dissolving the distinction between worshipper and worshipped at the culmination of the spiritual path.

Martyrdom and Divine Action

The saints are either martyred or poisoned: “None of us except is poisoned or martyred.” This signifies the conclusion of the earthly vessel for saints at the stage of affliction, where the capacity for manifestation is exhausted, and the perpetrator cannot withstand the greatness of the victim. In Karbala, the killers of Imam Husayn, such as Shimr, were bewildered before his magnitude, unable to act effectively. The problem lies with the perpetrator, not the victim, who is ready for nearness and martyrdom.