Verses 55 and 56 of Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a brilliant gem within the treasury of Quranic knowledge, address one of the most profound and delicate theological matters, namely the vision of God. These verses, by narrating the request of the Children of Israel to witness God manifestly and the consequences of this request, open a window towards reflection on monotheistic cognition and mystical conduct. This discourse, adopting a scientific and systematic approach, endeavours to analyse and interpret these verses, integrating lecture content and exegetical analyses, aiming to present deep and coherent insights to an erudite audience. The structure of this examination, with clear sections and meaningful headings, is designed to exhibit the scientific depth and richness of the subject while preserving all details.
وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنْتُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ * ثُمَّ بَعَثْنَاكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوْتِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
Translation:
And when you said: O Moses, we will never believe in you until we see Allah manifestly. So the thunderbolt seized you while you were looking. Then We raised you up after your death that perhaps you might be grateful.
These verses hold an unparalleled position in the Holy Quran due to their engagement with the topic of Divine vision. The vision of God, as a sublime pinnacle in the path of cognitive ascension, poses a fundamental question within the realm of monotheism and understanding of Divine attributes. This subject, not only within the verses of Surah Al-Baqarah but throughout the entire Quran, is unmatched in depth and gravity.
The request of the Children of Israel to witness God, in its essence, is a valuable and epistemological question, as it reflects a yearning for knowledge and proximity to the Divine essence. However, the style and tone of this request, expressed by the phrase لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً (We will never believe in you until we see Allah manifestly), due to its threatening nature and conditional imposition on faith, is regarded as impolite and inappropriate. This tone, which restricts faith to the manifest vision of God, is incompatible with epistemological propriety and the spirit of monotheism.
Within the Quranic culture, epistemological inquiries ought to be accompanied by humility and respect. The Children of Israel, with this style of questioning, have not only shown impudence towards Moses (peace be upon him) but also towards the Lordship of God. This approach, tantamount to attempting to dictate terms to the Creator, is rejected from both mystical and theological perspectives.
In the Holy Quran, Prophets such as Moses (peace be upon him) and Abraham (peace be upon him) also posed requests for vision or deeper Divine knowledge; however, their inquiries were accompanied by certainty, respect, and without conditional terms. For example, in Surah Al-Araf (verse 143), Moses (peace be upon him) says after dialogue with God:
قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ
He said: My Lord, show Yourself to me that I may look upon You.
This request, made within a context of Divine discourse and with due respect, is met with a conditional response from God: لَنْ تَرَانِي (You will never see Me), which refers to the limitation of Moses (peace be upon him) in that particular situation, not the absolute impossibility of vision.
The phrase لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ in verse 55 conditions faith upon manifest vision of God. This conditionality represents a form of limitation and compulsion towards Gods Lordship, which is incompatible with the Divine station. In mystical conduct, doubt and conditionality constitute primary obstacles to attaining truth. The Children of Israel, with this approach, doubted not only Moses (peace be upon him) but also the Divine essence, and with a commanding tone restricted their faith to seeing God.
Conversely, a polite question such as O Moses, ask God that we might see Him manifestly could have possessed epistemological value. This difference highlights the significance of propriety in engagement with the Divine station.
Verses 55 and 56, following a series of verses delineating Divine blessings upon the Children of Israel, refer to the blessing of resurrection after death. The thunderbolt that seized the people was the result of their transgression beyond Divine limits, yet God bestowed upon them a great blessing by raising them after death so that they might be grateful.
This blessing, akin to a life-giving breeze, provided another opportunity to return to the path of faith and gratitude. However, the Quran, by the phrase لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ (that perhaps you might be grateful), indicates that gratitude is the ultimate aim of this blessing, though its realisation depends on the peoples volition.
The thunderbolt mentioned in verse 55 as a punishment for the Children of Israel was a consequence of their oppression, that is, transgressing Divine boundaries. This oppression stemmed from the impolite request and the conditional limitation of faith upon vision. In Surah An-Nisa (verse 153), this event is also referenced:
فَقَدْ سَأَلُوا مُوسَىٰ أَكْبَرَ مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَالُوا أَرِنَا اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ بِظُلْمِهِمْ
They asked Moses for something greater than that and said: Show us Allah manifestly. So the thunderbolt seized them due to their oppression.
This verse, by emphasising the oppression of the people, demonstrates that the thunderbolt was a direct consequence of their improper request style.
The Holy Quran mentions the concept of vision and its derivatives over 315 times. This abundance illustrates the importance of vision as an epistemological tool in recognising Divine signs, Prophets, and the realities of existence. Expressions such as أَلَمْ تَرَ (Have you not seen?) invite humans to reflection and observation, as if the Quran, like a wise teacher, calls its students to the laboratory of creation.
For instance, in Surah Taha (verse 10), Moses (peace be upon him), upon seeing fire, is guided towards Divine knowledge:
إِذْ رَأَىٰ نَارًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ امْكُثُوا إِنِّي آنَسْتُ نَارًا
When he saw a fire, he said to his family: Remain; indeed, I have perceived a fire.
This verse indicates the role of vision at the beginning of Moses epistemological journey.
In Surah Taha, God introduces Himself to Moses (peace be upon him): أَنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا (Indeed, I am Allah; there is no deity except Me). This introduction, without external vision, underscores the role of heartfelt and revelatory cognition. This indicates the diversity of epistemological pathways in the Quran
