Humankind, for a life long, making use of this Universe created by Him with the body He bestowed, and facing innumerable favors through mind, heart, and feelings, each of them divine gifts, surely longs to see his Lord who covers him with all these favors. The answer to this desire will be given in the Paradise and man will thus reach the biggest favor, which far surpasses the pleasures of Paradise. There has been much debate over ‘seeing God’. We will not delve into details here. To put it briefly, the learned of Ahl-i Sunnah-the followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - have agreed that ‘seeing God’ is right and acceptable, but that its nature cannot be penetrated. In one of the groups of deviation, Mutazila, however, this is not accepted.

Man trying to handle everything with mind has pondered much over this issue. In reality, this field is not the field of mind, but of heart; not that of idea, but of delight. But mind seeks to grasp some things, to catch some proofs and to be satisfied, even if distantly. With the expression of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), how can we understand the paradise which is a place ‘unseen by eyes, unheard by ears, and that never occurred to hearts.’ and the biggest divine mercy ‘seeing God’? However, human mind does not behave itself and here in this world wants a reasonable explanation to a truth that will be given in the next world and relished there.

In the Risale-i Nur Collection, in the Words, it is said: “The eye is an ability through which the soul watches this world.” and pointed out that the soul can watch other worlds without eyes. The best example of this is dream. It is also said in the Mesnevi-i Nuriye: “The handlings and deeds of the people of closeness to God happen with the speed of the soul.” As is known, directions are valid only for the body. For the soul words like front or back, right or left are not used. Therefore, when the soul defeats the body then directions are no longer valid and the soul can see everywhere as a whole. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) could also see the ones coming from behind with the same ease as the ones coming from front. The souls of the dwellers of the Paradise are dominant over their bodies which enables them to be present at different places at the same time. And again the sight of the dwellers of the Paradise will be far superior to their sight in this world. There is a difference like that of the material and its shadow between them.

The human eye that is capable of seeing only materials in this world will begin to see the angels from the world of grave on. When the light of seeing God is added to this, the mature soul at that time will be covered with great pleasures and will be ecstatic regarding his Lord without shape, distance, and direction and his heart will turn into a sea with waves of spiritual delights and this fortunate slave will taste a pleasure incomparable to those of the Paradise regarding his Lord and will be enchanted. Bediüzzaman defines the group of Vahdat’ul vucud-oneness of beings- as ‘ecstasy in oneness’. As sight, hearing, eating, drinking in short everything are like shadows when compared to the ones in the place of eternity, the real ecstasy will take place in seeing God, in a fashion surpassing definitions. A verse giving the good news of seeing God: “Some faces, that Day, will beam (in brightness and beauty), looking towards their Lord.” (Al-Qiyamah Surah, 75:22, 23) One of the great scholars of our time, Hamdi Yazır explains this verse: “By understanding this verse as ‘seeing God’, Ahl-i Sunnah has proven that the Believers will see the beauty of God in the Hereafter. By sticking to the verse ‘you cannot see me’, Mutazila evaluated this look as ‘waiting for’. However, the result of a look that does not achieve its aim is not pleasure but disappointment and pain.” It was revealed to Prophet Moses who wanted to see God the verse: “You cannot see me.” The great thinker Ahmed Avni says that it is proof to the reality of seeing God that Prophet Moses asks to see God and says: “If seeing God were impossible, Prophet Moses would not demand it.” Ahmed Avni says that while seeing God man will get ecstatic, will have nothing of material kind, and will be covered with divine reflections and closeness. A verse about seeing God: “For those who do good, aware that God is seeing them is the best (of the rewards that God has promised for good deeds), and still more. Neither stain nor ignominy will cover their faces. They are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein.” (Yunus Surah, 10:26). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explained the term ‘more’ in the verse as ‘look toward the beauty of the merciful’.