6. Kitāb al-Tawḥīd: On Allah’s Face

5. On Allah’s Face

5.1 Arguments from the Holy Qur’ān

This chapter proves face (wajh) for Allah. Allah characterized His face (wajh) with exaltedness and honor, as He Himself says “and the face of your Lord (wajhu rabbika), the possessed of exaltedness and honor, shall remain” (Q 55:27). Allah negated that His face (wajh) would ever cease to exist. He ordained end for all His creatures which He created to meet destruction not to live eternally. Far is our Lord above than that any aspect of His personal attributes should meet destruction. Allah, the exalted and superior, says, “and the face (wajh) of your Lord, the possessed of exaltedness and honor, shall remain.” (Q 55:27). He says: “Everything will perish except His face (wajhuhū)” (Q 28:88).

Addressing His Prophet, He says: “Restrain yourself along with those who cry to their Lord at morning and evening, seeking His face (wajhahū)” (Q 18:28). He says: “To Allah belong the east and the west. Whithersover you turn, there will be the face of Allāh (wajh Allāh)” (Q 2:115).

Thus Allah clearly says that He has a face, possessed of glory and honor. He ordained that His face shall remain forever. He ordained that it shall not perish. All the scholars from Hejaz, Tihāmah, Yaman, Iraq, Syria and Egypt and I (Abū Bakr) affirm for Allah everything that which He has attributed to Himself. We profess this fact openly. We believe in it in our hearts and minds. We, however, do not compare His face with the face of any of His creatures. Allah is beyond comparison to His creatures. He is beyond what the seceders attribute to Him. He is also immune to destruction contrary to what the rejecters hold. [They believe Allah has no attributes. This means Allah does not exist.] For whoever has no quality is nonexistent. Far is Allah above what the Jahmīs attribute to Him. They negate the attributes of our Creator. They negate His attributes which He has attributed to Himself in the Holy Qur’ān and through the tongue of His Prophet. Allah says: “So give to the kinsman his due [….] That is best for those who seek the Face (wajh) of Allāh” (Q 30:38). He says: “That which you lay out for increase through the property of (other) people, will have no increase with Allāh: but that which you lay out for charity, seeking the Face (wajh) of Allāh” (Q 30:39). He says: “We feed you seeking the face of Allah alone” (Q 76:09). He says: “And he who does not favor anyone seeking a reward from him but only seeking the Face of his Lord, the Most High” (Q 92:19-20). 

5۔ باب ذكر إثبات وجه الله

الذي وصفه بالجلال والإكرام في قوله: (ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرام)، ونفى عنه الهلاك إذا أهلك الله ما قد قضى عليه الهلاك مما قد خلقه الله للفناء لا للبقاء (جل ربنا) عن أن يهلك شيء منه مما هو من صفات ذاتة، قال الله (جل وعلا): (ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرام).

وقال: (كل شيء هالك إلا وجهه) وقال لنبيه ‘: (واصبر نفسك مع الذين يدعون ربهم بالغداة والعشي يريدون وجهه).

وقال: (ولله المشرق والمغرب فأينما تولوا فثم وجه الله).

فأثبت الله لنفسه وجهاً بالجلال والإكرام، وحكم لوجهه بالبقاء، ونفى الهلاك عنه.

فنحن وجميع علمائنا من أهل الحجاز وتهامة واليمن، والعراق والشام ومصر، مذهبنا: أن نثبت لله ما أثبته الله لنفسه، نقر بذلك بألسنتنا، ونصدق ذلك بقلوبنا، من غير أن نشبه وجه خالقنا بوجه أحد من المخلوقين، عز ربنا عن أن يشبه المخلوقين، وجل ربنا عن مقالة المعطلين، وعز أن يكون عدماً كما قاله المبطلون، لأن ما لا صفة له عدم (تعالى) الله عما يقول الجهميون الذين ينكرون صفات خالقنا الذي وصف بها نفسه في محكم تنزيله، وعلى لسان نبيه محمد ‘ قال الله (جل ذكره) في سورة الروم: (فآت ذا القربى حقه) إلى قوله (ذلك خير للذين يريدون وجه الله) وقال: (وما آتيتم من رباً ليربو في أموال الناس فلا يربو عند الله، وما آتيتم من زكاة تريدون وجه الله)، وقال: (إنما نطعمكم لوجه الله) وقال: (وما لأحد عنده من نعمة تجزى إلا ابتغاء وجه ربه الأعلى).