Examining the Vision of God in Mystical Exegesis with Emphasis on Introspective Interpretation
Keywords:
Vision of God, wajh Allah, liqaʾ Allah, Perfect Human, Unity of ExistenceAbstract
The vision of God is one of the significant theological discussions. Corporeal and non-corporeal vision with the physical eye, the impossibility of vision, and the vision of God through the heart are among the prominent theological perspectives. The viewpoints of theologians in this regard are supported by strong Qur'anic and hadith-based foundations. Existing studies in this domain have generally focused on the critique and analysis of theologians’ theories, which exegetes have addressed from the past to the present. It appears that no new work has been conducted specifically on the vision of God; however, from a mystical perspective, this issue holds considerable potential for scholarly inquiry. This article, using a descriptive-analytical method, reports the mystical views found in Shiʿa and Sunni tafsirs and examines the opinions of introspective exegetes. It maintains that most Sunni mystic exegetes have adopted the Ashʿarite view, while the majority of Shiʿa mystic exegetes have accepted the Imāmī perspective. Nevertheless, within introspective tafsir, there is no essential difference between Shiʿa and Sunni exegetes due to the adoption of a shared interpretive foundation regarding the verses. The vision of God in both this world and the hereafter is considered possible due to the manifestation of the divine names and attributes in the Perfect Human. The highest level of this vision pertains to the doctrine of the Unity of Existence, and gazing upon the Imams (peace be upon them) as the Face of God (wajh Allah) is understood as the vision of God itself.
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