Chapter On The Invalidity of the Belief to see God (Ru’yah of Allah)
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 9
6ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ جَاءَ حِبْرٌ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ حِينَ عَبَدْتَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ مَا كُنْتُ أَعْبُدُ رَبّاً لَمْ أَرَهُ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ رَأَيْتَهُ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْعُيُونُ فِي مُشَاهَدَةِ الابْصَارِ وَلَكِنْ رَأَتْهُ الْقُلُوبُ بِحَقَائِقِ الايمَانِ.
6. A group of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from abu al-Hassan al-Muwsali from abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام who has said, “Once a rabbi (hibr) came to Imam Ali عليه السلام and asked, ‘O Amir al-mu’minin, have you seen your Lord when worshipping Him?’” Imam Ali عليه السلام replied, “This is not a proper question. I would not have worshipped a Lord whom I could not see.” He then asked, “How did you see Him?” Imam Ali عليه السلام said, “This is not a proper statement. Eyes can not see Him in eye-witnessing process but hearts see Him in the realities of faith.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/337)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī