Theological Views on the Seeing of God (Ru’yah Allah) among Sunnite, Mu’tazilate, and Shi’ite

Abstract

This paper explores the theological debate surrounding the concept of Ru'yatullah (the beatific vision of God) within three major Islamic theological schools: Sunnite, Mu'tazilate, and Shi'ite. The notion of whether God can be seen in the Hereafter has long been a point of contention in Islamic discourse, with each group offering distinct interpretations based on their foundational principles concerning divine attributes, reason ('aql), and revelation (naql). The method of writing this article is based on literature research, by referring to books, journal articles, and materials related to the title. The findings of the study reveal that Ahl al-Sunnah particularly the Ash'arite school of thought, upholds the possibility of seeing God in the Hereafter, grounded in textual evidence from the Qur'an and Hadith. In contrast, the Mu'tazilate reject this notion outright arguing that God is not a physical entity and therefore cannot be perceived through sensory means. The Shi'ite perspective while varying between sects, generally aligns more closely with rationalist and transcendental arguments denying any anthropomorphic implications. This study aims to highlight the epistemological and theological underpinnings of each view and assess their implications on the broader discourse of Islamic theology ('Ilm al-Kalam). Through comparative analysis, the paper seeks to clarify how these diverging perspectives reflect deeper methodological commitments to reason, scriptural interpretation, and the nature of the divine.