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Draft:Verse 143 of Sura al-A'raf

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Verse 143 of Sura al-A'raf
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Revelation		Mecca


Qur'an 7:143 recounts the narrative of Moses (a)'s presence at Mount Tur, where, at the designated Miqat, he requested to see God. God responded that Moses would never see Him unless the mountain remained firm in its place following the divine manifestation. Upon the manifestation, Moses (a) fell unconscious; upon regaining consciousness, he repented of his request.

Theologically, the concept of seeing God, the underlying cause of Moses' (a) repentance, and the reconciliation of these events with the infallibility of prophets constitute central discussions surrounding this verse. While a faction of Sunni scholars has cited this verse to argue for the possibility of the beatific vision, Shi'a scholars have deduced the impossibility of ocular vision based on four specific phrases within the text. Some exegetes posit that the request to see God was made on behalf of the Children of Israel. 'Allama Tabataba'i interpreted Moses' (a) intent as an inner witnessing, a state to be realized in the Hereafter. Consequently, exegetes have characterized Moses' (a) repentance not as penitence for a sin, but as turning away from the semblance of an inappropriate request.

Position of the Verse

Qur'an 7:143 narrates an episode in the life of Prophet Moses (a) during his sojourn at Mount Tur. In this encounter, Moses (a) petitions God to reveal Himself so that he might behold Him. God's response, encapsulated in the phrase "Lan tarani" (Arabic: لَن تَرَانی, You shall never see Me), is renowned in religious literature. This verse has served as the basis for various interpretations and theological disputes concerning the possibility of seeing God with the eyes.

The Issue of Visual Seeing of God

Main article: Seeing God

The request of Moses (a) to see God, coupled with the divine refusal "Lan tarani" (You shall never see Me), laid the groundwork for theological debates regarding the possibility of ocular vision of the Divine. Scholars suggest that beginning in the mid-3rd/9th century, a group of Sunni scholars utilized this verse to substantiate the possibility of visually perceiving God. Prominent figures among them include Dinawari (d. 276/889-90), Abu l-Hasan al-Ash'ari (d. 341/952-3), Baqillani (d. 403/1013), and 'Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi (d. 429/1037-8).[1] Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Karim al-Shahrastani, a historian and exegete of the 5th/11th and 6th/12th centuries, regarded the verse in question as the strongest scriptural proof (dalīl naqlī) for the possibility of the beatific vision.[2]

Conversely, God's response in Qur'an 7:143 constitutes one of the primary arguments for opponents of seeing God, particularly among Imami theologians. For instance, al-Sayyid al-Murtada, a Shi'a faqih and theologian, formulated a four-stage argument negating the possibility of seeing God based on this verse, while refuting opposing views.[3] Some exegetes maintain that the particle "lan" (never)—which indicates eternal negation—along with the unconditional negation of seeing in the verse, demonstrates that seeing God is impossible, both in this world and the Hereafter.[4] Furthermore, numerous narrations in Shi'a sources interpret this verse as a negation of ocular vision regarding God. Imam al-Sadiq (a), for example, employed this verse to deny the applicability of visual perception to the Divine.[5] The rationale behind Moses' (a) request is also among the inquiries posed by al-Ma'mun al-'Abbasi to Imam al-Rida (a).[6]

Argumentation based on the Verse

Scholars argue that Qur'an 7:143 negates the visual perception of God from several perspectives. First, God's response uses the phrase "Lan tarani", a grammatical structure denoting eternal negation. Second, the conditional phrase "fan istaqarra makanahu fa-sawfa tarani" (if it remains in its place, then you will see Me) makes the possibility of seeing contingent upon an impossibility. According to Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a Shi'a jurist and exegete, this expression alludes to the impossibility of seeing God, analogous to Qur'an 7:40, where God conditions the entry of disbelievers into Paradise upon a camel passing through the eye of a needle.[7] Additionally, Moses' (a) declaration of God's transcendence via the phrase "Subhanaka" (Exalted are You) and his subsequent repentance with the statement "tubtu ilayka" (I turn to You in repentance) are cited as evidence for the impossibility of the vision.[8]

Why did Moses Ask?

The question of why a prophet of Moses' (a) stature would request to see God, despite knowing its impossibility, has been addressed by exegetes.[9]

According to Nasir Makarim Shirazi, the most plausible explanation is that Moses (a) made this request on behalf of his people (the Children of Israel) in his capacity as their representative.[10] To substantiate this, he cites Qur'an 4:153 and Moses' (a) inquiry in Qur'an 7:155, supported by a narration in Tafsir Nur al-thaqalayn.[11] al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi, a Shi'a exegete of the 6th/12th century, points to Moses' (a) request to witness the signs of the Hereafter, interpreting his intention as seeking complete certainty for the Children of Israel regarding God's existence; this parallels Abraham (a)'s request to witness the revival of the dead in Qur'an 2:260.[12]

Seeing God with Inner Eye

'Allama Tabataba'i posits that the concept of seeing God in Qur'an 7:143 and similar verses (e.g., Qur'an 75:23, Qur'an 53:11, Qur'an 29:5, Qur'an 32:54) does not imply sensory perception, but rather refers to the highest and clearest stages of knowledge, which he terms "necessary knowledge" (al-ʿilm al-ḍarūrī).[13] Thus, Moses' (a) request was personal, aiming for the witnessing (shuhūd) of God through the inner eye.[14]

Tabataba'i, noting the Quranic affirmation of inner vision on the Day of Judgment, argues that the phrase "Lan tarani" applies solely to the worldly realm.[15] Furthermore, he interprets the condition "look at the mountain; if it remains in its place, then you will see Me" to mean that the divine manifestation and the vision of Him were not inherently impossible; rather, Moses (a) lacked the capacity to sustain such a manifestation.[16] Nasir Makarim Shirazi, however, views this interpretation as contrary to the apparent meaning (ẓāhir) of the verse, necessitating metaphor, and deems it inconsistent with certain narrations on the subject.[17]

The Issue of Moses' (a) Repentance

Regarding Moses' repentance following his request for divine vision, Makarim Shirazi suggests it may have been offered on behalf of the Children of Israel who demanded to see God. Alternatively, it was necessary for Moses (a) to return to his ordinary state following the mission's conclusion and to profess his faith to prevent any public misunderstanding.[18] As Tabataba'i also notes, repentance does not necessarily stem from sin; rather, it signifies a return to God, which can occur even in minor instances involving a semblance of distance from the Divine.[19]

Mystical Interpretation

Muslim mystics have accorded special significance to Qur'an 7:143, deriving numerous interpretations, secrets, and allusions from it.[20] For instance, the shattering of the mountain and Moses' (a) swooning due to the manifestation of God's wrath and grandeur have been interpreted as the station of annihilation (fana) for both. The distinction lies in the fact that while the mountain did not endure, Moses (a) attained the station of subsistence after annihilation (baqa), a rank superior to annihilation in mystical thought.[21]

Abu Sulayman al-Darani (d. 215/830), a mystical sheikh of the late 2nd/8th century, regarded the ultimate desire of gnostics (Ahl al-Maʿrifa) as identical to Moses' (a) desire to see God.[22] Imam Khomeini interprets the "mountain" as the egoism (anāniyya)[23] of Moses (a); unless this egoism is shattered by divine aid, the state of annihilation will not be realized.[24]

In Persian Poetry

Researchers note that among the events in Moses' (a) life, the incident of the Miqat and the dialogue of "Arini" (Show me) and "Lan tarani" (You shall never see Me) have garnered greater attention from Persian poets than other episodes.[25] Themes such as "abandoning one's existence to seek the meeting of the Truth," "hope, regret, etiquette, and longing for the divine encounter," and "comparing Moses (a) with the Noble Prophet (s) in meeting the Truth" are considered the most frequent motifs in Persian poetry regarding this subject.[26]

For example, Sanai Ghaznawi, a Shi'a poet and mystic of the 5th/11th century, writes:[27]

Template:Poem

Notes

  1. ↑ Tawakulī, "Naqd wa barrasī-yi dīdgāh-i Sayyid Murtaḍā dar bāra-yi taʾwīl-i āya-yi 'Rabbi arinī unẓur ilayk'", p. 196.
  2. ↑ Shahrastānī, Nihāyat al-aqdām, 1425 AH, pp. 206-207.
  3. ↑ Sayyid Murtaḍā, Tanzīh al-anbiyāʾ, 1998, vol. 2, pp. 215-230.
  4. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 360.
  5. ↑ Khazzāz Rāzī, Kifāyat al-athar, 1401 AH, pp. 261-262.
  6. ↑ Shaykh Ṣadūq, Kamāl al-dīn, 1398 Sh, p. 121.
  7. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 357.
  8. ↑ Riḍwānī, Shīʿa-shināsī wa pāsukh bi shubahāt, 1384 Sh, p. 210.
  9. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 356.
  10. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 356.
  11. ↑ Huwayzī, Tafsīr nūr al-thaqalayn, 1415 AH, vol. 2, p. 65.
  12. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 4, p. 731.
  13. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 8, p. 238.
  14. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 8, p. 238.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 8, p. 242.
  16. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 8, p. 242.
  17. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 359.
  18. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 6, p. 360.
  19. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 8, p. 243.
  20. ↑ See: Ḥusaynī Isḥāq-Niyā, "Sharḥ-i wāqiʿa-yi 'Lan tarānī' dar andīsha-yi ʿurafā", pp. 15-42.
  21. ↑ Ḥusaynī Isḥāq-Niyā, "Sharḥ-i wāqiʿa-yi 'Lan tarānī' dar andīsha-yi ʿurafā", p. 35.
  22. ↑ Abū Nuʿaym al-Iṣfahānī, Ḥilyat al-awliyāʾ, p. 120.
  23. ↑ Meaning self-centeredness and regarding everything from oneself.
  24. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-ṣalāh, 1370 Sh, p. 253; Idem, Tafsīr sūra ḥamd, 1375 Sh, p. 31.
  25. ↑ Muḥammad-Nizhād, "Taḥlīl-i mawḍūʿī-yi kārburd-i 'Arinī' wa 'Lan tarānī' dar shiʿr-i shāʿirān-i Pārsī-gūy bā taʾkīd bar ashʿār-i ʿirfānī", p. 8.
  26. ↑ Muḥammad-Nizhād, "Taḥlīl-i mawḍūʿī-yi kārburd-i 'Arinī' wa 'Lan tarānī' dar shiʿr-i shāʿirān-i Pārsī-gūy bā taʾkīd bar ashʿār-i ʿirfānī", pp. 1-25.
  27. ↑ Sanāʾī Ghaznavī, Dīwān-i Ḥakīm Sanāʾī Ghaznavī, 1391 Sh, p. 446.

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