by the bodily organ.
This station is soundly established from the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace, as in the sound report when he was asked about seeing his Lord through his restricted, layered eye. He was asked, “Have you seen your Lord?” The questioner meant sight restricted by the bodily organ. He replied, “Light—how could I see Him?”[2] That is, this perception’s light is weak beside that divine light, although restricted sight has a perception within divine light under a particular limitation.
Just as divine light admitted comparison with the lamp[3] mentioned in the Qurʾan with the stated particular qualities, so it admits sight’s perception of it when all those conditions are attained. Reflect upon them within yourself. His saying, “Sights do not perceive Him” [al-Anʿam 6:103], is understood in two ways.
First, He denied that sights perceive Him, drawing attention to realities: those seeing perceive Him through sights, not the sights themselves. Second, sights restricted by the bodily organ do not perceive Him, as established. When unrestricted, they perceive Him. It is the very light to which comparison with the lamp applied, and the light of “There is nothing like His likeness” [al-Shura 42:11]. It therefore admits no likening, because it has no attribute.
Everything possessing an attribute admits likening, for attributes vary in those receiving them according to the reality of what is described. The Real is described by knowledge and hearing,
Notlar
[2]
(The wording “نوراني أراه” was corrected to “نور، أنى أراه؟”, “Light—how could I see Him?”, by comparison with the new edition.)
[3]
(The wording “قيل” was corrected to “قبل,” “admitted,” by comparison with the new edition.)
