Appearance
Resurrection and Encountering God
“O human being! You are laboring toward your Lord laboriously, and you will encounter Him” ().
The Qur’an emphasizes the concept of “liqā Allāh” (meeting or encountering God) as central to Islamic faith. This idea conveys belief in ultimate accountability, a life beyond this world, and the eventual return of every soul to its Creator. Verses referencing “liqā Allāh” remind humanity of life’s transient nature and the eternal significance of the Hereafter. Through this lens, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī highlights the soul’s gradual journey toward God, culminating in the removal of worldly veils and the unveiling of divine truth.
The verse portrays life as a path of continuous effort, stating: “You are laboring toward your Lord laboriously.” This “labor” reflects the existential struggles inherent in human life—a process where the soul strives and transforms through trials and experiences. Every human being, regardless of belief, is on this journey, which culminates in the “encounter” with God, where all veils are removed and the soul attains clarity regarding its deeds, purpose, and relationship with the divine. This meeting, ʿAllāmah explains, encompasses all of creation, as “Indeed, to your Lord is the return” ().
In discussing the nature of liqā Allāh, he asserts that God, being beyond time, space, and materiality, cannot be “met” in a physical sense. Instead, this meeting signifies a state of complete awareness, recognition, and unveiling (tajallī) of divine reality. This encounter transcends sensory or intellectual comprehension as it occurs when the soul is freed from the limitations of worldly existence. When these veils are lifted in the Hereafter, individuals witness undeniable truths of God’s sovereignty, justice, and mercy. The Qur’an describes this moment as one of unmediated recognition: “On that day, faces will be bright, looking toward their Lord” (). Here, “looking” denotes a profound, inward vision that allows the soul to perceive God’s encompassing presence.
The concept of liqā Allāh is intricately tied to the reality of resurrection (qiyāmah), where this encounter reaches its fullest realization. In this timeless realm, individuals face the consequences of their actions and the ultimate truth of their existence. The Qur’an highlights the certainty of this return: “And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth; all are obedient to Him. And it is He who begins creation, then repeats it, and that is most simple for Him” (). For believers, this meeting signifies fulfillment and divine reward, while for those who reject it, it exposes their neglect of God’s signs and the consequences of their spiritual blindness. The verse “Indeed, those who do not expect to encounter Us and who are pleased with the life of this world and satisfied with it, and those who are oblivious of Our signs; it is they whose refuge shall be the Fire because of what they used to earn” () affirms these moral and existential consequences.
Sūrah Al-Rum (, ) highlights humanity’s tendency to neglect reflection on life’s purpose, the passage of time, and the appointed end of all things. Believers who prepare for liqā Allāh through faith and deeds anticipate accountability and eternal reward. Disbelievers, however, remain entrenched in a narrow worldview, ignoring the Hereafter and facing eventual punishment. ʿAllāmah explains that denial of liqā Allāh reflects a rejection of accountability and resurrection. Immersing oneself in worldly attachments blinds one to the divine signs found in creation, preventing contemplation of the ultimate return. The Qur’an describes their state as: “Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of God” ().
For disbelievers, this denial leads to satisfaction with temporary pleasures and limits their understanding of existence. There is no distinction between someone who explicitly denies the Resurrection and someone who implicitly denies it through their actions. Belief in the Resurrection is fundamental, as it integrates divine guidance, reward, punishment, and accountability. Without it, the foundation of religion collapses.
Conversely, for those who believe in liqā Allāh, life takes on a deeper purpose. Awareness of this meeting inspires humility, moral accountability, and spiritual striving. Believers see every action and experience as part of their return to God, aligning their lives with divine guidance. The Qur’an emphasizes this relationship in verses such as: “Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is God,’ and then remained steadfast—the angels will descend upon them, (saying): Do not fear, nor grieve, but receive good news of paradise, which you were promised” (). For the faithful, liqā Allāh is a moment of joy and culmination, where the labor of worldly life is rewarded with divine proximity.
This meeting yields decisive, existential knowledge (maʿrifah) that transcends doubt. While human beings perceive divine signs indirectly in this world—through creation, revelation, and reason—the Hereafter unveils these realities clearly. In this state, the soul witnesses directly the truth of God’s justice, sovereignty, and mercy, free from the limitations of worldly interpretation or inference.
A significant aspect of ʿAllāmah’s exegesis is his emphasis on timelessness. As long as human beings remain confined to the material and temporal realm, their understanding of God is veiled. True liqā Allāh occurs when the soul transcends these boundaries in the timeless Hereafter, allowing for an unfiltered encounter with divine truth. The Qur’an alludes to this in: “Indeed, they will see it with the eye of certainty” (). This timeless state enables the soul to grasp the full scope of its existence and ultimate purpose.
Ultimately, liqā Allāh is the culmination of humanity’s journey—a return to its origin. For those who have prepared through faith and righteous deeds, this meeting signifies fulfillment, as expressed in the verse: “Whoever hopes to encounter his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord” (). On the other hand, for those who deny it, this meeting exposes the consequences of their heedlessness and spiritual neglect.
In conclusion, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s explanation of liqā Allāh reveals it as the central purpose of existence and the essence of resurrection. While it is not a physical meeting, this spiritual unveiling transcends temporal and spatial boundaries. It represents the culmination of human striving, where the soul attains definitive knowledge of its Creator, its deeds, and its ultimate reality. The Qur’anic concept of liqā Allāh is both a warning and an invitation: a reminder of life’s transient nature and a call to align one’s steps with the divine path in preparation for the inevitable encounter with the Creator.
See verses , , , , , and . The Qur’anic references to “liqā Allāh” encapsulate the broader message of Islam by linking faith in the Hereafter to righteous conduct in this world. Belief in the meeting with God is not only a theological concept but also a moral imperative that defines a believer’s approach to life. It serves as a reminder that all actions have consequences, and every soul will ultimately stand before its Creator to answer for its deeds. This belief anchors the temporal world to the eternal and encourages a life lived in preparation for the ultimate reality. ↩︎
Islamic mysticism ties the idea of liqā Allāh to the gradual unveiling (tajallī) of divine realities as the soul purifies itself in preparation for the Hereafter. In life, human understanding is often clouded by the veils of material desire, ego, and forgetfulness. However, the Hereafter marks a stage where these veils are removed, allowing the soul to encounter God’s truths directly. This unveiling is not limited to intellectual comprehension but involves an existential realization that shifts beyond speculative thought into definitive truth (haqq). ↩︎
Refer to the section on “The Vision of God” in this book. ↩︎
By denying the Resurrection and Return to God, disbelievers limit human existence to worldly life, directing their innate desire for happiness solely to this world, unlike believers who strive for eternal happiness in both this life and the Hereafter. This explains the phrase “and who are pleased with the life of this world and satisfied with it” in verse . ↩︎
The logical effect of this is to invalidate revelation, prophethood, and the idea of divine religion that flows from these. ↩︎
The Qur’anic verse encapsulates the three foundational principles of religion: belief in one God, prophethood, and resurrection. The verse states: “Say, I am only a mortal like you. It is revealed to me that your god is one God; therefore, whoever hopes to meet their Lord should do good deeds and not associate anyone with their Lord in worship.” The hope of meeting God is presented as a logical consequence of the declaration “Your god is one God,” as the concept of returning to Him is an intrinsic part of His divinity. ↩︎
Islamic scholars and mystics view liqā Allāh as the ultimate form of existential knowledge (maʿrifah). While rational faculties and revelation guide human understanding of God in this life, liqā Allāh represents a decisive, doubt-free knowledge in the Hereafter. This direct witnessing enables the soul to fully comprehend God’s sovereignty, mercy, and justice. ↩︎