﴿ لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ ٱلْأَبْصَٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ ٱلْأَبْصَٰرَ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ ﴾

“No human vision can encompass Him, whereas He encompasses all human vision: for He alone is unfathomable, all-aware.”

Vision cannot attain Him that is they the eyes cannot see Him — this is a denial that applies in particular circumstances since it is accepted that the believer will see Him in the Hereafter as indicated by God’s words On that Day faces shall be radiant gazing upon their Lord Q. 7522f. and by the hadīth of the two Shaykhs Bukhārī and Muslim ‘Verily you shall see your Lord as clearly as you see the full moon at night’ — and it is also said to mean that it vision cannot encompass Him; but He attains all vision that is to say He perceives them whereas they cannot perceive Him; it is not possible in the case of anyone other than Him to attain all vision while it vision cannot attain Him or encompass Him in knowledge. And He is the Subtle in dealing with His friends the Aware of them.