Editing Sunni Islam (section)

==== The vision of God in the hereafter ====
The teachings of the Sunnis also include the vision of God (''ruʾyat Allāh'') in the hereafter, which has similarities with the ''visio beatifica'' in the [[Christianity|Christian tradition]].<ref>Vgl. van Ess: ''Theologie und Gesellschaft''. 1997, Bd. IV, S. 411–415.</ref> With this teaching the Sunnis set themselves apart from the Muʿtazilites, the [[Zaidiyyah]] and the [[Islamic philosophy|philosophers]] who consider the vision of God intellectually impossible.<ref>an-Nasafī: '' ʿUmdat ʿAqīdat ahl as-sunna wa-l-ǧamāʿa ''. 1843, p. 12.</ref>

There are differing views among Sunni scholars about the timing and type of the divine vision. Al-Ashari states that God is seen on the day of resurrection, whereby only the believers see him, the unbelievers not because they are kept away from God.<ref name="Ašʿarī 1931">al-Ašʿarī: ''Kitāb Maqāl ¹āt al-islāmīyīn''. S. 292. – Dt. Übersetzung 1931, S. 58.</ref> At-Tahāwī, on the other hand, was of the opinion that the vision of God was a reality for the inmates of Paradise.<ref>aṭ-Ṭaḥāwī: '' al-ʿAqīda ''. 1995, p. 13.  Engl. Transl. Watt 49.</ref> Ibn Taimīya doubles the vision of God: people see God while they are still in the places of the resurrection, and then after entering paradise.<ref name="Ibn Taimīya 1999">Ibn Taimīya: ''[[al-ʿAqīda al-Wāsiṭīya]]''. 1999, S. 91. – Dt. Übers. Wein S. 86.</ref>

As for the way of seeing God, al-Ash Aari and Ibn Taimiyah emphasized its visual characteristics. Al-Ashari meant that God can be seen with the eyes, just as one sees the moon on the night of the full moon.<ref name="Ašʿarī 1931"/> Ibn Taimīya adds that the vision of God is as one sees the sun on a cloudless day.<ref name="Ibn Taimīya 1999"/> In the ʿAqīda at-Tahāwīs, the transcendence of God is emphasized: the vision can neither be understood nor described, because none of the creatures are like God.<ref>aṭ-Ṭaḥāwī: ''al-ʿAqīda''. 1995, S. 13–15. – Engl. Übers. Watt 49f.</ref> According to al-Ghazālī's creed the pious in the hereafter see the essence of God without [[Matter|substance]] and [[Accident (philosophy)|accidents]].<ref name="Gazali10776"/> According to the creed of an-Nasafī, God is seen neither in one place nor in any direction or distance. There is also no connection to rays.<ref>an-Nasafī: ''ʿUmdat ʿAqīdat ahl as-sunna wa-l-ǧamāʿa''. 1843, S. 12.</ref>