A Critical Analysis of the Ash'arites and Mu'tazilites' Reasons for Divine Vision Based on Ahl al-Bait (p.b.u.h) Traditions

From some verses of the Qur'an, the possibility of God's sight, and according to the others the refusal of this problem can be deduced. This has led to various theories in Islamic society. A group by arguing the first set of verses and affirming some of the prophetic narrations and providing rational arguments, concluded the possibility of God's sight. And another group, using the second set of verses and rational reasoning, deduced the absolute refusal of God's sight. The Ash'arites are the believers of the first view and the Mu'tazilites are the believers of the second view. Both of these were criticized by the Ahlul-Bayt (AS). Therefore, the present study seeks to answer this question by a descriptive-analytical method that what is the analysis of the Ash'arite and Mu'tazilah arguments about divine vision and its critics? After analyzing the rational, Quranic and Hadith arguments of the Ash'arites and Mu'tazilites it became clear that their arguments are criticized by both positive and negative views of the Ahlul-Bayt's narratives. In the negative attitude, first it is impossible to see God physically, whether in this world, in sleep or in the paradise. Second all traditions that describe God as His creatures are criticized and rejected. Third non-physical seeing is not absolutely impossible. In the positive attitude, according to traditions, God can be seen with a glorious heart from the contaminations of sins and the pollutions of doubts and this has come true for the religious and divine authorities.