Was Moses Able to See Allah?

Many people do not know Allah. This series (1-68) isMy favors.
an attempt to help them to know their Creator.In other words, Allah said: O Moses! I have preferred
Verses 7:143-144 of the Noble Quran talk about: 1)thee above mankind, above the Children of Israel by
Was Moses able to see Allah? 2) When Moses fellMy messages and by My speaking unto thee. So hold
down senseless? 3) What happened when Allahthat which I have given thee, act upon that which I
revealed His glory to the mountain? 4) Why Moseshave given you, and be among the thankful that I
said to Allah: I turn unto Thee repentant? and 5) Allahchose to speak to you from among all people.
preferred Moses by two great items.===========
===========Verses 7:143-144 in different English translations of
In thee previous article (67)the meanings of Arabic Quran:
Allah did appoint for Moses to spend in the mountainVerse 7:143
thirty nights and added to them ten days and heQARIB: and when moses came at the appointed time
completed the whole time appointed by his Lord ofand his lord spoke to him, he said: 'lord, let me see,
forty nights as he promised;and Moses said unto histhat i can look at you. ' he replied: 'you shall not see
brother: Take my place, be my deputy among theme. but look at the mountain; if it remains firm in its
people. Do right, enjoin them to do right, and do notplace, then shall you see me. ' and when his lord was
follow the way of mischief-makers by committingrevealed to the mountain and caused it to be
transgressions.crushed and leveled whereupon moses fell down
The meaning of verse 7: 143senseless, and when he recovered, he said:
And when Moses came at Allah's appointed tryst'exaltations to you! i repent to you. i am the first of
(time), that is, the time at which Allah had promisedbelievers. '
to speak to him, and his Lord spoke with him,SHAKIR: and when musa came at our appointed time
without any intermediary, with speech which heand his lord spoke to him, he said: my lord! show me
heard from all directions,(thyself), so that i may look upon thee. he said: you
Moses said, ‘My Lord! Show me, Yourself, hecannot (bear to) see me but look at the mountain, if
wished to see Allah, that I may behold You! That Iit remains firm in its place, then will you see me; but
may gaze upon Thee.’when his lord manifested his glory to the mountain he
Allah Said, ‘You shall not see Me, that is to say,made it crumble and musa fell down in a swoon; then
you do not have the power to see me, you will notwhen he recovered, he said: glory be to thee, i turn
be able to see me in the life of this world, Oto thee, and i am the first of the believers
Moses,but behold the mountain, which is strongerPICKTHAL: and when moses came to our appointed
than you are, and if it remains, stays fixed, in itstryst and his lord had spoken unto him, he said: my
place, then you shall see Me’, that is, [then] youlord! show me (thy self), that i may gaze upon thee.
shall remain fixed [able] to see Me, otherwise, you willhe said: thou wilt not see me, but gaze upon the
not have the capacity [for it].mountain! if it stand still in its place, then thou wilt see
And when his Lord revealed Himself, that is, [when]me. and when his lord revealed (his) glory to the
He manifested of His Light the equivalent of half amountain he sent it crashing down. and moses fell
nail of a little finger, as stated in one Hadith (said bydown senseless. and when he woke he said: glory
the Prophet Muhammad), to the mountain He leveledunto thee! i turn unto thee repentant, and i am the
it to the ground and Moses fell down senseless,first of (true) believers.
having lost consciousness at the awesomeness ofYUSUFALI: when moses came to the place appointed
what he had seen.by us, and his lord addressed him, he said: "o my lord!
And when Moses recovered his senses he said,show (thyself) to me, that i may look upon thee."
‘Glory be to You!, in Your transcendence. IAllah said: "by no means canst thou see me (direct);
repent to You, for having asked You what I was notbut look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then
commanded to ask, and I am the first of theshalt thou see me." when his lord manifested his glory
believers’, of my time.on the mount, he made it as dust. and moses fell
In other words, Allah said to Moses:but gaze upondown in a swoon. when he recovered his senses he
the mountain (the highest mountain in Midian!)if thesaid: "glory be to thee! to thee i turn in repentance,
mountain stands still in its place when seeing Me, thenand i am the first to believe."
may be you will see Me. And when Allah revealed HisVerse 7:144
glory to the mountain He sent it crashing down. AndQARIB: he said: 'moses, i have chosen you from all
Moses fell down senseless he passed out. And whenmankind with my messages and my words.
he woke from his fainting, he glorified His Lord andtherefore, take what i have given you, and be
said: Glory unto Thee! I turn unto Thee repentantamong the thankful.'
from asking to see You, and I am the first of trueSHAKIR: he said: o musa! surely i have chosen you
believers that you will not be seen in the life of thisabove the people with my messages and with my
world.words, therefore take hold of what i give to you and
N.B.:the use of this expression [lan tar?n?, ‘yoube of the grateful ones
shall not see Me’] instead of lan ur?, ‘I shallPICKTHAL: he said: o moses! i have preferred thee
not be seen’, implies that it is possible to seeabove mankind by my messages and by my
Allah, exalted be He.  But who will see Him?  Only,speaking (unto thee). so hold that which i have given
the believers will see Him in the Afterlife.thee, and be among the thankful.
The meaning of verse 7:144YUSUFALI: (Allah) said: "o moses! i have chosen thee
Allah said to him: ‘O Moses, I have elected you,above (other) men, by the mission i (have given
chosen you, from among mankind, the people ofthee) and the words i (have spoken to thee): take
your time, for My Messages and My Speech, that is,then the (revelation) which i give thee, and be of
for My having spoken to you. So take what I havethose who give thanks.
given you, of bounty, and be of the thankful’, of