Is God Formless or in Form - as per Quran

What does the Quran say about the Form of God.

General belief in Islam is that God has no form (formless). They believe that God is present everywhere and his power is working in every living being but he is without any physical body i.e. he has no hands, feet, body, face etc. So, what is the reality about form of God as per the Quran. Is the God in physical form or is he Formless.

God is in Form | Quran

Quran proves that God has a form. He even has a face. But no one can see the face of God. Please read Surah Al Araf below.

Surah Al Araf 7 verse 143

And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [Allāh] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level,2 and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first [among my people] of the believers."

This Surah Al Araf 7 verse 143 proves that God has a face. However, Moses could not see it. The reason for that it that the God giving the knowledge of Quran remains hidden. He does not want anyone to see him. 

The above account of Moses and God is also present in the Bible in Exodus 33. Read Exodus 33.

Meraj of Prophet Muhammad

When Prophet Muhammad went to the higher skies sitting on Buraq during the Meraj, this same god spoke to him from behind a curtain. He then gave Prophet Muhammad orders to do prayers (namaaz). But Prophet Muhammad could not see God.

If someone is not able to see God, it does not mean that God is formless.

Al Furqan 25 Verse 59

He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between in six Days, then established Himself on the Throne. He is the Most Compassionate! Ask none other than the All-Knowledgeable about Himself.

In Surah Furqan 25, the god speaking Quran talks about another God who created the whole universe in 6 days and then sat on his throne. Only a God in form can sit on a throne. A formless God doesn't need to sit on any throne. Just having a throne is pointless for a formless god.

Surah Al Qiamah 75: 22 - 24

• 1 - I do swear by the Day of Judgment!
• 12 - On that Day all will end up before your Lord.
• 22 - On that Day some faces will be bright,
• 23 - looking at their Lord.
• 24 - And other faces will be gloomy,

In Surah Al Qiamah, the narrator of Quran is talking about the day of judgement and clarifies that those souls who are vituous, their faces will be bright when they see their Lord, while some's faces will be gloomy.

It again mentions that the resurrected souls will be able to see the Lord.

Surah Al Mutaffifin 83:15

“Nay! Surely, they (evil doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day”

In Surah Al Mutaffifin, the speaker of Quran is talking about the evil doers and says that they will be barred from seeing thier Lord. Rather they will burn in hell (83:16).

This again proves that God is visible in Paradise, has a form which the virtuous souls will be able to see.

Sahih Al Bukhari

Sahih Al Bukhari

• 806 - The people said, "O Allah's Messenger! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" He replied, "Do you have any doubt in seeing the full moon on a clear (not cloudy) night?" They replied, "No, O Allah's Messenger!" He said, "Do you have any doubt in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" They replied in the negative. He said, "You will see Allah (your Lord) in the same way.

Sahih al-Bukhari

• 7435 - The Prophet said, "You will definitely see your Lord with your own eyes."
• 7436 - Allah's Messenger came out to us on the night of the full moon and said, "You will see your Lord on the Day of Resurrection as you see this (full moon) and you will have no difficulty in seeing Him."
• 7437 - On the authority of Abu Huraira: The people said, "O Allah's Messenger! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" The Prophet said, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on a full moon night?" They said, "No, O Allah's Messenger." He said, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" They said, "No, O Allah's Messenger." He said, "So you will see Him, like that.

In Hadith, Prophet Muhammad has made it very clear that Allah has a physical form and those going to heaven will be able to see the Lord. He says that in paradise we will see our Lord with our own eyes. Prophet Muhammad has made it very clear that, like we can see the sun and moon on a clear day, similarly we will see our Lord in heaven.

Conclusion

Quran proves that God is not formless. God is in a human like form. This is further corroborated by verses in the Bible where in Genesis, God says that he created humans in his own image, male and female like himself. This again proves that God is in form. 

• Read form of God in Bible 
• Sahih Al Bukhari 806
• Sahih Al Bukhari 7435-37

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