Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Any image that a person imagines in his mind and thinks is an image of Allah is not an image of Allah. Simply imagining such a thing does not mean that he has seen Allah. A Muslim must not imagine Allah in a particular form or shape, because Allah, Glorified and Exalted, does not resemble anything of His creation, and the human mind cannot encompass the reality of His Essence or the manner of His Attributes. Whatever images and imaginings occur to a person in this regard should be ignored, and he should seek refuge in Allah from the whispers of Satan and refrain from dwelling on them.
A Muslim may not deliberately summon an image or form in his mind and then say: “This is the image of Allah.”
It has been narrated:
“Contemplate the blessings of Allah, and do not contemplate Allah.”
Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, considered this narration sound.
This is because the reality of Allah Almighty is far greater than the human mind can encompass or imagine in a particular form.
Allah says:
“There is nothing whatsoever like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Ash-Shura: 11]
And He says:
“So do not set up equals for Allah. Indeed, Allah knows, while you do not know.” [An-Nahl: 74]
Thus, any specific mental image that entails a particular form, shape, or manner cannot be attributed to Allah Almighty.
Ahl al-Sunnah believe in what Allah has described Himself with and what His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, described Him with, without likening Him to His creation and without asking how.
For example, we affirm that Allah is All-Hearing and All-Seeing, and that He possesses the Attributes He has affirmed for Himself. However, we do not imagine the manner of these Attributes, nor do we compare them to the attributes of created beings.
Ibn Abd al-Barr, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that Ahl al-Sunnah affirm the Attributes mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah, believe in them, without asking how any of them are or assigning them a confined description.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, transmitted the statement of the early scholars:
“Istawa is known, its manner is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.”
The meaning is known in terms of language and revelation, while the manner and reality of the Attribute are known only to Allah.
A person may sometimes experience an image or form without intending it, and then the thought may occur to him: “This is an image of Allah.”
He should know that this image is not an image of Allah, and he should not continue dwelling on it or try to determine whether it is correct.
Rather, he should stop thinking about it and turn his attention to something else.
Such thoughts may be among the whispers of Satan, through which he seeks to corrupt a Muslim’s beliefs and draw him into doubt and anxiety.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said concerning such whispers:
“When it reaches that point, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari (3276) and Muslim (134).
Imam al-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, explained that the treatment is to seek refuge in Allah, turn away from such whispers, and stop dwelling on them.
If the image comes to a person's mind without intention or choice, he should not become afraid or declare himself a disbeliever.
Rather, he should deal with it as a passing whisper: seek refuge in Allah, stop thinking about it, and neither investigate its details nor try to establish that it is an image of Allah.
As for deliberately imagining Allah Almighty in a particular form, this is incorrect, because Allah is far above resembling His creation, and a person may not invent an image for his Lord.
The mental image that a person imagines cannot be an image of Allah Almighty, and merely imagining it does not mean that he has seen Allah.
Allah Almighty does not resemble His creation, and it is not permissible to define His Attribute through an image or form derived from human imagination. If such images or thoughts occur, the remedy is to seek refuge in Allah, stop thinking about them, and not dwell on them.
A Muslim should not burden himself by asking: “Is this image Allah?” The answer is clear: Allah Almighty is not like that, and whatever a person imagines is not Allah.
And Allah knows best.