What Does Allah Look Like?

The Qur’an says there is nothing like Allah, and that vision does not perceive him. The same book speaks of his Face, of the Most Merciful established above the Throne, and of faces looking at their Lord. Muslims are not describing a body a camera could photograph. Christians say Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

Key Points

• Qur’an 42:11Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh International[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (Saheeh International) says there is nothing like him, and that he is the Hearing, the Seeing. Qur’an 6:103Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says vision perceives him not, but he perceives vision.
• Qur’an 112:1–4Qur’an 112:1-4 · Saheeh International¹ Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One, ² Allāh, the Eternal Refuge. ³ He neither begets nor is born, ⁴ Nor is there to Him any equivalent."Qur’an 112:1-4 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says God is one, the Eternal Refuge, who neither begets nor is born, and that there is none equivalent to him. Who Is Allah?
• Qur’an 55:27Qur’an 55:27 · Saheeh InternationalAnd there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.Qur’an 55:27 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says the Face of your Lord will remain. Qur’an 20:5Qur’an 20:5 · Saheeh InternationalThe Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.Qur’an 20:5 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source and Qur’an 10:3Qur’an 10:3 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, your Lord is Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne, arranging the matter [of His creation]. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allāh, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will you not remember?Qur’an 10:3 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source say the Most Merciful is above the Throne. Qur’an 68:42Qur’an 68:42 · Saheeh InternationalThe Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,Qur’an 68:42 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source speaks of a Day when the shin will be uncovered.
• Qur’an 75:22–23Qur’an 75:22-23 · Saheeh International[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, Looking at their Lord.Qur’an 75:22-23 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says faces that Day will be radiant, looking at their Lord. Sahih Muslim 181aSahih Muslim 181a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiSuhaib reported the Apostle (ﷺ) saying: When those deserving of Paradise would enter Paradise, the Blessed and the Exalted would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say: Hast Thou not brightened our faces? Hast Thou not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Fire? He (the narrator) said: He (God) would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would he dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.Sahih Muslim 181a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiOpen source says nothing given to the people of Paradise would be dearer than the sight of their Lord.
• Qur’an 5:72Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalThey have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says they have disbelieved who say Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary. Qur’an 1:1Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalIn the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source is the line “In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”
• Christians confess that the Son is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15Colossians 1:15 · King James VersionWho is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:Colossians 1:15 · King James VersionOpen source) and that whoever has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:9John 14:9 · King James VersionJesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?John 14:9 · King James VersionOpen source).

Nothing Like Him

Qur’an 42:11Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh International[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (Saheeh International) says:

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

Qur’an 6:103Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says vision perceives him not, but he perceives vision, and he is the Subtle, the Aware. Qur’an 112:1–4Qur’an 112:1-4 · Saheeh International¹ Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One, ² Allāh, the Eternal Refuge. ³ He neither begets nor is born, ⁴ Nor is there to Him any equivalent."Qur’an 112:1-4 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says he is one, that he neither begets nor is born, and that there is no equivalent to him. Qur’an 59:22Qur’an 59:22 · Saheeh InternationalHe is Allāh, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.Qur’an 59:22 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source calls him Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. Qur’an 59:23Qur’an 59:23 · Saheeh InternationalHe is Allāh, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Grantor of Security, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.Qur’an 59:23 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source calls him the Sovereign, the Pure, and the Perfection. Qur’an 59:24Qur’an 59:24 · Saheeh InternationalHe is Allāh, the Creator, the Producer, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.Qur’an 59:24 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source calls him the Creator, the Producer, and the Fashioner. What Do the 99 Names of Allah Mean?

Sahih al-Bukhari 5954Sahih al-Bukhari 5954 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey when I had placed a curtain of mine having pictures over (the door of) a chamber of mine. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw it, he tore it and said, "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be those who try to make the like of Allah's creations." So we turned it (i.e., the curtain) into one or two cushions.Sahih al-Bukhari 5954 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source says the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will fall on those who try to make the like of God’s creations. That hadith is about pictures of creatures. It is the reason this site does not offer an image of God or of Muhammad. There is no photograph of Allah in the Qur’an.

The Face, the Throne, and the Shin

The denial of an image sits beside other verses that use face, throne, and shin.

Qur’an 55:26–27Qur’an 55:26-27 · Saheeh InternationalEveryone upon it [i.e., the earth] will perish, And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.Qur’an 55:26-27 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says everyone on the earth will perish, and there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor. Qur’an 20:5Qur’an 20:5 · Saheeh InternationalThe Most Merciful [who is] above the Throne established.Qur’an 20:5 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says the Most Merciful is above the Throne established. Qur’an 10:3Qur’an 10:3 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, your Lord is Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne, arranging the matter [of His creation]. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allāh, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will you not remember?Qur’an 10:3 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says he created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established himself above the Throne. Qur’an 68:42Qur’an 68:42 · Saheeh InternationalThe Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but they [i.e., the disbelievers] will not be able,Qur’an 68:42 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says the Day the shin will be uncovered, they are invited to prostration and the disbelievers will not be able.

Muslim readers argue about how literal those words are. The concession is fair: the Qur’an is not handing over a sketch of a face. It still says Face, Throne, and shin, in the same book that says nothing is like him. Tawhid and Christian Monotheism

Will People See Him?

Qur’an 75:22–23Qur’an 75:22-23 · Saheeh International[Some] faces, that Day, will be radiant, Looking at their Lord.Qur’an 75:22-23 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says some faces that Day will be radiant, looking at their Lord.

Sahih Muslim 181aSahih Muslim 181a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiSuhaib reported the Apostle (ﷺ) saying: When those deserving of Paradise would enter Paradise, the Blessed and the Exalted would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say: Hast Thou not brightened our faces? Hast Thou not made us enter Paradise and saved us from Fire? He (the narrator) said: He (God) would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would he dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.Sahih Muslim 181a · Abdul Hamid SiddiquiOpen source (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui), a Sunni hadith, says:

He (God) would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would he dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.

Sahih Muslim 181a · Abdul Hamid Siddiqui

Sunni hadith

Sahih al-Bukhari 7437Sahih al-Bukhari 7437 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated 'Ata' bin Yazid Al-Laithi: On the authority of Abu Huraira: The people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on a full moon night?" They said, "No, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." He said, "Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?" They said, "No, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." He said, "So you will see Him, like that. Allah will gather all the people on the Day of Resurrection, and say, 'Whoever worshipped something (in the world) should follow (that thing),' so, whoever worshipped the sun will follow the sun, and whoever worshiped the moon will follow the moon, and whoever used to worship certain (other false) deities, he will follow those deities. And there will remain only this nation with its good people (or its hypocrites). (The sub-narrator, Ibrahim is in doubt.) Allah will come to them and say, 'I am your Lord.' They will (deny Him and) say, 'We will stay here till our Lord comes, for when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.' So Allah will come to them in His appearance which they know, and will say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say, 'You are our Lord,' so they will follow Him. Then a bridge will be laid across Hell (Fire)' I and my followers will be the first ones to go across it and none will speak on that Day except the Apostles. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day will be, 'O Allah, save! Save!' In Hell (or over The Bridge) there will be hooks like the thorns of As-Sa'dan (thorny plant). Have you seen As-Sa'dan? " They replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" He said, "So those hooks look like the thorns of As-Sa'dan, but none knows how big they are except Allah. Those hooks will snap the people away according to their deeds. Some of the people will stay in Hell (be destroyed) because of their (evil) deeds, and some will be cut or torn by the hooks (and fall into Hell) and some will be punished and then relieved. When Allah has finished His Judgments among the people, He will take whomever He will out of Hell through His Mercy. He will then order the angels to take out of the Fire all those who used to worship none but Allah from among those whom Allah wanted to be merciful to and those who testified (in the world) that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. The angels will recognize them in the Fire by the marks of prostration (on their foreheads), for the Fire will eat up all the human body except the mark caused by prostration as Allah has forbidden the Fire to eat the mark of prostration. They will come out of the (Hell) Fire, completely burnt and then the water of life will be poured over them and they will grow under it as does a seed that comes in the mud of the torrent. Then Allah will finish the judgments among the people, and there will remain one man facing the (Hell) Fire and he will be the last person among the people of Hell to enter Paradise. He will say, 'O my Lord! Please turn my face away from the fire because its air has hurt me and its severe heat has burnt me.' So he will invoke Allah in the way Allah will wish him to invoke, and then Allah will say to him, 'If I grant you that, will you then ask for anything else?' He will reply, 'No, by Your Power, (Honor) I will not ask You for anything else.' He will give his Lord whatever promises and covenants Allah will demand. So Allah will turn his face away from Hell (Fire). When he will face Paradise and will see it, he will remain quiet for as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, then he will say, 'O my Lord! Bring me near to the gate of Paradise.' Allah will say to him, 'Didn't you give your promises and covenants that you would never ask for anything more than what you had been given? Woe on you, O Adam's son! How treacherous you are!' He will say, 'O my lord,' and will keep on invoking Allah till He says to him, 'If I give what you are asking, will you then ask for anything else?' He will reply, 'No, by Your (Honor) Power, I will not ask for anything else.' Then he will give covenants and promises to Allah and then Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise. When he stands at the gate of Paradise, Paradise will be opened and spread before him, and he will see its splendor and pleasures whereupon he will remain quiet as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, and then he will say, O my Lord! Admit me into Paradise.' Allah will say, 'Didn't you give your covenants and promises that you would not ask for anything more than what you had been given?' Allah will say, 'Woe on you, O Adam's son! How treacherous you are! ' The man will say, 'O my Lord! Do not make me the most miserable of Your creation,' and he will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will laugh because of his sayings, and when Allah will laugh because of him, He will say to him, 'Enter Paradise,' and when he will enter it, Allah will say to him, 'Wish for anything.' So he will ask his Lord, and he will wish for a great number of things, for Allah Himself will remind him to wish for certain things by saying, '(Wish for) so-and-so.' When there is nothing more to wish for, Allah will say, 'This is for you, and its equal (is for you) as well." 'Ata' bin Yazid added: Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri who was present with Abu Huraira, did not deny whatever the latter said, but when Abu Huraira said that Allah had said, "That is for you and its equal as well," Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri said, "And ten times as much, O Abu Huraira!" Abu Huraira said, "I do not remember, except his saying, 'That is for you and its equal as well.'" Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri then said, "I testify that I remember the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'That is for you, and ten times as much.' ' Abu Huraira then added, "That man will be the last person of the people of Paradise to enter Paradise."Sahih al-Bukhari 7437 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source answers “Shall we see our Lord?” with the question whether anyone has difficulty seeing the sun with no clouds, or the moon on a full-moon night, and then says, “So you will see Him, like that.” A Shia reader may not receive these two collections. The Qur’an line about faces looking at their Lord remains. Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith?

Qur’an 6:103Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source still says vision does not perceive him. Muslims live with both sentences: he is not seen as a body among bodies, and the people of Paradise look toward their Lord.

Is Allah the Same as Jesus?

Qur’an 5:72Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalThey have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says they have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary.” Qur’an 4:171Qur’an 4:171 · Saheeh InternationalO People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allāh except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allāh and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allāh and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allāh is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allāh as Disposer of affairs.Qur’an 4:171 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says do not say “Three,” that God is one, and that he is exalted above having a son. Qur’an 9:30Qur’an 9:30 · Saheeh InternationalThe Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allāh"; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allāh." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before [them]. May Allāh destroy them; how are they deluded?Qur’an 9:30 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source rejects the Christian sentence that the Messiah is the son of God.

Christians do not say the Father is the Son. They say the one God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that the Son is God. John 1:1John 1:1 · King James VersionIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 · King James VersionOpen source says the Word was God. John 1:18John 1:18 · King James VersionNo man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.John 1:18 · King James VersionOpen source says no one has seen God at any time, and that the only begotten Son has declared him. John 14:9John 14:9 · King James VersionJesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?John 14:9 · King James VersionOpen source has Jesus say that whoever has seen him has seen the Father. Colossians 1:15Colossians 1:15 · King James VersionWho is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:Colossians 1:15 · King James VersionOpen source calls him the image of the invisible God. Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? Can God Have a Son? The Trinity

What Is Bismillah?

Qur’an 1:1Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalIn the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (Saheeh International) says: In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Qur’an 27:30Qur’an 27:30 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it is [i.e., reads]: 'In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,Qur’an 27:30 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source begins Solomon’s letter with the same formula. That Arabic sentence is the basmala. The written ligature is that formula in one mark. In English it is the sentence of 1:1.

The Qur’an does not present that line as a Jewish prayer. “In the name of the Lord” in the Bible is a different sentence, in a different book, about the God of Israel who speaks as Father, Son, and Spirit in the Christian confession. What Do Muslims Believe?

The Christian Claim

Muslims are right that the Qur’an refuses a portrait of Allah and says nothing is like him. The same Qur’an refuses the claim that Allah is the Messiah and that God has a Son. Christians say the invisible God is seen in the Son. Thomas, standing before the risen Jesus, says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28John 20:28 · King James VersionAnd Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.John 20:28 · King James VersionOpen source). That is the Christian answer to “what does God look like?” The Deity of Christ Is Jesus God?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There an Image of Allah?

Qur’an 42:11Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh International[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.Qur’an 42:11 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says there is nothing like him. Qur’an 6:103Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says vision does not perceive him. Bukhari 5954 condemns making the like of God’s creations. This page has no picture.

How Is Allah Described in the Qur’an?

One, unlike anything, hearing, seeing, above the Throne, with a Face that remains, and with names in Qur’an 59:22Qur’an 59:22 · Saheeh InternationalHe is Allāh, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.Qur’an 59:22 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source. Qur’an 75:23Qur’an 75:23 · Saheeh InternationalLooking at their Lord.Qur’an 75:23 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says faces will be looking at their Lord.

Does Allah Have a Face?

Qur’an 55:27Qur’an 55:27 · Saheeh InternationalAnd there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.Qur’an 55:27 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says the Face of your Lord will remain. Qur’an 6:103Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalVision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.Qur’an 6:103 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source says vision does not perceive him. Muslims argue how those lines fit. The words are both in the book.

What Language Is Bismillah?

The formula in Qur’an 1:1Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalIn the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.Qur’an 1:1 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source is Arabic. Saheeh International renders it “In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”

Can Jews Say Bismillah?

The Qur’an does not offer 1:1 as a Jewish prayer. This page does not tell a Jewish reader which prayers to say. The sentence is the opening of the Muslim scripture.

Is Allah the Same as Jesus?

Qur’an 5:72Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalThey have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source calls it disbelief to say Allah is the Messiah. Christians say Jesus is God the Son, not the Father, and not a prophet who replaces the Son. Who Is Allah?

Keep Reading

• Who Is Allah? Is He the God of the Bible?
• Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?
• Tawhid and Christian Monotheism
• What Do the 99 Names of Allah Mean?
• The Trinity
• Do Muslims Believe in Heaven?