Is it prohibited to ponder over the essence of Allaah?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The person who wishes to know their Lord and Creator must know Him through the way He identified Himself in His glorious Book and through the speech of His noble Messenger , in terms of His beautiful names and perfect attributes, and through His countless blessings and manifest signs dispersed throughout the universe, attesting to His Greatness, Lordship and Worthiness of worship. Indeed, no created being can ever realize the essence of the Creator. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {But they do not encompass it in knowledge.} [Quran 20:110]

• {Vision perceives Him not.} [Quran 6:103]

However the Prophet ordered us to consider the blessings of Allaah The Almighty and forbade us from pondering over His essence. [Abu Ash-Shaykh Al-Asbahaani & At-Tabaraani] [Al-Albaani: Hasan (Sound)]

Further proof of this is the discussion that occurred between Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) and Moosaa (Moses) . Fir‘awn asked: {What is the Lord of the worlds?} [Quran 26:23] and Moosaa replied: {The Lord of the heavens and earth and that between them.} [Quran 26:24] In this dialogue, Fir‘awn asked about the essence of Allaah and Moosaa replied citing His attributes.

This is the correct path that Muslims should follow and any person who experiences the whisperings of Satan, urging him to ponder the essence of Allaah, let him seek refuge with Allaah and then say, "I firmly believe in Allaah."

Allaah Knows best.