Is it permissible for a Muslim to try to imagine what Allaah The Almighty looks like?

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.

It is impermissible for a Muslim to try to imagine what Allaah The Almighty looks like because He is unlike anything that anyone can imagine. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him.} [Quran 42:11]

It is impossible and impermissible for the limited human mind to try to visualize Allaah The Almighty. Anyone who tries to draw a mental picture of Allaah The Almighty in his mind is, by this, seeking to resemble Allaah The Almighty to His creatures, just like the one who worships an idol. For this reason, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prohibited Muslims from thinking about the Essence  of Allaah The Almighty and ordered them, instead, to think of His signs and blessings. [Mu‘jam At-Tabaraani]

There are many statements by scholars forbidding Muslims to reflect on the Essence of Allaah and urging Muslims to ponder over His visible signs in the universe and His signs in the Quran and the blessings that He bestows liberally upon man. Ibn Abu Zayd Al-Qayrawaani said that anyone who wants to reflect on something must  reflect on the signs of Allaah The Almighty, not on His Essence.

Moreover, Imaam At-Tahaawi said that Allaah The Almighty does not resemble any of His creatures.

The reason why reflecting on the Essence  of Allaah The Almighty is impermissible is because one cannot know or judge anything except through one of three ways:

1.       Seeing and examining that thing and it is impossible to see Allaah The Almighty, who Says (what means): {Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.} [Quran 6:103]

2.       Drawing an analogy between one thing and something else that is like it, that was seen before and this is also impossible because Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11]

3.       Knowing and judging this thing through its tangible traces. That is to say, one is to be judged as being powerful through the traces of his power and he is to be judged as wise through the traces of his wisdom and so on.

In fact, the last way is the only means through which man can realize and be certain that Allaah The Almighty is One and has no partners and that He is Perfect and far above any defects. Hence, Allaah The Almighty urges mankind in the Quran to meditate on their own selves, the universe and the horizons in order to realize His Greatness. He Says (what means):

In conclusion, it is not permissible for a Muslim to try to imagine what Allaah The Almighty looks like, and whoever worships an image that he imagines is only worshipping an idol, for Allaah The Almighty Says  about Himself (what means): {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.} [Quran 42:11]

The way out of such thoughts is to try to dispel them and stop thinking about them, seek refuge in Allaah The Almighty from the accursed devil and say, "Laa ’Ilaaha ’Illaa Allaah. Aamantu Billaah. (There is none worthy of worship except Allaah. I believe in Allaah.)”

Allaah Knows best.