Theophany of Allah

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

اللهم صلى على سيدنا ونبينا محمد

A theophany is a manifestation of God to humankind. The archetypal theophany is what occurred at Mount Sinai, as described in the Torah:

And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. (Exodus 19:16-20)

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:15-18)

In the theophany at Mount Sinai, the following phenomena occurred:

1. Thunder and lightning

2. Cloud

3. Blast of the trumpet

4. Smoke and fire

5. Quake

The association of these terrifying and glorious phenomena with the theophany of our God is what sets Him apart from many of the false gods and idols. Each of the five phenomenon that occurred during the theophany at Mount Sinai are mentioned in the Quran, particularly with regard to the theophany that shall occur on Judgment Day:

Lightning, Thunder

He it is Who shows you the lightning [to inspire] fear and hope, and He raises the heavy clouds

وَیُسَبِّحُ الرَّعۡدُ بِحَمۡدِہٖ وَالۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ مِنۡ خِیۡفَتِہٖ

And the thunder glorifies Him with His praise and [likewise do] the Angels for awe of Him

(Surah 13, Ayah 12 & 13)

Cloud

ہَلۡ یَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَہُمُ اللّٰہُ فِیۡ ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الۡغَمَامِ وَالۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ وَقُضِیَ الۡاَمۡرُ

Are they waiting for anything but that Allah should come to them in the coverings of the clouds with Angels, and the matter be decided?

(Surah 2, Ayah 210)

*Commentary: The Ayah is referring to what shall occur at the final Judgment when Allah Himself shall come, and His glorious theophany shall bring with it clouds and Angels

وَیَوۡمَ تَشَقَّقُ السَّمَآءُ بِالۡغَمَامِ وَنُزِّلَ الۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃُ تَنۡزِیۡلًا

And the Day when the Heaven shall be rent asunder with the clouds, and the Angels shall be sent down with a descending

(Surah 25, Ayah 25)

*Commentary: This Ayah too is referring to the final Judgment when the theophany of Allah shall result in the sky splitting open and the appearance of glorious clouds along with the Angels descending in a grand fashion.

وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَمَامَ

And We shaded you [Children of Israel] with clouds

(Surah 2, Ayah 57)

وَظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡغَمَامَ

And We shaded them [Children of Israel] with clouds

(Surah 7, Ayah 160)

*Commentary: These passages are referring to how the divine presence of Allah was with the Children of Israel as they wandered toward the Holy Land during the Exodus. His presence was manifested in clouds shading the people: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night’ (Exodus 13:21). The descending of a cloud with the divine presence (Sakinah) was likewise experienced by some of the Prophet Muhammad’s (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) companions: Sayyidina Usaid bin Hudair (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that he was reciting Surat al-Baqarah at night, when suddenly his horse became startled. When he paused his recitation the horse calmed down and became silent, but when he resumed it the horse would act up again. He says:

فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَإِذَا مِثْلُ الظُّلَّةِ فِيهَا أَمْثَالُ الْمَصَابِيحِ

'I raised my head to the sky and behold there was something like a cloud containing what looked like lamps’

After explaining what he saw to the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam), the Prophet informed him:

تِلْكَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ دَنَتْ لِصَوْتِكَ وَلَوْ قَرَأْتَ لأَصْبَحَتْ يَنْظُرُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهَا لاَ تَتَوَارَى مِنْهُمْ

'Those were Angels who came near to you for your voice and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it would have remained there till morning when people would have seen it as it would not have disappeared’ (Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab Fada’il al-Quran; Bab Nuzulis-Sakinati wal-Mala’ikati ainda Qira’atil-Quran)

And in the wording reported by Imam Muslim:

تِلْكَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ كَانَتْ تَسْتَمِعُ لَكَ وَلَوْ قَرَأْتَ لأَصْبَحَتْ يَرَاهَا النَّاسُ مَا تَسْتَتِرُ مِنْهُمْ

'Those were the Angels who listened to you; and if you had continued reciting, the people would have seen them in the morning and they would not have concealed themselves from them’ (Sahih Muslim: Bab Nuzulis-Sakinati li-Qira’atil-Quran)

Sayyidina al-Bara bin Azib (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that once a man was reciting Surat al-Kahf, when a cloud overshadowed him and came nearer and nearer, causing his horse to be startled. When the man explained what happened in the morning to the Prophet (sall Allahu alaihi wasallam) he informed him:

تِلْكَ السَّكِينَةُ تَنَزَّلَتْ بِالْقُرْآنِ

'That was the Sakinah [Shekhinah] which came down [because of the recitation of] the Quran’ (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

Blast of the Trumpet

وَیَوۡمَ یُنۡفَخُ فِی الصُّوۡرِ فَفَزِعَ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا مَنۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ

And on the day when the trumpet will be blown, whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth will be struck with terror, save him whom Allah pleases.

(Surah 27, Ayah 87)

وَنُفِخَ فِی الصُّوۡرِ فَصَعِقَ مَنۡ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا مَنۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ

And the trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are in the earth will fall down in a swoon, except those whom Allah will please to exempt

(Surah 39, Ayah 68)

Smoke

ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰۤی اِلَی السَّمَآءِ وَہِیَ دُخَانٌ

Then He turned to the heaven while it was smoke

(Surah 41, Ayah 11)

فَارۡتَقِبۡ یَوۡمَ تَاۡتِی السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِیۡنٍ

But watch you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke

(Surah 44, Ayah 10)

*Commentary: It is the smoke of the theophany of the divine presence, that manifests as a consequence of the glory and holiness of Allah Most High

Fire

اِذۡ قَالَ مُوۡسٰی لِاَہۡلِہٖۤ اِنِّیۡۤ اٰنَسۡتُ نَارًا

When Moses said to his family, ‘I perceive a fire.’

فَلَمَّا جَآءَہَا نُوۡدِیَ اَنۡۢ بُوۡرِکَ مَنۡ فِی النَّارِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَہَا ؕ وَسُبۡحٰنَ اللّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ

So when he came to it, he was called: ‘Blessed is he who is in the fire and also those around it; and glorified be Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’

یٰمُوۡسٰۤی اِنَّہٗۤ اَنَا اللّٰہُ الۡعَزِیۡزُ الۡحَکِیۡمُ

‘O Moses, verily it is I, Allah, the Mighty, the Wise’

(Surah 27, Ayat 7-9)

Quake

یَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ الرَّاجِفَۃُ

On the Day when the quaking shall quake

(Surah 79, Ayah 6)

یَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ الۡاَرۡضُ وَالۡجِبَالُ وَکَانَتِ الۡجِبَالُ کَثِیۡبًا مَّہِیۡلًا

On the Day when the Earth and the mountains shall quake, and the mountains will become like crumbling sand hills

(Surah 73, Ayah 14)

اِنَّ زَلۡزَلَۃَ السَّاعَۃِ شَیۡءٌ عَظِیۡمٌ

Verily the earthquake of the Hour is a tremendous thing

(Surah 22, Ayah 1)

اِذَا زُلۡزِلَتِ الۡاَرۡضُ زِلۡزَالَہَا

When the Earth is shaken with her violent shaking

(Surah 99, Ayah 1)

The Seventy Elders

Allah Most High speaks of the quake associated with His theophany when Moses came to him with seventy elders of the Children of Israel:

وَاخۡتَارَ مُوۡسٰی قَوۡمَہٗ سَبۡعِیۡنَ رَجُلًا لِّمِیۡقَاتِنَا ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَخَذَتۡہُمُ الرَّجۡفَۃُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ اَہۡلَکۡتَہُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلُ وَاِیَّایَ

And Moses chose of his people seventy men for Our appointment. But when the earthquake overtook them, he said, ‘My Lord, if You had pleased, You could have destroyed them before this, and me also’

(Surah 7, Ayah 155)

The Ayah does not explicitly state that the quake killed the seventy men, only that Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) pleaded with Allah to the effect that they should not be killed by the terrifying atmosphere associated with the theophany. It says in the Torah:

And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off...Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. (Exodus 24:1-2, 9-11)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone...And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. (Numbers 11:16-17, 24-25)

Amir ul-Mu’minin Ali bin Abi Talib (radi Allahu anhu) says that the Seventy Elders were made into Prophets, as indicated in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Numbers in the Torah:

فَدَعَا اللَّهَ فَأَحْيَاهُمْ ‌وَجَعَلَهُمْ ‌أَنْبِيَاءَ كُلَّهُمْ

‘So he (Moses) called upon Allah, so He (Allah) revived them and made them all Prophets’ (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah; v.6, p.333, #31841)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِي إسحاق عن عمارة عن علي قال فأخذتهم الرَّجْفَةُ فَجَعَلَ مُوسَى يَرْجِعُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالا قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ أَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَإِيَّايَ أَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا إِنْ هِيَ إِلا فِتْنَتُكَ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَهْدِي مَنْ تشاء فَأَحْيَاهُمُ اللَّهُ ‌وَجَعَلَهُمْ ‌أَنْبِيَاءَ

(Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim; v.5, p.1575, #9024)

Allah speaks of another incident in those days:

وَاِذۡ قُلۡتُمۡ یٰمُوۡسٰی لَنۡ نُّؤۡمِنَ لَکَ حَتّٰی نَرَی اللّٰہَ جَہۡرَۃً فَاَخَذَتۡکُمُ الصّٰعِقَۃُ وَاَنۡتُمۡ تَنۡظُرُوۡنَ

And remember when you said: ‘O Moses, we will by no means believe you until we see Allah plainly;’ then the thunderbolt overtook you, while you gazed

ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَوۡتِکُمۡ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ

Then We raised you up after your death, that you might be grateful

(Surah 2, Ayah 55 & 56)

فَقَدۡ سَاَلُوۡا مُوۡسٰۤی اَکۡبَرَ مِنۡ ذٰلِکَ فَقَالُوۡۤا اَرِنَا اللّٰہَ جَہۡرَۃً فَاَخَذَتۡہُمُ الصّٰعِقَۃُ بِظُلۡمِہِمۡ

They asked Moses a greater thing than this: they said, ‘Show us Allah openly.’ Then the thunderbolt seized them because of their transgression.

(Surah 4, Ayah 153)

This appears to be related to what is explained in the Torah:

And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them (Numbers 11:1-3)