al-Daraqutni
Ruyat Allah li al-Daraqutni
- Author died
- 385 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Manār
Ru'yat Allah (The Vision of God) is a specialized hadith compendium authored by the Baghdadi traditionist al-Daraqutni (306–385 AH / 918–995 CE), devoted to assembling scriptural proofs from the Quran and prophetic traditions regarding the believers' vision of God in the Hereafter and related matters of the afterlife .
Content and Structure
The book is structured in five parts (ajza'), transmitting textual evidence with full chains of narration (asānīd) back to early authorities . It gathers numerous narrations affirming the vision of God on the Day of Resurrection, opening with detailed traditions from Companions such as Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah comparing the sight of God to viewing the midday sun without clouds or the full moon on an unclouded night . The collection also includes hadiths and companion reports concerning the Prophet's vision of his Lord, featuring chains running through Ikrima from Ibn Abbas, who reported that Ibrahim was chosen for divine friendship (khulla), Musa for divine speech (kalam), and Muhammad for the vision (ru'ya) .
Transmission and Reception
The work was transmitted from al-Daraqutni by Abu Talib al-Ushari, through whom it was handed down across successive generations of hadith scholars, including Ahmad ibn Abd Allah ibn Kadishra, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Jinani, Yusuf ibn Khalil, and Ishaq ibn Yahya al-Amidi . Al-Daraqutni brought together more than twenty distinct transmission routes for the hadiths affirming the vision of God in the Hereafter, establishing the text as a key reference on the topic among later traditionists and theological commentators .
Manuscripts and Editions
A surviving manuscript of the work is preserved at the Royal Library of El Escorial in Spain . Modern printed editions include a version edited by Mabruk Isma'il Mabruk, published by Maktabat al-Quran in Cairo, as well as an edition prepared by Ibrahim al-Ali and Ahmad al-Rifa'i .
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