—either by resorting to universals, as Ibn Sīnā does in his al-Ishārāt, or by asserting existents that a human being does not perceive—not because perception of them is utterly impossible, but for other, incidental reasons.

By contrast, the unseen realities about which the messengers have spoken are neither bare abstractions lodged in the mind nor external beings that can in no circumstance be sensed. They are, rather, entities that may in fact be perceived, just as the messengers have informed us about the angels, the jinn, and the like—all of which can be seen and felt.

The same applies to Paradise and Hellfire: they are perceptible realities. Indeed, the Lord—blessed, exalted, and magnified is He—may be seen; in the Hereafter He will be seen with the very eyes, on the plains of the Resurrection and within Paradise. This is confirmed by texts from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that have reached the level of tawātur, and it is the unanimous doctrine of the earliest generations and the leading scholars of the Muslim community—from the Companions and their righteous followers to the imams of Islam.

For this reason the messengers made a clear distinction between these two realms. What we experience now is the witnessed realm (shahādah), because it is presently perceptible to us; the other is the unseen (ghayb), because it is now absent from us and unseen. The distinction is thus relative, tied to our current state of perception. When we die, the unseen will become witnessed, and we shall behold what the messengers told us while it was still hidden from us.

Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“Indeed, you were heedless of this; so We have removed your covering from you, and today your sight is sharp.” (Qāf, 22)

And He says:

“If only you could see when they are made to stand before their Lord! He will say, ‘Is this not the truth?’ They will answer, ‘Yes indeed, by our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment for your disbelief.’” (al-Anʿām, 30)