that he saw Him with his physical eyes. Ahmad relied on Ibn ‘Abbās’s statement in one of the two opinions reported from him, saying, ‘He saw Him,’ without saying, ‘with his physical eyes.’ Ahmad’s wording is the same as Ibn ‘Abbās’s.”

The correctness of our shaykh’s explanation of the hadith of Abū Dharr is supported by the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the other hadith:

“His veil is light.”

This light is—and Allah knows best—the light mentioned in the hadith of Abū Dharr: “I saw light.”