= Ibn al-Qayyim next adduces the manifest, decisive proofs for the believers’ vision of Allah in the Hereafter and writes: “Al-Tabari states that twenty-three Companions transmitted the hadith concerning the vision,” after which he lists them and adds: “As for the Successors, the leaders of Islam, and the elite of hadith, fiqh, tafsir and even of Sufism, their statements are too numerous for anyone but Allah to enumerate.” He then cites some of the Successors, the four Imams, their peers, teachers and followers, concluding: “This is the position of all people of faith.” The Imam of the Imams, Muhammad b. Ishaq b. Khuzayma, says in his book: “The believers are unanimously agreed that they will behold their Creator on the Day of Recompense; whoever denies this is not regarded as a believer by the believers.” He also records the consensus of the linguists. Abu Abd Allah Ibn Batta reports: “I heard Abu Umar Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahid, the language scholar, say: I heard Abu al-Abbas Ahmad b. Yahya (Thalab) comment on the verse, ‘He is ever merciful to the believers … their greeting on the day they meet Him will be ‘Peace’’ (surah al-Ahzab, 33:43–44), and declare that all linguists agree that ‘meeting’ here can only mean beholding and seeing with the eyes. This chain alone suffices to prove its soundness.” Ibn al-Qayyim then devotes a section to the warning issued against those who deny the vision. We seek Allah’s protection from such denial, and we ask Him to gladden our eyes and soothe our hearts by granting us the joy of beholding Him in the Garden of Bliss. See Ibn al-Qayyim, Hadi al-Arwah, pp. 402–477.