Conceiving God by Physical Senses
Please provide a simple reason why God cannot be conceived by physical senses.
Human physical senses cannot see or touch God; the Qur’an reads, “The sights do not apprehend Him, yet He apprehends the sights, and He is the All-attentive, the All-aware. (6:103)” Many Islamic denominations, including Shi’a, believe that God cannot be seen. Physical senses are only capable of perceiving material objects, while God is limitless and therefore has no body. Imam Sajjad (a) mentioned that God has no limits and must not be put in worldly limits and boundaries.
Seeing (conceiving) God is only possible through immaterial means such as intellect or heart. The Qur’an encourages people to ponder and think about the signs of God: the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alteration of day and night. Through observing a world that is created in beauty and order as a whole, intellect finds a trace of a wise and omnipotent God. Imam Ali (a) has pointed out that God cannot be seen by a physical eye, but rather must be found by faith.
Note
- This article is mainly taken from "درک خداوند با حواس ظاهری" on Persian Wikipasokh.