Yes, true! Note that Quran should be viewed as a whole, somewhere something is stated but its details, exceptions, and etc. are stated elsewhere. This is a key to go deep inside its hidden secrets, you find an apparent paradox in Quran but believe the whole book to be exactly inspired by Allah, so try to resolve the situation, you probably should generalize a concept such that the two apparent paradoxes be two different aspects of one notion:
Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other
Than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy.
(An-Nesaa':82)
An example is that somewhere it states that "لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ" (Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error …; Al-Baghareh:256) like there is no need for enjoining what is just (امر بالمعروف) and forbidding what is wrong (نهی عن المنکر), and somewhere else it encourages enjoining what is just and forbidding what is wrong. Thinking about how to resolve this puzzle, a more thorough understanding of Islam would then be acquired, and this will not be the case until we believe the whole book to be the words of Allah, and thus correct.
For the question you have, recall the answer Allah gave Moses A.S. when he asked Allah to let him see Allah in eyes:
When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed
him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon
thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look
upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me."
When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust.
And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said:
"Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to
believe." (Al-A'raaf:143)
In non-translated Arabic text the word that is used by Allah to reject his prophet's request is "لن" which is like "never ever", but evidently this is talking about seeing Allah in eyes as Allah then ordered him to see the mountain and he saw the mountain with eyes on his face. Also note that when Moses A.S. is recovered he first confess that "Glory is to Allah" which is a translation of "سُبْحَانَكَ" which more accurately means Allah is super-empirical, refined of any imperfections, that is to say Moses A.S. had understood that God being seeable is an imperfection to his being, a limitation in his being.
Then what about the verses you cited in your question? Someone asked Imam Ali A.S. if he has seen Allah, he answered that he will never pray a God that he cannot see! Then he said but Allah is not seeable with they eyes on face but with the eyes of heart!
Someone went to Imam Sadiq A.S. and asked him to show him Allah. Imam A.S. stated haven't you read Quran that Allah said to Moses A.S. that he will never be able to see Him? He answered yes I have, but this is the religion of Muhammad S.A. that some of his people come together somewhere and all of a sudden one of them loudly announce that he has just seen Allah!? (Maybe he meant Sufism by this example) Then Imam Sadiq A.S. asked him to accompany Imam going out toward a river. There he ordered his companions to tie his hands using a shackle and push him into the river. The man was afraid, not sure if this is serious or a joke, but then he couldn't swim and whenever that he was risen by water to the surface he was all screaming asking Imam's companion around him for rescue, but no one was to help him. After some rounds he lost his hopes in Imam's companions and asked Allah for rescue. Imam ordered his companions to catch him, then after the man got better Imam asked him about how he has found Allah? The man answered like a light in darkness with my heath, Imam said "then protect this light".
Now see a description of Allah by Imam Ali (A.S.) from "Nahj-ol-Balagheh":
The foremost in religion is the ackowledgement of Him, the perfection
of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying
Him is to believe in His One-ness, the perfection of believing in His
One-ness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to
deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a proof that it is
different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which
something is attributed is different from the attribute. Thus whoever
attaches attributes to Allah recognises His like, and who recognises
His like regards Him two; and who regards Him two recognises parts for
Him; and who recognises parts for Him mistook Him; and who mistook Him
pointed at Him; and who pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him;
and who admitted limitations for Him numbered Him. Whoever said in
what is He, held that He is contained; and whoever said on what is He
held He is not on something else. He is a Being but not through
phenomenon of coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence.
He is with everything but not in physical nearness. He is different
from everything but not in physical separation. He acts but without
connotation of movements and instruments. He sees even when there is
none to be looked at from among His creation. He is only One, such
that there is none with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss
in his absence.
If Allah was seeable with the eyes of face He should have had boundary and this is a big limitation for his being, and so high that He is He has no limit, no shape, no color, and not any other imperfection He Himself has created in this universe.
Last but by no means least, note that before the Day of Judgment all the dead would be re-created with their own material bodies (the same or similar to it):
Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his
fingers. (Al-Ghiyamah:4)
which means if you, the believer, could see Allah in that day by eyes of face then you would also be able to see him in this world again by the eyes of face, and this means like God has got hidden not to be seen, only sending messengers although He Himself could come and guide us to the right way. Do you see the similarity between this and what some sects of the Christians believe? It is according to such a belief that Bertrand Russel, an atheist philosopher, when was asked about what would be his answer to God after his death if he suddenly found out that God exists indeed, he answered that I would say Sir, why ever did you go to such extraordinary lengths to hide yourself? You and many Christians may find the question valid and try to answer it but at least Shia Muslims do not believe even if such a question can be valid, as they believe Allah is higher than to be seeable. Indeed, nothing among His creatures is able to reflect God as is, Allah is the omnipotent but the universe and its elements have not the ability to reflect Him. You may agree upon this and instead claim if the imperfect beings (like anything created by God which would then obviously not be Allah, the perfect) cannot reflect God as is, then they might can reflect Him to some extent, that is, not AS IS. Then we would also agree with you but with a small comment that everything in universe is already reflecting its Creator and is thus a sign to His existence, but none of them are or can the God Himself. No matter how big or strange or how-many-dimensional be the body that you may expect for God at the Judgment Day, that cannot be called the God but a very limited (compared to God Himself) imperfect being that is an imperfect sign of God like me and you are signs of God. It may be interesting to you that once an atheist asked Imam Sadiq --peace be upon him-- something very much like that Bertrand Russell was quoted for above, some 13 centuries before:
from: الكافي (ط - الإسلامية)، کتاب الغقل و الجهل (ج1)، ص: 74 و 75 و 76
(you can find the English translation of the book here)
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ
أَبِي هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَسِّنٍ الْمِيثَمِيِّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ
عِنْدَ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ الْمُتَطَبِّبِ فَقَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ
أَصْحَابِي قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَ عَبْدُ
اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ
الْمُقَفَّعِ تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْخَلْقَ وَ أَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى
مَوْضِعِ الطَّوَافِ مَا مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ أُوجِبُ لَهُ اسْمَ
الْإِنْسَانِيَّةِ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ الشَّيْخُ الْجَالِسُ يَعْنِي أَبَا
عَبْدِ اللَّهِ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ع فَأَمَّا الْبَاقُونَ
فَرَعَاعٌ وَ بَهَائِمُ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَ كَيْفَ
أَوْجَبْتَ هَذَا الِاسْمَ لِهَذَا الشَّيْخِ دُونَ هَؤُلَاءِ قَالَ
لِأَنِّي رَأَيْتُ عِنْدَهُ مَا لَمْ أَرَهُ عِنْدَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ
ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ لَا بُدَّ مِنِ اخْتِبَارِ مَا قُلْتَ فِيهِ
مِنْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ لَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنِّي
أَخَافُ أَنْ يُفْسِدَ عَلَيْكَ مَا فِي يَدِكَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ ذَا
رَأْيَكَ وَ لَكِنْ تَخَافُ أَنْ يَضْعُفَ رَأْيُكَ عِنْدِي فِي
إِحْلَالِكَ إِيَّاهُ الْمَحَلَّ الَّذِي وَصَفْتَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ
الْمُقَفَّعِ أَمَّا إِذَا تَوَهَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ هَذَا فَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَ
تَحَفَّظْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَ لَا تَثْنِي عِنَانَكَ
إِلَى اسْتِرْسَالٍ فَيُسَلِّمَكَ إِلَى عِقَالٍ وَ سِمْهُ مَا لَكَ أَوْ
عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَقَامَ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَ بَقِيتُ أَنَا وَ
ابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ جَالِسَيْنِ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا ابْنُ أَبِي
الْعَوْجَاءِ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْمُقَفَّعِ مَا هَذَا بِبَشَرٍ
وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا رُوحَانِيٌّ يَتَجَسَّدُ إِذَا شَاءَ
ظَاهِراً وَ يَتَرَوَّحُ إِذَا شَاءَ بَاطِناً فَهُوَ هَذَا فَقَالَ لَهُ
وَ كَيْفَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ جَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَبْقَ عِنْدَهُ
غَيْرِي ابْتَدَأَنِي فَقَالَ إِنْ يَكُنِ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُ
هَؤُلَاءِ وَ هُوَ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ يَعْنِي أَهْلَ الطَّوَافِ
فَقَدْ سَلِمُوا وَ عَطِبْتُمْ وَ إِنْ يَكُنِ الْأَمْرُ عَلَى مَا
تَقُولُونَ وَ لَيْسَ كَمَا تَقُولُونَ فَقَدِ اسْتَوَيْتُمْ وَ هُمْ
فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ وَ أَيَّ شَيْءٍ نَقُولُ وَ أَيَّ
شَيْءٍ يَقُولُونَ مَا قَوْلِي وَ قَوْلُهُمْ إِلَّا وَاحِدٌ فَقَالَ وَ
كَيْفَ يَكُونُ قَوْلُكَ وَ قَوْلُهُمْ وَاحِداً وَ هُمْ يَقُولُونَ
إِنَّ لَهُمْ مَعَاداً وَ ثَوَاباً وَ عِقَاباً وَ يَدِينُونَ بِأَنَّ
فِي السَّمَاءِ إِلَهاً وَ أَنَّهَا عُمْرَانٌ وَ أَنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
أَنَّ السَّمَاءَ خَرَابٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ قَالَ فَاغْتَنَمْتُهَا
مِنْهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَا مَنَعَهُ إِنْ كَانَ الْأَمْرُ كَمَا
يَقُولُونَ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ لِخَلْقِهِ وَ يَدْعُوَهُمْ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ
حَتَّى لَا يَخْتَلِفَ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَانِ وَ لِمَ احْتَجَبَ عَنْهُمْ وَ
أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمُ الرُّسُلَ وَ لَوْ بَاشَرَهُمْ بِنَفْسِهِ كَانَ
أَقْرَبَ إِلَى الْإِيمَانِ بِهِ فَقَالَ لِي وَيْلَكَ وَ كَيْفَ
احْتَجَبَ عَنْكَ مَنْ أَرَاكَ قُدْرَتَهُ فِي نَفْسِكَ نُشُوءَكَ وَ
لَمْ تَكُنْ وَ كِبَرَكَ بَعْدَ صِغَرِكَ وَ قُوَّتَكَ بَعْدَ ضَعْفِكَ
وَ ضَعْفَكَ بَعْدَ قُوَّتِكَ وَ سُقْمَكَ بَعْدَ صِحَّتِكَ وَ صِحَّتَكَ
بَعْدَ سُقْمِكَ وَ رِضَاكَ بَعْدَ غَضَبِكَ وَ غَضَبَكَ بَعْدَ رِضَاكَ
وَ حُزْنَكَ بَعْدَ فَرَحِكَ وَ فَرَحَكَ بَعْدَ حُزْنِكَ وَ حُبَّكَ
بَعْدَ بُغْضِكَ وَ بُغْضَكَ بَعْدَ حُبِّكَ وَ عَزْمَكَ بَعْدَ
أَنَاتِكَ وَ أَنَاتَكَ بَعْدَ عَزْمِكَ وَ شَهْوَتَكَ بَعْدَ
كَرَاهَتِكَ وَ كَرَاهَتَكَ بَعْدَ شَهْوَتِكَ وَ رَغْبَتَكَ بَعْدَ
رَهْبَتِكَ وَ رَهْبَتَكَ بَعْدَ رَغْبَتِكَ وَ رَجَاءَكَ بَعْدَ
يَأْسِكَ وَ يَأْسَكَ بَعْدَ رَجَائِكَ وَ خَاطِرَكَ بِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ
فِي وَهْمِكَ وَ عُزُوبَ مَا أَنْتَ مُعْتَقِدُهُ عَنْ ذِهْنِكَ وَ مَا
زَالَ يُعَدِّدُ عَلَيَّ قُدْرَتَهُ الَّتِي هِيَ فِي نَفْسِي الَّتِي
لَا أَدْفَعُهَا حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَظْهَرُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَ
بَيْنَه
A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn
Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn abu
Hashim from Ahmad ibn Muhsin al-Maythami who said that I was with abu
Mansur al-Mutatbbib who said the following. "One of my friends has
said that he was with ibn abu al-‘Awja’ and ‘Abdallah ibn al-Muqaffa‘
in the holy Mosque of Makkah and ibn al-Muqaffa‘ said, "Do you see
these creatures, pointing towards the location where people walk seven
times around the Kabah‘? Of all these no one deserves to be called a
human being accept that Shaikh sitting there, meaning thereby Imam abu
‘Abdallah (a.s.). The rest is garble and beasts." Upon this ibn abu
al-‘Awja’ said, "For what reason do you call him a human being and not
the rest?" Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then replied, "Because I saw with him what
I did not see with the others." Ibn abu al-"Awja’ then said, "We must
test your claim." Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then said, "I advise you not to do
so lest you will lose whatever faith you have. Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then
said, "I do not think that is what you mean. I think you are afraid of
failing to substantiate what you have just said about this man." Ibn
al-Muqaffa‘ then said, "If that is what you think then go to him and
protect yourself as much as you can. Be strong as much as you can so
you are not harnnessed and note all points against and in your favor.
Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then left and ibn al-Muqaffa‘ and I remained there.
When ibn abu al-‘Awja’ returned he said, "Woe is you, O ibn
al-Muqaffa‘. This is not a human being even though he lives in this
world. He is a spiritual being but appears in the form of man whenever
he wants the out world and turns into a spiritual being whenever he
wants the inner world. That is the way he is." Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ then
asked, "How does that happen?" Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ then said, "I sat
near him and when everyone had gone he turned to me and said, "If it
is the way they (people walking around the Ka‘bah) say, which is true
then they are saved and you are destroyed. If it is the way you say it
is, which is not so then you and they are all equal." I then asked,
"May Allah be kind to you. What is it that we say and what is it that
they say? We all say the same thing." He said, "How can what you say
be equal to what they say? They say that they will have a return, a
day of receiving their rewards and penalties. They believe in a
religion which says that in the heavens is the Lord and that they are
habitable while you say that they are in ruins and there is nothing in
them."Ibn abu al-‘Awja’ has said, "I then found the opportunity to
speak and I asked, "What then keeps this Lord, if it is true the way
they say that He exists, from appearing to His creatures and call them
to His worship so that no two people would oppose each other? Why is
He hiding from them and has only sent messengers? If He would have
been in direct contact with them it would have been more helpful to
have faith in Him." He then responded, "Woe is you, how someone
who is already shown His power within you is hiding from you? He
brought you up. You did not even exist. He made you grow when you were
so small. He gave you strength and power when you were so weak and
will make you weak again after being strong. He make you sick after
being healthy and can give you good health after suffering sickness.
He can make you happy after you experience anger and make you angry
after being happy. He can make you sad after your joy and give you joy
after sadness. He can give love after your experiencing hatred and
hatred after enjoying love. He can give you determination after your
uncertainty and uncertainty after having determination. He can give
you strong desires after your experiencing dislike and dislike after
having strong desires. He can give you willingness after experiencing
fear and concerns and fear after having strong willingness. He can
give you hope after despair and despair after having a great deal of
hope. He can give you good remembrance of what you had no idea and
remove what you may have had as a belief." He kept reminding and
counting for me the effects of His power within my soul that I could
not deny and I begin to have a feeling that all that is between me and
him will all appear in the open."
Godspeed
