is there any verse or hadith regarding thinking about Allah' s nature and existence

Question

I heard once that, it is not allowed for a person to think much or more about Allah (God) as it could lead him/her to disbelief.

Is there any verses in the Quran or hadiths regarding or relating to the above claim?

It is said that the knowledge about Allah should be limited to the knowledge about him in the Quran.

Answer 1

Short Answer is:

Yes, there is a hadith from Prophet Muhammad (SAW). His majesty says:

1. Think about all things, but don't think about essence and nature of Allah.

   تَفَكَّروا في كُلِّ شَيءٍ، وَ لا تَفَكَّروا في ذاتِ اللّه [1]

or

2. Think about whatever Allah has created, but don't think in essence of Allah. If you do so, then you would destroy your life.

   تَفَكَّروا في خَلقِ اللّه ِ ، و لا تَفَكَّروا في اللّه ِ فتَهلِكوا [2]

Or, Imam Ali (pbuh) says:

3. Who thinks about nature of Allah, will lose their faith and becomes atheist.

   مَن تَفَكَّرَ في ذاتِ اللّه ِ ألحَدَ [3]

and Imam Sadegh (pbuh) states:

4. Avoid thinking of Allah, because thinking in Allah does not increase except in misguidance and astonishment. Indeed, Allah is not seen by eyes, nor can be described by quantities.

   إيّاكُم و التَّفَكُّرَ في اللّه ِ؛ فإنَّ التَّفَكُّرَ في اللّه ِ لا يَزيدُ إلاّ تِيها ، إنَّ اللّه َ عَزَّ و جلَّ لا تُدرِكُهُ الأبصارُ و لا يُوصَفُ بِمِقدارٍ . [4]

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1. كنز العمّال : 5704.

2. كنز العمّال : 5705.

3. غرر الحكم : 8487

4. الأمالي للصدوق : 503/690

Answer 2

To add to the above mentioned comment. It is also good to be Allah conscious and by being so, is to gain the pleasure of the all mighty Allah swt. You should think about Allah swt because it can also be an elevation of imaan and for the slave of Allah swt to remain in Allahu swt obedience.

Answer 3

As‘salaamu alaikum. Like Medi1Saif I wonder what the brother means by “thinking about Allah”, because there are different ways of thinking about Allah.

If the brother means “thinking about” as in “trying to figure Allah out so as to comprehend Him” then he is in obvious error. In 6:103 Allah says, “No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. HE IS ABOVE ALL COMPREHENSION, yet is acquainted with all things”.

Now if the brother means “thinking about” as in “trying to attain a greater appreciation of, or a deeper affection for Allah” then that is the kind of “thinking” that will bear him good fruit.

I personally like to think about Allah in His capacity of Al-Wadood (the Source of Love), remembering the hadith wherein the Prophet (a.s.) told his Companions (r.a.) that Allah loves us more than a mother bird loves her babies. I always experience a profound affection towards Allah swelling in my chest from this line of thinking. During some of the saddest and most difficult times in my life I have been consoled by that thinking.

I think that we sometimes get so lost in the intellectual aspects of Islam that we forget that the practice of the Deen is supposed to provide us with positive EMOTIONAL experiences and nurturing as well. This is never more true when it comes to thinking about Allah, (keeping in mind that tasbih, tah‘mid, takbir, and all other types of dhikr are just different forms of thinking about Allah).

“But the believers are overwhelming in their love for Allah.” Qur‘an 2:165

“...And celebrate the praises of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; yes, celebrate them for part hours of the night, and at the sides of the day, THAT YOU MAY HAVE JOY AND PLEASURE.” Qur‘an 20:130

“For the believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor of fear in their hearts...” Qur‘an 8:2

“Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction (tranquility, or rest) in the dhikr of Allah, for, without doubt, in the dhikr of Allah do hearts find satisfaction (tranquility, or rest).” Qur‘an 13:28

Ma‘as‘salaam.