The term "countenance" in the Holy Qur'an has several meaning, which its highest one is attributed to Allah. A correct understanding of the meaning of "Allah's countenance", like other divine names and attributes, has a great role in creating a true monotheistic belief in God and ignorance of its understanding will cause fault in belief and it will also create polytheism in belief and practice so that some commentators have had a material and physical interpretation of Allah's countenance, relying on the appearance of the verses. Some commentators have not interpreted such verses and others have interpreted them as the Divine essence, His attributes, divine direction and satisfaction, as well as prophets and divine authorities. This article deals with the semantics of Allah's countenance in a descriptive-analytic way from the perspective of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli and examines the evidence of this point of view and its privileged aspects and similarities comparing other theories. From their point of view, the essence of God was not visible to any of the creatures to imply the verse of "and whither so ever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance" and the illusion of death and destruction also has no place in it to seek exemption from "Everything will perish save His countenance." Therefore, Allah's countenance means the attributes and revelations of God, the highest examples of which are dedicated to the prophets and the infallibles.
Seydanloo, J., & Karaminia, M. (2010). Semantics of Allah's Countenance in the Holy Qur’an from Ayatollah Javadi Amoli Perspective. MISHKAT, 29(3), 122-143.
MLA
Javad Seydanloo; Mohammad Karaminia. "Semantics of Allah's Countenance in the Holy Qur’an from Ayatollah Javadi Amoli Perspective". MISHKAT, 29, 3, 2010, 122-143.
HARVARD
Seydanloo, J., Karaminia, M. (2010). 'Semantics of Allah's Countenance in the Holy Qur’an from Ayatollah Javadi Amoli Perspective', MISHKAT, 29(3), pp. 122-143.
VANCOUVER
Seydanloo, J., Karaminia, M. Semantics of Allah's Countenance in the Holy Qur’an from Ayatollah Javadi Amoli Perspective. MISHKAT, 2010; 29(3): 122-143.