وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَى لِمِيقَاتِنَا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبُّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِي أَنْظُرْ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ فَسَوْفَ تَرَانِي فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَى صَعِقًا فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿۱۴۳﴾ قَالَ يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالَاتِي وَبِكَلَامِي فَخُذْ مَا آتَيْتُكَ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿۱۴۴﴾ وَكَتَبْنَا لَهُ فِي الْأَلْوَاحِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَوْعِظَةً وَتَفْصِيلًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُوا بِأَحْسَنِهَا سَأُرِيكُمْ دَارَ الْفَاسِقِينَ ﴿۱۴۵﴾

﴾143﴿ Wa lammaa jaaa'a Moosa limeeqaatinaa wa kallamahoo Rabbuhoo qaala Rabbi arineee anzur ilaik; qaala lan taraanee wa laakininzur ilal jabali fa inistaqarra makaanahoo fasawfa taraanee; falammaa tajallaa Rabbuhoo liljabali ja'alahoo dakkanw wa kharra Moosaa sa'iqaa; falammaaa afaaqa qaala Subhaanaka tubtu ilaika wa ana awwalul mu'mineen
﴾144﴿ Qaala yaa Moosaaa innis tafaituka 'alan naasi bi Risaalaatee wa bi kalaamee fakhuz maaa aataituka wa kum minash shaakireen
﴾145﴿ Wa katabnaa lahoo fil alwaahi minkulli shai'im maw'izaanw wa tafseelal likulli shai'in fakhuzhaa biquwwatinw wa'mur qawmaka ya'khuzoo bi ahsanihaa; sa'ooreekum daaral faasiqeen

﴾143﴿ And when Moses came at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show Yourself to me so I may look at You.” Allah said, “You will never see Me, but look at the mountain: if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.” So when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble to dust, and Moses fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he said, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first of the believers (in this matter).”
﴾144﴿ Allah said, “O Moses, I have indeed chosen you above the people (of your time) by My messages and by My words, so take what I have given you and be among the grateful.”
﴾145﴿ And We wrote for him on the tablets advice of every kind that was necessary and a detailed explanation of every essential ruling. So take it with firmness, and command your people to hold fast to the best of what is in it. Soon I will show you the home of the defiantly disobedient.

[143] Hearing the Divine speech gave rise to a longing for vision, and this request from Musa (peace be upon him) was out of love. In contrast, the request of the Children of Israel—“Show us Allah openly”—was out of disrespect and denial, which led to their punishment.
The correct position is that seeing Allah the Exalted in this world is possible, but it does not actually occur. However, according to some scholars, it is entirely impossible in this world.
The evidences for the possibility are:
1. Musa (peace be upon him) made the request, and Prophets do not ask for what is impossible, because asking for the impossible is ignorance, and Prophets are free from ignorance.
2. Allah said “You will not see Me (لَن تَرَانِي),” not “I will not be seen (لَنْ أُرَى).”
Question: Did Musa (peace be upon him) say “I repent (تُبْتُ)”?
Answer: This repentance was from the perspective of humility and servitude, not due to any sin—this is unanimously agreed upon. The repentance was because he made a supplication without receiving permission.
As for seeing Allah the Exalted in the Hereafter, it is certain for the people of Paradise. This is explained in verse 22 of Surah Al-Qiyamah and verse 15 of Surah Al-Mutaffifin.
“(فَإِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُ)” is a metaphor: the mountain, with all its physical strength, could not withstand the manifestation of Allah. So how can the weak human being bear it?
It is the consensus of the Ummah that this repentance of Musa (peace be upon him) was not due to a sin, because he did not commit any. And according to an authentic hadith, Allah the Exalted manifested only the side of His little finger in that tajalli (manifestation).
[144] This is a consolation from Allah the Exalted to Musa (peace be upon him): although He denied him the vision (of Himself), He granted him other blessings and favors.
By “(النَّاسِ)” (the people), what is meant is the communities (nations), and by “gratitude” is meant conveying and explaining the Book of Allah the Exalted.
Al-Razi said that this consolation also indicates the possibility of seeing (Allah), because if it were impossible, there would be no need for consolation.
[145] The Torah was revealed on tablets, but the number and type of these tablets are not specified in the narrations, and discussing such details is pointless.
“(مَوْعِظَةً)” refers to the warnings and admonitions found therein.
“(وَتَفْصِيلًا)” refers to the legal rulings and detailed commandments of the Torah.
“(دَارَ الْفَاسِقِينَ)” could refer to:
1. The land of Sham, where tyrants resided.
2. The kingdom of Egypt.
3. Or it could mean Hell in the Hereafter—according to this third interpretation, the address is to those who oppose the Book of Allah, and it serves as a warning. According to the previous interpretations, it serves as a glad tiding.