Seeing with Two Eyes: Tanzīh and Tashbīh
Allah (al-Ḥaqq) → Tanzīh & Tashbīh → The Five Divine Presences → Dhikr → Tajallī → The Imaginal World → Qalb → Kashf → The Realized Person (al-Insān al-Kāmil)
Introduction
In the previous section, we learned that Ibn ʿArabī frequently refers to Allah as Al-Ḥaqq (الْحَقُّ)—the Absolute Reality. If Allah alone is the ultimate Reality, how should we understand His relationship with the world He created?
The Qurʾān presents two complementary truths about how Allah is known. He is utterly beyond comparison:
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۭ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
“There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” Qurʾān 42:11
At the same time, He is intimately near:
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ
“We are closer to him than his jugular vein.” Qurʾān 50:16
This nearness does not refer to physical distance; it expresses Allah’s complete knowledge, care, and sustaining presence. Ibn ʿArabī explains that these verses disclose two complementary ways of knowing Allah: Tanzīh (تنزيه) and Tashbīh (تشبيه). Together, they provide a balanced understanding of the Divine
- "There is nothing whatever like unto Him." (Qur'an 42:11)
- "We are closer to him than his jugular vein." (Qur'an 50:16)
Rather than seeing these verses as contradictory, Ibn ʿArabī explains that they reveal two complementary ways of knowing Allah: Tanzīh (تنزيه) and Tashbīh (تشبيه). Together, they provide a balanced understanding of the Divine.
Tanzīh: Allah Beyond All Comparison
Tanzīh affirms Allah's absolute transcendence. He is unlike anything in creation and cannot be limited by human concepts, time, space, or form. No image, idea, or description can fully encompass His infinite reality. Reflecting on Tanzīh reminds us that Allah always remains greater than our understanding. It nurtures humility and protects us from reducing Him to something human or created. Yet, if we focus only on Tanzīh, Allah may appear distant and unknowable. Ibn ʿArabī therefore balances this perspective with Tashbīh.
Tashbīh: Allah's Nearness
Tashbīh reminds us that although Allah is beyond creation, He is never absent from it. His knowledge, mercy, wisdom, power, and care are continuously present throughout the universe. Every part of creation reflects something of Allah's Beautiful Names (al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā). His mercy is seen in compassion, His wisdom in the order of the universe, His beauty in nature, and His generosity in the countless blessings of life. Through prayer, remembrance (dhikr), reflection, and sincere worship, believers become increasingly aware of Allah's nearness. However, Tashbīh must never be understood to mean that Allah is contained within creation or identical with it. Al-Ḥaqq always remains greater than His creation, even while continually sustaining it.
Seeing with Two Eyes
One of Ibn ʿArabī's most beautiful insights is that true knowledge of Allah requires seeing with two eyes.
- One eye sees Tanzīh—Allah's absolute transcendence.
- The other sees Tashbīh—Allah's nearness and self-disclosure through His creation.
Using only one eye gives an incomplete picture.
If we see only transcendence, Allah may seem distant and unreachable.
If we see only nearness, we risk forgetting His absolute majesty and uniqueness.
True spiritual vision comes from holding both truths together. Allah is beyond all comparison, yet He is nearer to us than we can imagine. These are not contradictions, but complementary realities revealed in the Qur’an.
The Eye of Reason and the Eye of the Heart
This balanced vision may also be understood through the eye of reason and the eye of the heart. These two pairs should not be confused. Tanzīh and Tashbīh describe two complementary dimensions of knowing Allah, while reason and the heart are faculties through which the seeker receives and balances that knowledge. The eye of reason helps us recognize distinctions. It understands Divine law, appreciates the order of creation, and affirms Allah’s transcendence. Reason teaches us that the Creator and creation are never the same. As the heart is purified, kashf (كشف) or spiritual unveiling may enable it to recognize the Divine Names reflected in creation. This unveiling does not disclose Allah’s Essence; it removes limitations from the seeker’s perception of His signs. Neither eye alone gives complete vision. Reason without the heart may become dry and limited, while the heart without reason may lose balance and mistake imagination for truth. When reason and the heart work together, the seeker begins to see reality more completely.
Why This Matters
For Ibn ʿArabī, these ideas are not merely philosophical concepts. They transform the way we see the world. The universe is no longer a collection of separate objects, but a world filled with signs of Allah. Every encounter, every experience, and every moment become an opportunity to recognize His wisdom, mercy, and beauty. The goal is not simply to understand Allah intellectually but to cultivate a balanced vision that unites knowledge, faith, and spiritual experience
Key Takeaways
- Tanzīh reminds us that Allah is beyond all comparison.
- Tashbīh reminds us that Allah is near through His continual care, knowledge, and self-disclosure.
- These two perspectives complement one another and should never be separated.
- True understanding comes from seeing with both the eye of reason and the eye of the heart.
- Every part of creation points towards Al-Ḥaqq, the Absolute Reality.
For Ibn ʿArabī, true knowledge of Allah is not gained by choosing between transcendence and nearness, but by embracing both. Allah is Al-Ḥaqq (الْحَقُّ)—the Absolute Reality—utterly beyond all comparison yet continually sustaining and caring for His creation.
When we learn to see with both the eye of reason and the eye of the heart, every creature becomes a sign of its Creator, every moment an opportunity for remembrance, and every experience an invitation to know Allah more deeply.
This balanced vision prepares us to understand how Divine Names are disclosed throughout creation without confusing creation with its Creator.
In the next section, we shall explore the Five Divine Presences—a framework developed within the Akbarian tradition to explain different levels of Divine disclosure and created existence.
