What is the ruling on saying: "We did not see God, but we knew Him through reason"?

This statement consists of two parts: The first, "We have not seen Allah," is true. It is part of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah (definition) wal-Jama'ah that Allah is not seen in this world, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Learn that none of you will see his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, until he dies."

The second part, "but we have known Him through intellect," represents a part of the truth. The proofs for knowing Allah are diverse and include innate, intellectual, textual (Shar'i), and sensory evidence. Intellect proves the existence of Allah Almighty and that He possesses perfection and is free from all deficiencies.

However, this intellectual knowledge is general. Detailed knowledge of Allah's names and attributes is attained only through religious texts (Sharia (definition)). Messengers came to introduce people to their Lord in detail, and intellects are incapable of grasping that on their own. Therefore, revelation must be given precedence, and intellect must be subordinate to it.