Bismi Allah

(In the Name of Allah)  

Part–1(ii) of 11  

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By Abul Kasem (e-mail address: [email protected])

May 30,  2006  

[A note of caution: The contents of this essay might offend some readers.]

Allah is Anthropomorphic (ii)  

Allah’s two hands are outstretched.
After Muhammad had migrated to Medina , he remained in penury. Many of his followers went hungry for days and depended on peoples’ charity for their daily living. To placate his critics, especially the Jews, Muhammad insisted on the abundance supply form His Allah. This was not forthcoming; so the Jews said that Muhammad’s Allah is, after all, not so rich On this, Muhammad claimed that the Jews had falsely said that "Allah's hand" is tied up; in reality both His hands are outstretched. This means that Allah does have two hands  

This claim of Allah’s two physical hands has been recorded in the Quran:  

005.064
YUSUFALI: The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief.  

With His own two outstretched hands Allah created Adam. Having done so, Allah was greatly dismayed that Iblis, the Satan, refrained from worshipping His own hands’ creation, Adam. The holy Qur’an confirms that Allah indeed created Adam with His own two hands.  

Let us read verse 38:75:

                   PICKTHAL: He said: O Iblis! What hindereth thee from falling prostrate before that which I have created with both My hands? Art thou too proud or art thou of the high exalted?  

Not only that the holy Qur’an confirms the two physical hands for Allah, it also says that Allah will use His two outstretched hands to fold up the heavens (universe)—much like a person who folds a piece of mat or rug with his two hands. After folding up the heavens with His two outstretched hands, He will then hold them (the universe) in His right hand!  

Here is the Qur’an talking about Allah’s Hand.

On the resurrection day, the whole earth will be within the fistful of Allah; He will fold up the heavens (universe) inside His right hand (39:67).  

039.067
YUSUFALI: No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him: On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand: Glory to Him! High is He above the Partners they attribute to Him!

Allah’s hand holds the balance of justice.
Muhammad insisted that His Allah has hands and with one of His hands, Allah holds the balance of justice. It is much like the picture or sketch one might have seen of a judge who holds a balance of justice in one of his/her hands and a sword in another. Muhammad wanted his followers to have a vivid picture of the uprightness of his Allah. So, he had to use this similarity, which he might have seen in some inscriptions of Roman justice system.  

Let us read this hadith from Sahih Bukhari:  

Volume 6, Book 60, Number 206:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "Allah said, 'Spend (O man), and I shall spend on you." He also said, "Allah's Hand is full, and (its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending night and day." He also said, "Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Nevertheless, what is in His Hand is not decreased, and His Throne was over the water; and in His Hand there is the balance (of justice) whereby He raises and lowers (people)."  

Sahih Bukhari also confirms that Allah has a right hand and a left hand. On His left hand is the balance of justice. Nothing is mentioned what Allah holds in His right hand. One may imagine what He holds in His right hand must be very huge—probably, the earth’s population or a huge sack of money or a bounty. This hadith does not mention the content of Allah’s right hand, except that it is full. Let us read this hadith:  

Allah's right hand is full, on the other hand He holds the balance of justice, His throne is over the water...(Sahih Bukhari, 9.93.515)

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 515:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, "The Right (Hand) of Allah Is full, and (Its fullness) is not affected by the continuous spending night and day. Do you see what He has spent since He created the Heavens and the Earth? Yet all that has not decreased what is in His Right Hand. His Throne is over the water and in His other Hand is the Bounty or the Power to bring about death, and He raises some people and brings others down." (See Hadith No. 508)  

Allah has shin.
Please do not laugh. We already read that Allah has legs, feet, eyes, hands. To confirm further that Allah is truly anthropomorphic, Muhammad insisted that not only Allah has feet, he even has shin. Verse 68:42 of the holy Qur’an says that on the resurrection day Allah will lay bare His shin for the unbelievers to prostrate; but they will fail to do so.  

Let us read verse 68:42  

YUSUFALI: The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,-

A hadith in Sahih Bukhari says that Allah will, indeed, open His Shin to the unbelievers. This hadith is very long; I shall quote only the relevant part:  

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532s:

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri:

…Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, 'I am your Lord,' and they will say, 'You are not our Lord.' And none will speak: to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, 'Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?' They will say. 'The Shin,' and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood (and they will not be able to prostrate). Then the bridge will be laid across Hell." We, the companions of the Prophet said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the bridge?...

The above hadith says quite unmistakably that on the Resurrection Day there will be no problem in seeing Allah in His physical form; He will be recognized by His shin.

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