English Translation of Seminal Islamic Texts

It has been explained and clarified that our Creator has two hands both of which are right hands. He has no left hand. Left had is characteristic of His creatures. Therefore, our Lord is beyond that He should have a left hand. This we can prove from the words of Allah Almighty Himself. He says: “(Allāh’s) hand is extended (i.e. generous).” (Q 5:64) The words yadāhu means two hands. It does not mean the two bounties as claimed by the Jahmīs Mu ᶜ Aṭṭilah. 89. (1) Muh ̣ammad b. Ba sh shār , Abū Mūsā Muhammad b. al-Mathannā, Muhammad b. Yaḥyā and Yaḥy ā b. al-Ḥak ī m → Ṣafwān b. ᶜ Ī s ā → al-Ḥārith b. ᶜ Abd al-Rahmān b. Abī Dhubāb → Sa ᶜ īd b. Abī Sa ᶜ īd al-Muqbirī → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet: When Allāh created Adam, and breathed into him His Spirit ( rūḥ ), he (Adam) sneezed and said, “ alḥamdu lillāhi ” (all thanks are due to Allāh). So he thanked his Lord with His permission. The Lord said to him: “Allāh has shown His mercy to you, O Adam.” Then He said to Ad...

  Allāh’s hand is the superior one as He Himself has stated in the holy Qur ᵓ ā n: “The hand of Allāh is over their hands.” (Q 48:10) The Prophet too has stated that “Allāh’s hand is the upper one.” It is above the hands of all those who provide each other. 85. (1) Yah ̣yā Ḥakīm → Abū Qutaybah → Ibn Abī Dhi ᵓ b → Muslim b. Jundub → Ḥakīm b. Ḥiz ā m: I sought help from the Prophet and continued seeking his favors. He said to me. “O Ḥak ī m, how often you ask! This worldly wealth is a sweet and delicious thing. However, it is the dirt of the hands of the [givers] among the humans. If the hand of Allāh is the upper one and the hand of the provider is below Allah’s hand, the hand of the receiver must be even lower. 86. (2) Bundār → ᶜ Uthm ā n b. ᶜ Umar → Ibn Abī Dhi ᵓ b → Muslim b. Jundub → Ḥakīm b. Ḥiz ā m: I asked the Prophet to give me some wealth. I persistently asked for it. He said to me: “How often you have to ask? This earning is sweet and delicious thin...

  16. How Allāh Created Adam It is known that He created Adam with His hands not through his blessings ( ni ᶜ matihī ) as the Jahmīs Mu ᶜ Aṭṭilah have assumed. They say that Allāh took into His custody a handful of the blessings contained in the entire earth and created man. This is the sixth prophetic ḥadīth proving that Allāh has hands. 83. (1) Muḥammad b. Bashshār → Yaḥyā b. Sa ᶜ īd, Ibn Abī ᶜ Adī, Muḥammad b. Ja ᶜ far and ᶜ A bd al-Wahh ā b al-Thaqaf ī → ᶜ Awf → Qassāmah b. Zuhayr al-Māzinī → Abū Mūsā al-Ash ᶜ Arī → the Prophet: Allāh created Adam from a handful of soil which He gathered from the whole earth. That is why the characteristics of children of Adam correspond to the [part of the earth] which is the origin of their portion. Some of them are red, some black, some in-between, some soft, some hard, some impure and some pure. 84. (2) Abū Mūsā → Yaḥyā b. Sa ᶜ īd and Muḥammad b. Abī Rāfi ᶜ → al-Naḍr b. Shumayl and Aḥmad b. Sa ᶜ īd al-Dārimī and ...

    10. On Allah’s Hands Allah has two hands (yadān). He has told us in the holy Qur’ān that He created Adam with his two hands (yadāyhu). He said to Satan: “What prevents you from prostrating yourself to the one whom I have created with my hand (yadī)?” (Q 38:75) The Jews have been reported by Allah to have said: “Allah's hand (yad) is tied up.” (Q 05:64) Allah negated their views and said: “Nay, both His hands (yadāhu) are widely outstretched: He gives and spends as He pleases.” (Q 05:64) He also told us that, on the Day of Judgment, the entire earth shall be in His grasp and all the heavens shall be rolled up in His right hand (yamīnihī). He also referred to His hands in the following verse: “The Hand of Allah (yadullāhi) is over their hands.” (Q 48:10) He said: “So glory to Him in whose hands (yadihī) is the dominion of all things: and to Him will you be all brought back.” (Q 36:83) He said: “You endow with honor whom you please, and...