English Translation of Seminal Islamic Texts

  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...