The Palm of Allah and His Fingertips

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وصلى الله على نبينا محمد

وعلى اهل بيته الطيبين الطاهرين المظلومين

According to a beautiful Hadith, though there is weakness in it:

إِذَا بَكَى الْيَتِيمُ وَقَعَتْ دُمُوعُهُ فِي كَفِّ الرَّحْمَنِ ، فَيَقُولُ : مَنْ أَبْكَى هَذَا الْيَتِيمَ الَّذِي وَارَيْتُ وَالِدَيْهِ تَحْتَ الثَّرَى ؟ مَنْ أَسْكَتَهُ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ

When the orphan cries, his tears fall into the Palm of Ar-Rahman, so He says: “Who made this orphan cry? Whoever silences [consoles] him, for him is Paradise.”

Now I affirm the attribute of the Kaff [Palm] for Allah, as an essential attribute for Him, based on the sound Hadith in which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

فَرَأَيْتُهُ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَىَّ حَتَّى وَجَدْتُ بَرْدَ أَنَامِلِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَىَّ

“So I saw Him place His Palm between my shoulders until I felt the coolness of His Fingertips between my breast.”

[Jami at-Tirmidhi #3235]

From this Hadith we learn that Allah has a Kaff [Palm] and Anamil [Fingertips] and these are from His essential attributes. The great Hanbali scholar, al-Qadi Abi Ya’la [d. 458 H] explained that from the correct, orthodox creed is to affirm the Palm of Allah [Ibtal at-Ta’wilat pp.304, 307]:

 

The Book of Isaiah likewise affirms kaph [palm] for God:

הֵן עַל-כַּפַּיִם, חַקֹּתִיךְ

Behold, I have graven thee upon My palms

[Isaiah 49:16]