Pointing to Hands Fingers Eyes Etc. When Speaking of the Corresponding Divine Attributes

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا ومولانا محمد وعلى آل سيدنا محمد

Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani رحمة الله عليه quotes Najm ad-Din at-Tufi رحمة الله عليه regarding an accusation against Ibn Taymiyah:

فَذكرُوا أَنه ذكر حَدِيث ‌النُّزُول فَنزل عَن الْمِنْبَر دَرَجَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ كنزولي هَذَا

"They mentioned that he mentioned the Hadith of Descent then descended from his pulpit two steps and said, ‘Like this descent of mine’" (ad-Durar al-Kaminah; v.1, p.154):

This is a reference to the Hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:

يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ

"Our Lord, blessed and exalted, descends every night to the heaven of this world when the last third of the night remains"

(mutaffaq alayh)

Whether shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah رحمة الله عليه actually illustrated this Hadith by himself descending two steps down the pulpit is uncertain. The opponents of Ibn Taymiyah insist it is true while his followers among the Salafis say it is a false allegation. Regardless, I say that if Ibn Taymiyah performed such an action there is nothing objectionable about it. In fact, it would be regarded as an action that fulfils the spirit of the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when discussing the divine attributes. However, to say “like this descent of mine” is incorrect, as the actions and attributes of the creation are dissimilar to the actions and attributes of Allah.

Sayyidina Ibn Umar رضى الله عنهما narrated that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

‌يَأْخُذُ ‌اللهُ ‌عَزَّ ‌وَجَلَّ ‌سَمَاوَاتِهِ ‌وَأَرَضِيهِ ‌بِيَدَيْهِ ‌فَيَقُولُ ‌أَنَا ‌اللهُ

وَيَقْبِضُ أَصَابِعَهُ وَيَبْسُطُهَا

أَنَا الْمَلِكُ

Allah, azza wa jall, will grab His Heavens and His Earth with His Hand and say, ‘I am Allah’ ‘I am the King’

and he (the Prophet) was clenching his fingers and unclenching them

(Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم illustrated Allah’s grabbing of the Heavens and the Earth with His Hand by motioning with his own blessed hand and fingers.

Imam Ibn Majah al-Qazwini رحمة الله عليه has also reported this Hadith of Ibn Miqsam from Ibn Umar رضى الله عنهما but with the following wording:

يَأْخُذُ الْجَبَّارُ سَمَاوَاتِهِ وَأَرْضَهُ بِيَدِهِ وَقَبَضَ بِيَدِهِ فَجَعَلَ يَقْبِضُهَا وَيَبْسُطُهَا ‌ثُمَّ ‌يَقُولُ أَنَا ‌الْجَبَّارُ ‌أَيْنَ ‌الْجَبَّارُونَ ‌أَيْنَ ‌الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ

Al-Jabbar (the Compeller) will grab His Heavens and His Earth with His Hand then say, ‘I am Al-Jabbar! Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant?’

and he (the Prophet) clenched his fist, closing it and opening it

(Sunan Ibn Majah, #198)

Likewise, Imam Ahmad رحمة الله عليه reported this Hadith in his Musnad with the wording:

‌هَكَذَا ‌بِيَدِهِ ‌وَيُحَرِّكُهَا ‌يُقْبِلُ ‌بِهَا ‌وَيُدْبِرُ

The Prophet was gesturing with his hand, moving it back and forth (Musnad Ahmad, #5414)

*Note: This Hadith of sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar رضى الله عنهما via Ubaid Allah bin Miqsam is in the context of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم commenting on and explaining the meaning of the Ayah:

وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللّٰہَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِہٖ ٭ۖ وَالۡاَرۡضُ جَمِیۡعًا قَبۡضَتُہٗ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ وَالسَّمٰوٰتُ مَطۡوِیّٰتٌۢ بِیَمِیۡنِہٖ ؕ سُبۡحٰنَہٗ وَتَعٰلٰی عَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ

And they do not esteem Allah, with the esteem that is due to Him. And the whole earth will be but His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand. Glory to Him and exalted is He above that which they associate with Him

(Surah 39:67)

In another Hadith, sayyidina Abi Hurairah رضى الله عنه narrates that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم explained and emphasized Allah being Hearing and Seeing by placing his thumb on his ear and his finger on his eye:

رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‌يَضَعُ ‌إِبْهَامَهُ ‌عَلَى ‌أُذُنِهِ ‌وَالَّتِي ‌تَلِيهَا ‌عَلَى ‌عَيْنِهِ

(Sunan Abi Dawud, #4728)

The Prophet صلوات الله والسلام عليه said:

‌إِنَّ ‌اللَّهَ ‌لَا ‌يَخْفَى ‌عَلَيْكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِأَعْوَرَ

"Indeed, Allah is not hidden from you, and indeed, Allah is not one-eyed"

وَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى عَيْنِهِ

and he (the Prophet) pointed with his hand to his eye

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

Although in this instance the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was negating something for Allah rather than affirming something, by saying that Allah is not one-eyed it is implied that He has two perfect Eyes.

From among the Tabi’in, Sulaiman al-A’mash رحمة الله عليه while narrating the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Hadith:

إِنَّ الْقُلُوبَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَصَابِعِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُقَلِّبُهَا

"Indeed, the hearts are between the two Fingers from the Fingers of Ar-Rahman, azza wa jall, He turns them”

‌وَأَشَارَ ‌الْأَعْمَشُ ‌بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ

and al-A’mash pointed with his fingers

(Sunan Ibn Majah, #3834)

The intention of gesturing with and pointing to the particular body parts that correspond to the divine Attributes mentioned in the Quran and Hadith while speaking of those Verses and narrations, or even divine Attributes, is not to imply that the divine Attributes resemble the attributes of the creation, but to affirm the correct meaning of the Attributes and to refute the madhhab of tafwid (the claim that the meaning of the divine Attributes like Allah’s Hands, Fingers, Eyes, Face, ascending the Throne, descending during the night, etc., are unknown).