Evidence from Bukhari And Muslim That Allah ﷻ has a foot. Some people misunderstand this because of the english translation of the hadith. I will break down what the arabic says word by word so it is easy to understand as some argue that this proves Allah ﷻ enters creation because it says “therein” but the arabic doesn’t say his foot enters Jahnnam in Bukhari and Muslim.
However in Tirmidhi 3272 it says فيها which would translate to “therein” and we would just reconcile this narration in Bukhari and Muslim and say fi here means above similar to how when we say fi samaa, father it means allah ﷻ is above the heavens not inside the heavens..
In Sahih Al Bukhari it says:
- As for – فاما
- The Hellfire – النار
- It does not – فلا
- Become full – تمتلئ
- Until – حتى
- He places – يضع
- His foot – رجله
- And it says – فتقول
- “Enough, enough, enough” – قط قط قط
In Sahih Muslim it says
- As for – فاما
- The Hellfire – النار
- it does not – فلا
- become full – تمتلئ
- until – حتى
- He places – يضع
- Allah – الله
- Blessed is – تبارك
- and Exalted is – وتعالى
- His foot – رجله
- It says – تقول
- “Enough, enough, enough” – قط قط قط
Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه says the kursi is the place for the feet of Allah ﷻ
Translation: Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The Kursi [Footstool] is the place of the two feet, and the Arsh [Throne]—no one can estimate its greatness.”
Footenote This was narrated by Bundar, Muhammad ibn Bashar, who said: Abu Asim narrated to us, who said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Ammar al-Duhni, from Muslim al-Batin, from Said ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
Al-Hakim authenticated the narration, saying: “Its chain is authentic,” and al-Dhahabi agreed. In another report, al-Hakim recorded it in his Tafsir with the same chain, saying: “It is authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim, but they did not include it,” and al-Dhahabi agreed.
KItab At Tawheed By Ibn Khuzaymah Pg 248
Abu Ubayd from the salaf affirms Allah ﷻ places his foot over Hell and we do not give it a tafsir, unlike what the Ashaa’irah have done on this matter.
Translation: Abu Ubayd (d. 224 AH) say: These are the hadiths in which it is said: ‘Our Lord laughs at the despair of His servants and the approach of others, and that Hell will not be filled until your Lord places His foot in it, and the Kursi is the place of the two feet.’ These hadiths in narration are, to us, true, transmitted by trustworthy narrators from one another. However, when we are asked about their interpretation, we do not interpret them, and we did not find anyone who interpreted them. Its chain of narration is authentic, and all its narrators are trustworthy.
Kitab Asma Wa Sifaat By Al Bayhaqi (2/198)
Ibn Furaq a major ashari scholar poses a horrible copes to this athar by saying that we don’t know whose feet it’s referring to.
Translation: And know that it has been narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās regarding the interpretation of the Kursi (Footstool) two things. One of them is that the meaning of the Kursi is knowledge, and that its meaning is: ‘His knowledge encompasses the heavens and the earth.’ It has also been narrated from him that the Kurst is the place for the two feet.
But he did not say ‘the place for the feet of whom!’ Therefore, it is possible that it is the place for the feet of some of His creation, such as the angels or others, since he did not say it is the place for the feet of Allah, mighty and glorious is His mention.
Mushkil Al Hadith by Ibn Furaq Page 228
The same Ibn Furaq also says the opinion of some of the ashari scholars is that the foot being referred to in the hadith, is a created foot that will be thrown into Hell.
Translation: Some Ashari Scholars said: The foot is a creation from the creations of Allah; He creates it on the Day of Judgment, and He names it foot and He attributes it to Him through action. Allah places the foot in the fire, and it becomes filled from it.
Mushkil al-Hadith wa Bayanahu by Ibn Furaq Pg 127
Hammad ibn Zayd compares the Jahmiyyah to a man who claims to have a date palm but denies all its essential parts—fronds, leaves, branches, trunk, and roots—proving that he has no tree at all. Similarly, the Jahmiyyah claim to believe in Allah, but they deny His attributes—speech, hand, foot, finger, pleasure, and anger—making their belief in Allah empty and meaningless.
Translation: Abdullah ibn Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath al-Sijistani narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to me, from Sulayman ibn Harb, who said: Hammad ibn Zayd said:
“The example of the Jahmiyyah [those who deny Allah’s attributes] is like a man who was asked:
- ‘Is there a date palm in your house?’ He said: ‘Yes.’
- Then he was asked: ‘Does it have fronds?’ He said: ‘No.’
- He was asked: ‘Does it have leaves?’
- He said: ‘No.’ He was asked: ‘Does it have branches?’ He said: ‘No.’
- He was asked: ‘Does it have a trunk?’ He said: ‘No.’
- He was asked: ‘Does it have roots?’ He said: ‘No.’
- So he was told: ‘Then there is no date palm in your house!'”
- Likewise, the Jahmiyyah were asked: ‘Do you have a Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes.’
- They were asked: ‘Does He speak?’ They said: ‘No.’
- They were asked: ‘Does He have a hand?’ They said: ‘No.’
- They were asked: ‘Does He have a foot?’ They said: ‘No.’
- They were asked: ‘Does He have a finger?’ They said: ‘No.’
- They were asked: ‘Does He become pleased and angry?’ They said: ‘No.’
So they were told: ‘Then you have no Lord!'”
Footenote: Isnad Sahih (Authentic)
Sharh Madhahib Ahl al-Sunnah wa Ma‘rifat by Umar ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman Shahin Abu Hafs Pg 33-34
The giants, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh affirm Allah has a foot he will place over Hell and Ishaq says only innovators and those with weak opinions would reject it.
Translation: Imam Ishaq Al Kawsaj said to Imam Ahmad: “Doesn’t the narration say, ‘Our Lord, blessed and exalted, descends every night when the last third of the night remains to the lowest heaven?’
Do you not accept this hadith? And [the hadith] ‘The people of Paradise will see their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic,’ and ‘Do not disfigure faces, for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created Adam in His image,’ which means the image of the Lord of the worlds, (Refutation to those who say it is Adam’s image he was created in or any other weak interpretation of this hadith) and ‘The Fire complained to its Lord until Allah placed His foot in it,
and ‘Moses, peace be upon him, struck the Angel of Death, peace be upon him’?”
Imam Ahmad said: “All of this is correct.”
Ishaq said: “All of this is correct, and only an innovator or someone of weak opinion would deny it.
Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal wa Ishaq ibn Rahwayh Pg 4675-4676
Shayk Ibn Uthaymeen mentions some of the distortions of this narration by the asharis and says we should believe in this report like the other reports without likening Allah ﷻ to creation.
Translation: The Ash’ariyyah and the people of distortion opposed this, saying: “He places His foot upon it,” meaning: a group of His servants who are deserving of entering hell. The term “foot” is used to refer to a group, as in the hadith of Prophet Ayyub: “Allah sent to him a foot of locusts of gold,” meaning: a group of locusts.
This is a false distortion, because His saying: “upon it” prevents that interpretation. Also, it is not possible for Allah, the Exalted, to attribute the people of the Fire to Himself, because attributing something to Allah is an act of honor and glorification.
They said that the “foot” refers to “the beginning,” meaning: Allah places His “beginning” upon it, those He sends first to the Fire. This is also false, as the people of the Fire are not brought forth by Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, but they are called to the Fire of Hell, as Allah said: “And they will be thrown into it” [al-Tur: 13]. They will be cast into it. So, these distorters fled from one mistake and fell into a worse one: they fled from affirming Allah’s transcendence from foot, yet they ended up in foolishness and rejecting the wisdom in the actions of Allah, the Exalted.
The conclusion is that we must believe that Allah, the Exalted, has a foot, or if we wish, we may say a leg, as a reality, without any likeness, and we do not interpret the leg, because the Prophet informed us that Allah, the Exalted, has a rajulan (foot) or a qadam(foot). (both words are used in narrations but have same meaning)
Sharh Aqeedah Wasitiyyah By Shayk Ibn Uthaymeen Pg 33
