Ahlus sunnah’s affirmation of the attribute of the two hands of Allah, glorified and exalted, is based on its occurrence in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
We believe in the clarity of the meanings of the texts that mention the Names and Attributes of Allah, and the clear indication they carry. These texts are not obscure or ambiguous, but rather the meanings are known to us, while the reality of how these attributes are is unknown to us.
Our affirmation of the attribute of the two hands of Allah the Exalted is therefore based on the clarity of the meaning and the clear indication of the intended sense.
Ahlus sunnah do not affirm it as a mere word without meaning, leaving the meaning to be unknown. Rather, they affirm that Allah has two hands, and they understand the meaning related to them, but this does not require knowledge of how they are in reality. Therefore, they do not speak about how they are, and they entrust knowledge of their true nature to Allah the Exalted.
As for the ‘how’, it may refer to a meaning, but that meaning is not restricted to a single image or form. Rather, there are differences between the ways in which a single meaning may appear. (See: Sha’n al Du‘a by al Khattabi, p. 111, al Risalah al Madaniyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah, pp. 29–44, al Sawaiq al Mursalah by Ibn al Qayyim, vol. 1, pp. 125, 433, al Qawaid al Muthla fi Sifat Allah wa Asma’ihi al Husna by Muhammad ibn Uthaymin, pp. 23–29, al Qawaid al Kulliyyah lil Asma’ wa al Sifat ‘ind al Salaf by Dr. Ibrahim al Barikan, p. 19 onwards, Sifat Allah al Waridah fi al Kitab wa al Sunnah by al Alawi ibn Abd al Qadir al Saqqaf, pp. 19–25, al Sifat al Ilahiyyah by Muhammad Aman al Jami, p. 7)
This is clearly seen even in the differences among created beings themselves. So what then about the difference between the Creator and the created?
Through this, it becomes clear that we understand the meaning of the two hands, but not the nature of how they are. This responds to the objection of those who claim that we only understand the meaning of the hands through knowing how they are.
We say: yes, we understood their meaning by recognising a way from among the possible ways they could be, and we were addressed with that in order to understand the message. However, it does not follow from this that the way in which Allah’s hands are must be exactly like the specific form we might imagine when something is attributed to a created being.
If we were addressed regarding a created being that has two hands, we would immediately understand the meaning of what is said, and only after that would we come to know how those hands look, whether through description or observation. And we may find that their appearance is completely different from the way our hands appear.
In this way, a difference between one created being and another becomes clear. So how much greater is the difference between the Creator and the created?
In affirming the attribute of the two hands for Allah the Exalted, there is no contradiction between the texts that affirm this and what the mind confirms, namely that there can be no resemblance between the Creator and the created. Affirmation does not necessarily imply resemblance, neither according to revelation nor according to reason.
In fact, the rational proof for affirmation is even clearer, since being described with two hands is a perfection in the view of every sane person. So affirming this for Allah the Exalted, as the revealed texts affirm it, is to affirm perfection for Him.
Affirming the attributes of Allah, glorified is He, is done in a way that affirms absolute perfection, without any deficiency whatsoever.
We also declare Allah to be free of all faults and deficiencies, and from any likeness or form that involves assigning a ‘how’ to his attributes. When twe affirm what the evidence shows must be affirmed of his attributes, they do so while guarding them from deficiency, and from any ‘how’ or resemblance.
We do not affirm two hands for Allah in a way that resembles the hands of created beings, nor do they deny this attribute by claiming it implies resemblance, anthropomorphism, or composition.
Doing so would amount to denying a perfection that Allah attributed to Himself. Instead, they affirm the attribute in a way that suits the majesty and greatness of Allah the Exalted.
They cut off all hope of ever knowing how the attributes of Allah are. That is why they pass the texts on just as they have come, and they accept the meanings those texts indicate, without indulging in denial or false interpretation. Both denial and false interpretation originate in the first place from trying to delve into the ‘how’.
They affirm the attribute of the two hands of Allah the Exalted, while cutting off any hope of knowing how they are. They pass on the affirmation just as it came, and they consider it forbidden to speak about how.
Anyone who affirms that Allah has two hands while imagining a form for them, or establishing some comparison, is immersed in misguidance, far removed from the clear meaning of the revealed and rational proofs.
Evidence for the Affirmation of the Attribute of the Hand of Allah the Exalted
The ‘hand’ is an intrinsic, textual attribute affirmed for Allah the Exalted. Allah has attributed it to Himself in his Book and in the Sunnah of his Messenger. So we affirm it for Allah the Exalted as a form of absolute perfection, free from all deficiency, without speaking about how it is.
There are many evidences for this attribute.
From the Qur’an: The saying of Allah the Exalted: “Indeed, those who give you their pledge, they are actually pledging to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands. So whoever breaks his word, breaks it only to his own harm. But whoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah, He will grant him a great reward” (al Fath: 10).
The point of evidence is that Allah the Exalted attributed the ‘hand’ to Himself. So we affirm it for Him as an attribute of perfection, in a way that suits his majesty and greatness.
The apparent wording does not mean that the hand of Allah is literally touching theirs. Rather, it is firmly established by both revelation and reason that Allah is exalted over his creation. The hand of Allah is truly above their hands.
The mention of the hand here emphasises the pledge and intensifies its seriousness. Since they were pledging allegiance to the Messenger of Allah with their hands, and he would strike his hand upon theirs, and since the Messenger was the one sent by Allah to them, their pledge to him was a pledge to Allah. And since Allah is above his heavens, upon his Throne, and above all creation, his hand was above theirs, just as He Himself is above them.
So although the context indicates the seriousness of the pledge, the fact that the hand is attributed to Allah indicates that He is described with it. If the hand were a deficiency, Allah would not have attributed it to Himself (see Mukhtasar al Sawaiq al Mursalah by Ibn al Qayyim, p. 234).
The same applies to all the other verses and hadiths in which the hand is attributed to Allah the Exalted. They show that He is described with this attribute, and they are free of false suspicions and baseless assumptions that come from attempting to define ‘how’.
Other evidences include: His saying,
“Say: Who holds control over everything, and He protects while none can protect against Him, if you should know?” (al Mu’minun: 88)
And his saying: “In Your hand is all good. Indeed, You are over all things capable” (Aal Imran: 26)
And his saying: “Exalted is the One in whose hand is the dominion of everything, and to Him you will be returned” (Ya Sin: 83)
And his saying: “Rather, both his hands are extended. He spends however He wills” (al Ma’idah: 64)
And his saying: “He said, O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two hands?” (Sad: 75)
And his saying: “Do they not see that We created for them, from what Our hands have made, cattle, and they are their owners?” (Ya Sin: 71)
From the Sunnah: The long hadith of intercession narrated by Abu Hurayrah, in which it is mentioned: “Some people will say: Your father Adam. So they will come to him and say: O Adam, you are the father of mankind. Allah created you with his hand, and blew into you from his spirit, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you, and made you dwell in Paradise. Will you not intercede for us with your Lord?” (Narrated in Bukhari 4721).
And also from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah said: “The hand of Allah is full, never decreases due to spending, overflowing night and day.” And he said: “Have you not seen what He has spent since He created the heavens and the earth? Yet what is in his hand has not decreased.” And he said: “his Throne is upon the water, and in his other hand is the scale. He lowers and raises it” (Narrated by al Bukhari in Kitab al Tawhid, no. 7411, and Muslim in Kitab al Zakah, no. 2308 and 993. The wording includes: “The right hand of Allah”).
Further Evidences for the Attribute of the Two Hands of Allah and the Consensus of the Salaf on Affirming It
It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud that a Jewish scholar came to the Messenger of Allah and said: “O Muhammad, indeed Allah places the heavens on one finger, the earth on one finger, the mountains on one finger, the trees and rivers on one finger, and the rest of creation on one finger, then says with his hand, ‘I am the King.’” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ laughed and then said: “And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal” (al Zumar: 67) (narrated by al Bukhari in Kitab al Tawhid, no. 7451).
And from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Adam and Musa debated with each other before their Lord, and Adam defeated Musa. Musa said: You are Adam, whom Allah created with his hand, and blew into you from his spirit, and made the angels prostrate to you, and placed you in his Paradise, then by your sin you brought mankind down to the earth…” (narrated by Muslim 2652c).
In another version: “Adam said to him: You are Musa, whom Allah chose with his words, and He wrote for you with his hand, are you blaming me for a matter that Allah had decreed upon me before He created me by forty years?”
And from Abu Musa al Ash‘ari, from the Prophet ﷺ: “Indeed, Allah the Mighty and Majestic stretches out his hand at night so the sinner of the day may repent, and He stretches out his hand by day so the sinner of the night may repent, until the sun rises from its west” (narrated by Muslim in Kitab al Tawbah, no. 2759a,b).
Among the evidences for affirming the hand as a real attribute is what has been reported of its descriptions, such as grasping, spreading, and folding.
From those evidences is the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal. The entire earth will be in his grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in his right hand” (al Zumar: 67).
And his saying: “Rather, both his hands are extended. He spends however He wills” (al Ma’idah: 64).
And from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ: “Allah will grasp the earth and fold the heavens with his right hand, then He will say: I am the King, where are the kings of the earth?” (narrated by al Bukhari in Kitab al Riqaq, no. 6519, and Muslim in Kitab Sifat al Munafiqin, no. 2705, 002, 787).
And from Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah the Mighty and Majestic will take his heavens and his earth in his two hands and say: I am Allah – and he closed and opened his fingers – I am the King.” The narrator said: “Then I saw the pulpit shaking from its base, until I said to myself, is it going to fall with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on it?” (narrated by Muslim in Kitab Sifat al Munafiqin, 2788b).
This hadith proves that the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted are affirmed as real attributes, not that the ‘how’ of the attribute is being described. For it is firmly established by the revealed texts that there is nothing like Him.
The affirmation of the hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted is mass-transmitted in the Sunnah. As Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “The reports of the hand coming in the hadiths of the Prophet are mutawatir” (al Risalah al Madaniyyah, p. 15).
These texts clearly and evidently show the affirmation of the hand as an attribute of Allah the Exalted. There is nothing in their apparent wording that suggests deficiency, or resemblance, or defining the ‘how’. Rather, they affirm it in the most perfect sense, which is appropriate only for the attributes of the Creator, Blessed and Exalted.
This is the belief of Ahl al Sunnah wa al Jamaah in affirming this noble attribute for Allah the Mighty and Majestic. The statements from them confirming this are many, and there is consensus among them on this point.
As mentioned by Abu al Hasan al Ash‘ari (d. 324 AH) who said: “The general view of the people of hadith and the Sunnah is to affirm Allah and his angels and his Books and his messengers… and that Allah is above his Throne… and that He has two hands without ‘how’, just as He said: ‘I created with My two hands’ and as He said: ‘Rather, both his hands are extended’” (Maqalat al Islamiyyin, p. 290).
And Ibn al Qattan (d. 628 AH) said: “They have agreed that Allah has two extended hands, and they have agreed that the entire earth will be in his grasp on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens will be folded in his right hand, without his hands being bodily limbs” (al Iqna‘ fi Masa’il al Ijma‘, vol. 1, p. 44).
Translation: Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “More than one of those who transmitted the consensus of the Salaf clearly stated that the approach of the Salaf is that the texts of the attributes are taken upon their apparent meanings, while rejecting any ‘how’ and any resemblance. (It was narrated by Al-Salaf Al-Ajurri in Al-Sharia: 314, and Al-Sabuni in Al-Risalah: 56 and others.)
This is because speaking about the attributes is a branch of speaking about the Essence. So just as affirming the Essence is to affirm existence without affirming how, affirming the attributes is also to affirm existence without affirming how. So we say: He has a hand and hearing, and we do not say: the meaning of hand is power, or the meaning of hearing is knowledge” (al Risalah al Madaniyyah, p. 29).
Many statements have been transmitted from them in affirming this attribute. Among them are:
Imam Abu Hanifah (d. 150 AH) said: “He has a hand, a face, and a self, as Allah mentioned in the Quran. Whatever Allah mentioned in the Quran of the face, the hand, and the self are his attributes without ‘how’.
It is not to be said that his hand means his power or his favour, for that would nullify the attribute, and this is the saying of the Qadariyyah and the Mu‘tazilah. Rather, his hand is an attribute of his without ‘how’” (al Fiqh al Akbar, commentary by Muhammad al Khumays, p. 27).
Imam Ash-Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH) said: “Allah the Blessed and Exalted has Names and Attributes which his Book conveyed and his Prophet informed his nation of…” then he said: “And that He has two hands, as He said: ‘Rather, both his hands are extended’ (al Ma’idah: 64), and that He has a right hand, as He said: ‘And the heavens will be folded in his right hand’ (al Zumar: 67)” (quoted in al Tabseer fi Ma‘alim al Din, pp. 132–133).
Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH) – while mentioning things that must be affirmed for Allah the Exalted – said: “And the hearts of the servants are between two fingers from the fingers of the Most Merciful. He turns them however He wills and fills them with whatever He wills. And He created Adam with his hand, upon his form, and the heavens and the earth on the Day of Resurrection will be in his palm” (narrated by Abu Ya‘la in Tabaqat al Hanabilah, vol. 1, p. 283. Also mentioned by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmu‘ al Fatawa, vol. 4, p. 182).
Ishaq ibn Rahuyah (d. 238 AH) said: “There is only resemblance if someone says: a hand like a hand, or similar to a hand, or hearing like hearing, or similar to hearing. But if someone says: a hand as Allah said, or hearing and sight as Allah said, without saying how and without saying like hearing or similar to hearing, then this is not resemblance. Rather, it is as Allah said in his Book: ‘There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing’ (al Shura: 11)” (quoted by al Tirmidhi in his Sunan, vol. 3, p. 50).
Al Tirmidhi (d. 279 AH) – after narrating the hadith “Indeed, Allah accepts charity and takes it with his right hand” – said: “Allah, Blessed and Exalted, mentioned the hand, the hearing, and the sight in several places in his Book. But the Jahmiyyah interpreted these verses away from what the people of knowledge interpreted them as. They said: Allah did not create Adam with his hand, and they said that the meaning of ‘hand’ here is power” (Sunan al Tirmidhi, hadith no. 662, vol. 2, p. 50).
Ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310 AH) said while discussing the attributes of Allah: “Among them is that Allah, Exalted is his mention, informed us that He is Hearing and Seeing, and that He has two hands, as in his saying: ‘Rather, both his hands are extended’ (al Ma’idah: 64), and that He has a right hand, as in his saying: ‘And the heavens will be folded in his right hand’ (al Zumar: 67)” (al Tabseer fi Ma‘alim al Din, p. 132).
Al Baghawi (d. 516 AH) said in his tafsir: “The hand of Allah is an attribute from among the attributes of his Essence, like the hearing, the sight, and the face” (Ma‘alim al Tanzil, vol. 2, p. 76).
Ibn Abi Zayd al Qayrawani (d. 386 AH) said: “Among what the Ummah has agreed upon from the matters of the religion and the Sunnah – and opposing it is innovation and misguidance – is that Allah, blessed is his Name, has the Most Beautiful Names and the Highest Attributes…” then he mentioned: “And that his two hands are extended, and the earth will be in his grasp on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in his right hand” (al Jami‘ fi al Sunan wa al Adab wa al Maghazi wa al Tarikh, p. 107).
These statements – and there are many more like them – clearly show the position of the imams of Ahl al Sunnah wa al Jamaah in affirming the attribute of the hand for Allah the Blessed and Exalted, as an affirmation of the perfection that He attributed to Himself, free from any form of resemblance or assigning a ‘how’, and far removed from the misguidance of denial and distortion.
Affirming the Duality of the Attribute of the Hands of Allah the Exalted
Ahl al Sunnah wa al Jamaah affirm that Allah the Exalted has two hands, in a way that befits his majesty and greatness, upon the basis of absolute perfection that is free from any deficiency in every respect, without resemblance, without assigning a ‘how’, without denial, and without distortion. This is their approach for every attribute they affirm for Allah the Exalted.
This affirmation is based on clear evidences from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Prophet ﷺ, some of which have already been mentioned in the previous section. Among them are:
his saying: “Rather, both his hands are extended. He spends however He wills” (al Ma’idah: 64).
And his saying: “He said, O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two hands?” (Sad: 75).
And from Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The just will be with Allah on pulpits of light, to the right of the Most Merciful, and both of his hands are right hands. They are those who are just in their rulings, with their families, and with those under their care” (Narrated by An Nasa’i 5379).
The indication here is clear from the explicit use of the dual form, which makes it impossible to interpret the wording away from its apparent meaning. This duality proves two things:
First: the affirmation of the hands as a real attribute of Allah the Exalted.
Second: that Allah the Exalted has two hands in a way that befits Him.
It has already been mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, in the words of the Messenger ﷺ: “The hand of Allah is full…” and at the end: “…and in his other hand is the scale. He lowers and raises it” (Narrated by al Bukhari in Kitab al Tawhid, no. 7411, and Muslim in Kitab al Zakah, no. 2208, 992. The wording includes: “The right hand of Allah”).
The indication here is also clear in the explicit mention of “the other hand,” and this can only mean the affirmation of two real hands for Allah the Exalted.
This is exactly what the Salaf, may Allah have mercy on them, stated when affirming the attribute of the hand for Allah the Exalted, and it is a point of consensus among them, as already mentioned in the statements of Abu al Hasan al Ash‘ari (d. 324 AH), Ibn al Qattan (d. 628 AH), and Abu al Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH), may Allah have mercy on them.
Some of their words affirming this have already been mentioned in the previous section, such as what was transmitted from Imam al Shafi‘i (d. 204 AH), Ibn Jarir (d. 310 AH), and Ibn Abi Zayd (d. 386 AH).
Uthman ibn Sa‘id al Darimi (d. 280 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said in his refutation of Bishr al Mirrisi: “It is said to this confused one whose mind Allah has taken and whose ignorance is clear: Yes, it is affirmation of the two hands, as we have said, not affirmation of the creation. Just as his saying ‘those are ten complete’ (al Baqarah: 196) is affirmation of the number, not of the fast, because the number is not the fast. And the hand of Allah is not Adam” (Radd ‘ala Bishr al Mirrisi, p. 25).
Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 360 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Chapter: Mention of affirming the hand of the Creator, the Fashioner, Glorified and Exalted, and clarification that Allah the Exalted has two hands, as He informed us clearly in his Revelation that He created Adam with his two hands” (Kitab al Tawhid, vol. 1, p. 118).
Ibn Abi Dawud al Sijistani (d. 316 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said in his poem al Ha’iyyah: “The Jahmi also denies his right hand, But both his hands drip with bounty” (al Tuhfah al Saniyyah, commentary by ‘Abd al Razzaq al Badr, p. 279).
He said after completing the poem: “This is my view, and the view of my father, and the view of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and the view of those of the people of knowledge whom we met, and those we did not meet but whose views reached us. Whoever says other than this about me has lied” (quoted by al Ajurri in al Shari‘ah, vol. 5, p. 2565).
And al Ajurri (d. 360 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, wrote in his book al Shari‘ah: “Belief that Allah the Mighty and Majestic has two hands, and both his hands are right hands” (al Shari‘ah, vol. 3, p. 1147).
And al Daraqutni (d. 385 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, included in his book al Sifat a chapter titled: “What has been narrated about the two hands.” He then narrated several hadiths affirming the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted (al Sifat, p. 18).
And Ibn Battah al ‘Ukbari (d. 387 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said while criticising those who deny the attributes: “They said: we do not say that Allah has two hands, because hands must include fingers, palms, forearms, wrists, and joints.
So they fled, in their view, from resemblance, but they fell into it and returned to it. Everything they claimed is from the attributes of created beings. But Allah is far exalted above that. The hand of Allah is without ‘how’. Allah and his Messenger have denied what they claimed” (al Ibanah, vol. 3, p. 214).
And Abu ‘Amr al Dani (d. 444 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said regarding what is affirmed for Allah: “And the two hands, as has been reported in affirming them in his saying about Himself in his Book: ‘And the Jews said, the hand of Allah is chained…’” (al Ma’idah: 64) (al Risalah al Wafiyyah, p. 122).
And Ibn Battal (d. 449 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Sahih al Bukhari, in the chapter on Allah’s saying “to what I created with My two hands”: that it is proof from his saying “to what I created with My two hands” and from the other hadiths in the chapter, for affirming that Allah has two hands, which are attributes of his essence, not bodily limbs (Sharh Sahih al Bukhari, vol. 10, p. 436. See also Fath al Bari by Ibn Hajar, vol. 13, p. 405).
And al Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Chapter on what has been narrated affirming the two hands.” He then narrated many hadiths affirming the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted (al Asma’ wa al Sifat, vol. 2, p. 118).
And Abu al Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Affirming the two hands for Him is found in the Torah and in all the revealed scriptures, just as it is found in the Quran. So there is nothing in this that contradicts what the messengers brought, nor does it contradict reason. Allah said to Iblis: ‘What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two hands?’ (Sad: 75). So He informed us that He created Adam with his two hands, and authentic hadiths agree with this” (al Jawab al Sahih, vol. 4, p. 212).
He also said: “As for the dual form, it is explicit in what it names, because it is from the words of enumeration. Enumerated terms are explicit. Two, three, or four – these always mean their specific number…” Then he said: “If that is the case, then the outward meaning of the Quran – rather, its explicit wording – is that Allah has two hands. What is mentioned in the singular refers to the genus, and what is mentioned in the plural refers to the dual. All of this is from the outward and eloquent use of language. There is nothing obscure or hidden in it. Rather, it is according to well-known, clear usage” (Bayan Talbis al Jahmiyyah, vol. 5, pp. 183–185).
And Ibn al Qayyim (d. 751 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The Quran and the Sunnah both mention the hand as being attributed to Him – in the singular, in the dual, and in the plural” (al Sawaiq al Mursalah, vol. 1, p. 256).
And Mar‘i ibn Yusuf al Karami (d. 1033 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “The view of the Salaf and the Hanbalis is that what is meant is the affirmation of two essential attributes called ‘two hands’ which are greater than just grace and power. They argue that Allah gave Adam a distinction and honour that He did not give to Iblis, when He said: ‘To what I created with My two hands’ (Sad: 75). Otherwise, Iblis would have said: and You created me with Your two hands, so Adam would have had no distinction or honour” (Aqawil al Thiqat, p. 150).
And al Saffarini (d. 1188 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said: “If you understand what we have mentioned and reflect on what we have recited, know that the view of the righteous Salaf and the Hanbali scholars and those who agree with them from the people of hadith is that what is meant by the two hands is the affirmation of two essential attributes called ‘two hands’ which are greater than mere grace and power, supported by the Quranic verses and Prophetic narrations already mentioned” (Lawami‘ al Anwar al Bahiyyah, vol. 1, p. 23).
And Shaykh Hamad ibn Mu‘ammar (d. 1355 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said regarding the attributes of Allah the Exalted: “And that He has two hands without ‘how’, as He said: ‘To what I created with My two hands’, and as He said: ‘Rather, both his hands are extended’” (al Tuhfah al Madaniyyah fi al Aqidah al Salafiyyah, p. 120).
The conclusion is that what has been transmitted from the Salaf, may Allah have mercy on them, about affirming the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted is vast and clear. They never went beyond what the revealed texts affirmed, affirming what Allah affirmed for Himself in a manner consistent with his statement: “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing” (al Shura: 11).
Those Who Deny the Affirmation of the Two Hands of Allah the Exalted
The majority of the philosophers among the Jahmiyyah, Muʿtazilah, Ashʿaris, and Maturidis opposed the affirmation of the attribute of the hand of Allah the Exalted, let alone affirming that He has two hands, glorified is He.
Their general method in this is to deny any attribute which they think implies resemblance or anthropomorphism. So they begin by denying the attribute itself, then once that is done, they take a stance on the texts that affirm it. If the affirming text is a hadith that is singular in its transmission, they reject it and say it is not admissible as proof in matters of creed.
If the affirming text is from the Quran or the mutawatir Sunnah, they either interpret the meaning away from what the apparent wording suggests or say its meaning is unknown and must be left without interpretation, rendering it equal to a foreign language. In fact, a foreign language could be easier to understand since it can be translated, whereas, according to their claim, the meaning of these texts is absent and cannot be uncovered, such that the one reading it does not know what it means.
Abu al Hasan al Ashʿari (d. 324 AH) mentioned that the Muʿtazilah unanimously denied the attribute of the hand of Allah the Exalted. He said: “The Muʿtazilah unanimously agreed to deny the eye and the hand, though they differed in two opinions: some of them denied that it is said Allah has two hands, or that He has eyes or a single eye. Others said that Allah has a hand and two hands, but interpreted the hand to mean a blessing and the eye to mean knowledge” (Maqalat al Islamiyyin, p. 195).
And in Sharh al Usul al Khamsah by Qadi ʿAbd al Jabbar al Hamadhani (d. 415 AH), he treated the texts that affirm the two hands as ambiguous (mutashabih) and interpreted some of them to mean power and others to mean blessings, considering any affirmation of a real hand to be resemblance and anthropomorphism.
Translation: They also used as evidence His saying, “I created with My two hands, did you become arrogant…”
They said, so He affirmed two hands for Himself, and this shows that He is a body.
The response to that is that the meaning of “hand” here is strength, and this is clear in the language. It is said, “I have no hand over this matter,” meaning no strength.
If they then say, what is the point of comparison then?
We say, this is something commonly used in the language.
(Sharh al Usul al Khamsah By Qadi ʿAbd al Jabbar al Hamadhani p. 228).
And in Usul al Din by al Baghdadi (d. 429 AH), he interpreted the hands as power, claiming that to affirm them as real attributes is to affirm limbs, which amounts to anthropomorphism and resemblance between the Creator and the creation (Usul al Din, pp. 110–111).
Translation: These anthropomorphists claimed that the two hands of Allah, the Exalted, are physical parts and limbs, with palms and fingers like those of a human being.
They claimed that His hands are like the face of a human and his eyes, but they are other than the face and eyes. And some of the Sufis claimed that the face and the eye which are attributed to Allah, the Exalted, are attributes of His.
Ar Razi (d. 606 AH) stated that the attribute of the two hands must be interpreted in a way other than its apparent meaning, because otherwise it would be understood as referring to the body part we know, so the wording must be understood metaphorically. He claimed that the meaning in the affirming texts must be one of three things: first, power, second, favour, and third, a rhetorical emphasis without actual meaning (Asas al Taqdis).
Also see below the confusion of the Asha’irah their whole creed is a guessing game, they come up with multiple interpretations of what yadayn could mean for Allah then they also admit they do not know the meaning of the sifaat, sometimes the Asha’irah will not just make speculative ta’wil (ta’wil dhanni) but they also do decisive ta’wil (ta’wil qat‘i).
Do they not fear Allah, playing guessing games with his attributes…
Translation: The first point is that the word “hand” is used to mean power. It is said, “The hand of the ruler is above the hand of the subjects,” meaning his power is greater than theirs. The reason this figurative meaning is fitting is because the perfection of this limb is only seen through what is called power. So when the aim behind mentioning the hand is to show power, the word “hand” is used to mean power.
It is also said, “This town is in the hand of the prince,” even if the prince has no physical hand. And it is said, “So-and-so holds the authority to command and forbid, to bind and release.” What is meant is what we have mentioned.
The second point is that the word “hand” can also mean blessing or favour. It is said, “So-and-so has a hand over me that I will never forget as long as I live,” and what is meant is a favour. This figure of speech is acceptable because the hand is a tool used to give blessings, so the word “hand” is used to refer to favour, naming the cause while intending the result.
The third point is that sometimes the word “hand” is mentioned simply as a form of emphasis or reinforcement in speech. Like their saying, “Your two hands have done this,” or the verse, “Give charity before your private conversation” (al-Mujadilah: 12), and His saying, “And in front of them is mercy” (al-Aʿraf: 157). For private speech and mercy do not have the two limbs called hands.
Ta’sis al-Taqdis by Ar Razi Pg 116-117
Abu al Muʿin al Nasafi affirmed the wording of the hand but said its meaning is unknown, following the method of tafwid. He said: “It is permissible to say that Allah has a hand in Arabic, but it is not permissible in Persian… We affirm the word ‘hand’ while the intended meaning is what Allah intended” (Bahr al Kalam, p. 105).
He also said: “The anthropomorphists say Allah has a form and two hands, and they say both of the hands of al Rahman are right hands” (Bahr al Kalam, p. 107).
In summary, they deny the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted, fearing what they imagine to be resemblance. They rely on possible linguistic meanings of the word ‘hand’ across different contexts.
The Response to Them Comes from Several Angles
First: We do not deny that the word ‘hand’ can mean power or favour depending on the context in Arabic. But we reject what they claim from this, that such meanings imply denying the actual attribute of the two hands of Allah the Exalted.
Just because the word ‘hand’ can, in some contexts, mean favour or power, does not justify denying the attribute of the hand for the One it is affirmed for. Allah attributed the hand to Himself, and we affirm it in the most perfect manner.
Second: The use of the dual form in the revealed texts makes it impossible for the intended meaning to be power or favour. his saying: “To what I created with My two hands” (Sad: 75), and his saying: “Rather, both his hands are extended. He spends however He wills” (al Ma’idah: 64), cannot reasonably be interpreted as “his two powers” or “his two favours.” These texts clearly affirm the two hands as real attributes in the most perfect sense.
Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH) said: “Whoever claims that his two hands are his favours, how does he deal with the verse: ‘To what I created with My two hands’ – with the word ‘two’ being emphatic?” (Ibtal al Ta’wilat by Abu Yaʿla, p. 169-170 ).
Translation: Imam Ahmad said in the narration of al-Maimuni, “Whoever claims that His two hands are merely two favours, then what will he do with His saying: ‘I created with My two hands’ with stress (on the word)?”
Abu Bakr Al-Maimuni said, “So I said: and when He created Adam with a handful, meaning from all parts of the earth, and that the hearts are between two fingers.”
The apparent meaning from this is that he (Ahmad) accepted the apparent wording of the hadith.
If it is said: it is not permissible to attribute that to Him, rather the “handful” should be understood as power, like when someone says, “So-and-so is in my grasp,” meaning “I have power over him.” According to this view, the meaning of His saying “and the entire earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Judgement” (al-Zumar: 67) would be “under His power and ownership.”
It is said: this is a mistake, because it removes the benefit of specifying that handful, even though we already know that He has power over all things. So there is no meaning in attributing power specifically to the creation of Adam from a handful that He grasped.
Also, there are words more specific to power than “handful.” And if it is allowed to interpret “handful” as power, then it would also be necessary to interpret His saying “you will see your Lord on the Day of Judgement” as meaning “you will see His power.”
Likewise, the saying “He created Adam with His two hands” would have to mean “with His power.” As for the verse, “and the entire earth will be in His grasp on the Day of Judgement” (al-Zumar: 67), it is not impossible to say about it what we have said here.
If it is said: this should be interpreted to mean the showing of an action, that is, creation, invention, and bringing into existence, as He said “We would have surely blotted out their eyes” (Ya Sin: 66), and as He said “Today We will seal their mouths” (Ya Sin: 65), and this is not a literal blotting or sealing involving physical contact,
It is said: this removes the point of specifying Adam, because the showing of action occurs when creating others besides Adam among all human beings. Also, there are words more specific to that than “grasping,” such as “creating,” “inventing,” and “bringing into existence.”
And this interpretation would require His saying “I created with My two hands” to mean merely the showing of an action. It would also require interpreting His saying “you will see your Lord” as meaning you will see actions that He brings about. But we and the affirmers of the attributes are all agreed that this is not correct.
The same applies to texts that mention the right hand, the other hand, or the left – all of these indicate clearly the affirmation of two real hands for Allah the Exalted.
Abu al Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “The word ‘two hands’ in the dual form is never used in the Arabic language for ‘favour’ or ‘power’” (al Risalah al Madaniyyah, p. 52).
Third: The special mention of Adam being created by Allah’s hand proves that the hand is an actual attribute. If the meaning were simply power, then there would be no reason to single out Adam, since all creation is brought into being by Allah’s power.
Fourth: Allah described his hands as ‘right’, but blessings and power are not known to be described as ‘right’ or its opposite. If the deniers interpret the hands as blessings, what do they say about the texts that describe the hand of Allah as the right hand?
Fifth: Some claim that Allah’s statement “To what I created with My two hands” (Sad: 75) is like the verse “from what Our hands have made” (Ya Sin: 71), and that ‘hand’ simply refers to Allah Himself. But this is incorrect. In examples where ‘hand’ refers to the self, the verb is added to the hand, like in: “That is because of what your hands have sent ahead” (al Hajj: 10)
and “That is because of what your hands have put forth” (Aal ʿImran: 182).
But when the verb is directly connected to the word ‘hand’ using the preposition ‘bi’ (with), it means the action was done with the hand. And that is the case with: “To what I created with My two hands” (Sad: 75).
Abu al Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah said: “You will not find in the speech of Arabs or non-Arabs – Allah willing – that a fluent speaker says ‘I did this with my two hands’ or ‘So-and-so did this with his hands’ unless the act was done literally with the hands. It cannot be that the person has no hands or that he has hands and the act was done without them” (al Risalah al Madaniyyah, p. 17; see also Majmuʿ al Fatawa, vol. 1, p. 218).
Sixth: Nowhere in the Quran or authentic Sunnah, nor in the speech of the Salaf from the Sahabah or the Tabiʿin, is there any indication that the words ‘hand’ or ‘two hands’ are not meant in their apparent sense. Nowhere is it reported that the meaning is not the reality of the hand, or that the meaning is only power or favour.
Despite the large number of verses and narrations on this, not a single one contains any hint that the hand is not real. This shows the consistency of all the texts in affirming the attribute of the two hands of Allah the Exalted in reality.
Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “Is it conceivable that the Book and the Sunnah would be filled with mentions of the hand, that Allah created with his hand, that his two hands are extended (al Ma’idah: 64), and that the dominion is in his hand, and that countless hadiths mention it.
Yet the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the rightly-guided scholars would not explain to the people that this wording is not intended in its apparent sense, until after the age of the Sahabah, when Jahm ibn Safwan arises to explain to people what was revealed to their Prophet – and that he is followed by Bishr ibn Ghiyath and others among those accused of hypocrisy?” (al Risalah al Madaniyyah, p. 17; see also Majmuʿ al Fatawa, vol. 1, p. 218).
Seventh: The claim that affirming the attribute of the hand implies resemblance with creation is nothing but an illusion that they assume upon the affirmation. But the affirmation itself does not imply resemblance.
Ahl al Sunnah, affirm the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted, gather all the related evidences and affirm what Allah affirmed for Himself. They also affirm what Allah said about Himself: “There is nothing like unto Him” (al Shura: 11). This is a firm holding to the Book and a bringing together of all the texts in knowledge and in action.
As for vague phrases like ‘anthropomorphism’ or ‘composition’, which the deniers use, these are unclear and were never used in either affirmation or denial in the revelation. The default position is to ignore such terms and not oppose the revealed texts with them.
In summary, the arguments used by those who deny the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted are nothing but assumptions and weak premises that directly oppose the clear and obvious evidences.
What remains is the clarity of the meaning, the strength of the proof, and the soundness of the conclusion in what Ahl al Sunnah wa al Jamaah affirm, that the attribute of the two hands of Allah the Blessed and Exalted is to be affirmed in a way that is free of resemblance and untouched by the corruption of denial. (See: Radd ʿala Bishr al Mirrisi by ʿUthman ibn Saʿid al Darimi, pp. 90 and 99; al Ibanah ʿan Usul al Diyanah by Abu al Hasan al Ashʿari, p. 125 and onwards; al Risalah al Madaniyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 11 and onwards; Lawamiʿ al Anwar al Bahiyyah by al Saffarini, vol. 1, p. 231 and onwards).
