The Meaning of the Hadith: (Allah Created Adam in His Image)
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[The Meaning of the Hadith: (Allah created Adam in His image)]
Honorable Shaykh! May Allah reward you with good! What is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Indeed, Allah created Adam in His image)?And what is the meaning of the hadith: (And I did not hesitate over anything I was going to do as I hesitated over taking the soul of My believing servant)?
As for the first one, may Allah bless you, (Indeed, Allah created Adam in His image), several opinions have been stated regarding it that are not accepted,For example: such as the opinion that Allah created Adam in the image of Adam, making the pronoun refer back to Adam himself; in that case, this hadith would have no benefit,If the meaning is: for if Allah created Adam in the image of Adam, what is the benefit?So we say: And He created other than Adam in His image as well.
Is that not so?But the correct and necessary one is: That the pronoun in (His image) refers to Allah (Mighty and Majestic); but does it necessarily follow that if Allah created Adam in His image, that Adam is similar to Him?Answer: No.
First: Because Allah said: [Al-Shura: 11], so we believe that there is nothing like Allah, and we believe that Allah created Adam in His image.
Because the first is the word of Allah, and the second is the word of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and we must believe in and affirm both of them.
If someone were to say: How can it be conceived that a thing is in the image of another thing without being similar to it?! And this is what comes to mind! We say: Has it not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that (the first group to enter Paradise will be in the image of the moon on the night of the full moon), and does it necessarily follow that because this group is in the image of the moon, they are like the moon?Answer: No.
So it does not necessarily follow that because Allah created Adam in His image, that he is similar to Him (Mighty and Majestic).
This is one opinion, and it is an apparent opinion, and it contains no figurative interpretation, nor does it depart from the apparent meaning of the wording.
The second opinion: That the pronoun in (His image) refers to Allah; but this is from the category of attributing a thing to Allah in the sense of honor and distinction, such as: [Al-Shams: 13] in the saying of the Exalted: [Al-Shams: 13], so does Allah have a she-camel to ride, for example? Far be it from Him! But the Messenger attributed the she-camel to Allah in the sense of distinction.
Likewise, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah: 114] The mosques are for people to pray in! So is Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in these mosques? No.
Rather, Allah the Exalted is in the sky upon His Throne; but Allah attributed the mosques to Him because they are the place of His worship, and they are worthy of distinction and honor.
We return to the soul of Adam and say: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said to the angels: [Sad: 72], so is the soul of Adam the soul of Allah? No.
Never.
Rather, the soul of Adam is a created soul that Allah created; but Allah attributed it to Him in the sense of distinction.
His saying: (In His image) means: in the image that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) formed, and Allah attributed it to Him in the sense of distinction.
If someone were to say: And the image of the human being, is it not Allah who formed it?We said: Yes.
It is Allah who formed it; but it does not deserve to be attributed to Allah, so the most honorable of what Allah created are the sons of Adam,Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: [Al-Tin: 4], there is no one better in creation than the human creation.
Therefore: So the image of Adam is not like the image of other humans, and for this reason it deserved to be attributed to the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) as a distinction and honor.
So the hadith has two meanings: The first meaning: taking it at its apparent level,And that we say: it does not necessarily follow that because Allah created Adam in His image, that he is similar to Allah.
The second meaning: That it be said: (In His image) means: that Allah created Adam in the image that He chose and attributed to Him in the sense of distinction,And for this he said: so the face is not disfigured nor struck so that this image which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created is changed.
As for the second question, it is His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He, in the Qudsi hadith: (And I did not hesitate over anything I was going to do as I hesitated over taking the soul of My believing servant, he dislikes death and I dislike his evil, and he must have it).
Indeed, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not love to do something that His believing servant dislikes,Rather, Allah the Exalted said: (Whoever opposes My wali, I have declared war upon him),That is: that any person who opposes a wali from the awliya of Allah—and the awliya of Allah are [Yunus: 63]—he becomes one who has declared war upon Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not love to do what His believing servant dislikes, so He hesitates, not out of doubt about whether this is a benefit or not a benefit;Meaning: it is not out of ignorance; but He hesitates regarding what concerns the servant, whether to do it while the servant dislikes it, or not to do it.
And by this we know that hesitation is of two types: Hesitation due to doubt about the outcome, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is free from this; because Allah the Exalted is not hidden from Him anything, and this happens to me and to so-and-so and so-and-so, we hesitate to do a thing because we do not know the outcome, and for this reason we seek guidance from Allah.
Hesitation regarding what concerns the unseen while knowing the outcome, and this is attributed to Allah, and there is no deficiency in it in any way.
Honorable Shaykh! May Allah reward you with good! What is the meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Indeed, Allah created Adam in His image)?And what is the meaning of the hadith: (And I did not hesitate over anything I was going to do as I hesitated over taking the soul of My believing servant)?
As for the first one, may Allah bless you, (Indeed, Allah created Adam in His image), several opinions have been stated regarding it that are not accepted,For example: such as the opinion that Allah created Adam in the image of Adam, making the pronoun refer back to Adam himself; in that case, this hadith would have no benefit,If the meaning is: for if Allah created Adam in the image of Adam, what is the benefit?So we say: And He created other than Adam in His image as well.
Is that not so?But the correct and necessary one is: That the pronoun in (His image) refers to Allah (Mighty and Majestic); but does it necessarily follow that if Allah created Adam in His image, that Adam is similar to Him?Answer: No.
First: Because Allah said:
There is nothing like unto Him
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌBecause the first is the word of Allah, and the second is the word of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and we must believe in and affirm both of them.
If someone were to say: How can it be conceived that a thing is in the image of another thing without being similar to it?! And this is what comes to mind! We say: Has it not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that (the first group to enter Paradise will be in the image of the moon on the night of the full moon), and does it necessarily follow that because this group is in the image of the moon, they are like the moon?Answer: No.
So it does not necessarily follow that because Allah created Adam in His image, that he is similar to Him (Mighty and Majestic).
This is one opinion, and it is an apparent opinion, and it contains no figurative interpretation, nor does it depart from the apparent meaning of the wording.
The second opinion: That the pronoun in (His image) refers to Allah; but this is from the category of attributing a thing to Allah in the sense of honor and distinction, such as:
the camel of Allah
نَاقَةَ اللَّهِAnd the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ نَاقَةَ اللَّهِLikewise, Allah the Exalted said:
And who are more unjust than those who prevent
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ مَنَعَ مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِRather, Allah the Exalted is in the sky upon His Throne; but Allah attributed the mosques to Him because they are the place of His worship, and they are worthy of distinction and honor.
We return to the soul of Adam and say: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said to the angels:
And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration."
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَNever.
Rather, the soul of Adam is a created soul that Allah created; but Allah attributed it to Him in the sense of distinction.
His saying: (In His image) means: in the image that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) formed, and Allah attributed it to Him in the sense of distinction.
If someone were to say: And the image of the human being, is it not Allah who formed it?We said: Yes.
It is Allah who formed it; but it does not deserve to be attributed to Allah, so the most honorable of what Allah created are the sons of Adam,Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said:
We have certainly created man in the best of stature;
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍTherefore: So the image of Adam is not like the image of other humans, and for this reason it deserved to be attributed to the Lord (Mighty and Majestic) as a distinction and honor.
So the hadith has two meanings: The first meaning: taking it at its apparent level,And that we say: it does not necessarily follow that because Allah created Adam in His image, that he is similar to Allah.
The second meaning: That it be said: (In His image) means: that Allah created Adam in the image that He chose and attributed to Him in the sense of distinction,And for this he said: so the face is not disfigured nor struck so that this image which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created is changed.
As for the second question, it is His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He, in the Qudsi hadith: (And I did not hesitate over anything I was going to do as I hesitated over taking the soul of My believing servant, he dislikes death and I dislike his evil, and he must have it).
Indeed, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not love to do something that His believing servant dislikes,Rather, Allah the Exalted said: (Whoever opposes My wali, I have declared war upon him),That is: that any person who opposes a wali from the awliya of Allah—and the awliya of Allah are
Those who believed and were fearing Allah
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَSo Allah (Mighty and Majestic) does not love to do what His believing servant dislikes, so He hesitates, not out of doubt about whether this is a benefit or not a benefit;Meaning: it is not out of ignorance; but He hesitates regarding what concerns the servant, whether to do it while the servant dislikes it, or not to do it.
And by this we know that hesitation is of two types: Hesitation due to doubt about the outcome, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is free from this; because Allah the Exalted is not hidden from Him anything, and this happens to me and to so-and-so and so-and-so, we hesitate to do a thing because we do not know the outcome, and for this reason we seek guidance from Allah.
Hesitation regarding what concerns the unseen while knowing the outcome, and this is attributed to Allah, and there is no deficiency in it in any way.