Allah – the creator of all things?
Revisiting the irrationality of Islamic theology
The Quran makes the repeated assertion that Allah mounted his throne after creating the heavens and the earth and all that is between them:
Surely your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days -- THEN sat himself upon the Throne, covering the day with the night it pursues urgently -- and the sun, and the moon, and the stars subservient, by His command. Verily, his are the creation and the command. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all Being. S. 7:54
Verily, your Lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days, THEN he seated himself on the Throne; he governs everything. There is no intercessors with him save after his permission. This is Allah, your Lord, so worship him. Will you not, then, mind? S. 10:3
Allah it is who raised up the heavens without visible supports, THEN mounted the Throne… S. 13:2
He who created the Heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days, THEN he sat himself on the Throne - the merciful! Ask thou then concerning him one who knows. S. 25:59
Allah it is Who created the heavens and the earth, and that which is between them, in six Days. THEN he mounted the Throne. Ye have not, beside him, a protecting friend or mediator. Will ye not then remember? S. 32:4
It is He that created the heavens and the earth in six days THEN seated Himself upon the Throne. He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And Allah sees well all that ye do. S. 57:4
Certain Islamic reports state that part of the formation of the seven heavens included the creation of all that would inhabit these specific places such as the angels:
We have stated before that time is but hours of night and day and that the hours are but traversal by the sun and the moon of the degrees of the sphere. Now then, this being so, there is (also) a sound tradition from the Messenger of God told us by Hannad b. al-Sari, who also said that he read all of the hadith (to Abu Bakr) - Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash – Abu Sa'd al-Baqqal – 'Ikrimah – Ibn Abbas: The Jews came to the Prophet and asked him about the creation of the heavens and the earth. He said: God created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He created the mountains and the uses they possess on Tuesday. On Wednesday, He created trees, water, cities and the cultivated barren land. These are four (days). He continued (citing the Qur'an): “Say: Do you really not believe in the One Who created the earth in two days, and set up others like Him? That is the Lord of the worlds. He made it firmly anchored (mountains) above it and blessed it and decreed that it contain the amount of food it provides, (all) in four days, equally for those asking” – for those who ask. On Thursday, He created heaven. On Friday, He created the stars, the sun, the moon, and the angels, until three hours remained. In the first of these three hours He created the terms (of human life), who would live and who would die. In the second, He cast harm upon everything that is useful for mankind. And in the third, (He created) Adam and had him dwell in Paradise. He commanded Iblis to prostrate himself before Adam, and He drove Adam out of Paradise at the end of the hour. When the Jews asked: What then, Muhammad? He said: “Then He sat straight upon the Throne.” The Jews said: You would be right, if you had finished, they said, with: Then He rested. Whereupon the Prophet got very angry, and it was revealed: “We have created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days, and fatigue did not touch Us. Thus be patient with what you say!” (The History of Al-Tabari – General Introduction and From Creation to the Flood, translated by Franz Rosenthal [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany 1989], Volume I, p. 188; bold and underline emphasis ours)
And:
According to Ibn Humayd – Mithran – Abu Sinan – Abu Bakr: The Jews came to the Prophet and said: Muhammad, inform us about the creation created by God in these six days! The Prophet replied: He created the earth on Sunday and Monday. He created the mountains on Tuesday. He created the cities, food, the rivers, cultivated and barren land on Wednesday. He created the heavens and angels on Thursday continuing to the last three hours of Friday. In the first of these hours, He created the terms (of human life), in the second, harm, and in the third, Adam. The Jews said: You speak the truth, if you finish (the statement). The Prophet realized what they had in mind. He got angry, and God revealed: “And fatigue did not touch Us. So be patient with what they say.” (Ibid., 217; bold emphasis ours)
Finally,
Friday – yawm al-jum’ah – is thus called because on it, God put together (j-m-‘) the creation of the heavens and the earth and “revealed in every heaven its command [Q. 41:12].” He continued: In every heaven, He created its (special) angels as well as its (special) oceans, the mountains with hail, and what (man) does not know. He then adorned the lower heavens with the stars and make them an ornament and guard to guard against the Satans. When He completed creating whatever He pleased, He sat straight on the Throne. That is when He says: “He created the heavens and the earth in six days, [Q. 11:7]” and: “The two were compressed, and We split them [Q. 21:30].” (Ibid., p. 223; bold and underline emphasis as well as comments within brackets ours)
At first glance these verses seem to suggest that Allah’s throne existed before creation and is therefore eternal. After all, if the throne was already there before the creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them then it cannot be part of creation.
Moreover, there is evidence indicating that Allah’s throne is not simply a metaphor for Allah’s rule or sovereignty, but is an actual physical object that Allah sits upon. For instance, the Muslim scripture refers to a time when eight angels will carry the throne:
So, when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single blow, then, on that day, the Terror shall come to pass, and heaven shall be split, for upon that day it shall be very frail, and the angels shall stand upon its borders, and upon that day eight shall carry above them the Throne of thy Lord. S. 69:13-17
The so-called sound narratives also mention Moses grasping or bracing himself on one of the legs of the throne:
XXVI: The words of Allah Almighty:
"We set aside thirty nights for Musa and then completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights in all. Musa said to his brother Harun, 'Be my deputy among my people. Keep order and do not follow the way of the corrupters.' When Musa came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, 'My Lord, show me Yourself so that I may look at You! ' He said, 'You will not see Me, but look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.' But when His Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He crushed it flat and Musa fell unconscious to the ground. When he regained consciousness he said, 'Glory be to You! I turn in repentance to You and I am the first of the believers!'" (7:142-143)
One says, "dakka" meaning to shake something. "Fa-dukkatâ" (69:14) is used for crushed when He made the mountains like a single thing, as Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, "the heavens and the earth were (dual) joined together," (21:30) and He did not use the feminine plural. Ratqan" is stuck together. "Ushribü" (2:93) is a dyed, soaked cloth.
Ibn 'Abbas said that "anbajast" (7:160) means to gush forth and "wa idh natafnâ'l-jabal" (7:161) is to raise.
3217. It is related from Abu Sa'id that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "On the Day of Rising, people will faint, and I will be the first to regain consciousness, and there will be Musa grasping one of the LEGS of the Throne. I do not know whether he came to before me, or if he was spared because of the unconsciousness of the Mount.'" …
XXXI: The death of Musa and his mention after it …
3227. It is related that Abu Hurayra said, "A Muslim man and a Jewish man insulted one another. The Muslim said, 'By the One who chose Muhammad over all the worlds,' in an oath that he made and the Jew said, 'By the One who chose Musa over all the worlds.' At that, the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew's face. So the Jew went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him about the affair of him and the Muslim. He said, 'Do not prefer me over Musa. On the Day of Rising, people will faint, and I will be the first to regain consciousness, and there will be Musa grasping the Throne. I do not know whether he will be among those who fainted and came to before me, or if he was one of those that Allah excepted.'" (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Chapter 64. Book of the Prophets; capital and underline emphasis ours)
And:
CXXXV: "When Musa came to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, 'My Lord, show me Yourself so that I may look at You!' He said, 'You will not see Me, but look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.' But when His Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He crushed it flat and Musa fell unconscious to the ground. When he regained consciousness he said, 'Glory be to You! I turn in repentance to You and I am the first of the believers!'" (7:143)
4362. It is related that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri £said, "A Jewish man whose face had been slapped came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'O Muhammad, a man of your Companions from the Ansar slapped my face!' He said, 'Call him.' They summoned him and he asked, 'Why did you slap his face?' He replied, 'Messenger of Allah, I passed by the Jews and I heard him say, "By the One whose chose Musa over mankind," and I said, "Over Muhammad!" and was seized by anger and I slapped him.' He said, 'Do not prefer me over the Prophets. People will swoon on the Day of Rising and I will be the first who wakes up and Musa will be holding to one of the LEGS of the Throne. I will not know whether he came to before me or if he was spared because of the swooning of the Mount.'" (Bewley, Chapter 68. Book of Tafsir; capital and underline emphasis ours)
The Quran also speaks of a certain body of waters which the throne rests upon,
And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne WAS upon the waters… S. 11:7
This also implies that these waters are uncreated. The text doesn’t say that the throne was placed upon the waters after the heavens and earth were created, but that it was already upon them prior to Allah bringing creation into existence. The following report substantiates this interpretation:
3019. It is related that 'Imran ibn Husayn said, "I visited the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and hobbled my camel at the door. Some people of Banu Tamim came and he said, 'Accept the good news, Banu Tamim!' They said twice, 'You have given us good news, so give us something.' Then some of the people of Yemen came in to him and he said, Accept the good news, O people of Yemen, since Banu Tamim have not accepted it.' They said, 'We accept, Messenger of Allah. We have come to you to ask you about this matter.' He said, 'There was Allah and there was nothing but Him, and His Throne was on the water. He wrote everything in the Remembrance (the Tablet) AND He created the heavens and the earth.' Then someone called out, 'Your she-camel has gone, Ibn al-Husayn!' So I went and could not see her because of the mirage. By Allah, I wish that I had left her!" (Aisha Bewley, Sahih al-Bukhari, Chapter 63. Book of the Beginning of Creation)
The Muslim exegetes and scholars concur:
And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, the first of which was Sunday and the last, Friday — and His Throne, before creating them, was upon the water, borne by the winds … (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; bold and underline emphasis ours)
And:
Allah created the Heavens and the Earth in Six Days
Allah, the Exalted, informs of His power over all things, and that He created the heavens and the earth in six days. He mentions that His Throne was over the water BEFORE THAT, just as Imam Ahmad recorded that `Imran bin Husayn said, “The Messenger of Allah said…
<<Accept the glad tidings, O tribe of Tamim!>> They said, `Verily you have brought us glad tidings and you have given us.' Then he said…
<<Accept the glad tidings, O people of Yemen!>> They said, `We accept. Therefore, inform us about the beginning of this matter and how it was.' He said…
<<Allah was before everything and His Throne was over the water. He then wrote in the Preserved Tablet mentioning everything.>> Then a man came to me and said, “O `Imran, your she camel has escaped from her fetter.” I then went out after her and I do not know what was said after I left.” This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim with a variety of wordings. In Sahih Muslim, it is recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that the Messenger of Allah said…
<<Verily Allah measured the amount of sustenance of the creatures fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was over the water.>>… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; capital and underline emphasis ours)
Another commentator offered the following explanation:
(And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days) six days of the beginning of this world: each day the equivalent of one thousand years, the first day being Sunday and the last Friday (and His Throne) before the creation of the heavens and earth (was upon the water) and Allah was before the Throne and before water … (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; bold and italic emphasis ours)
It is obvious that this expositor is confused since how can Allah precede the throne and water when the latter two already existed before creation came into being? Doesn’t this prove that both the throne and water are coeternal with Allah?
In fact, specific narrations claim that the very first thing Allah created was the pen:
2155. ‘Abdul-Wahid bin Sulaim narrated: “I arrived in Makkah and met ‘Ata’ bin Abi Rabah. I said to him: ‘O Abu Muhammad! The people of al-Basrah speak about Al-Qadar.’ He said: ‘O my son! Do you recite the Qur’an?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then recite Az-Zukhruf to me.’” He said: “So I recited: Ha Mim. By the manifest Book. Verily, We have made it a Qur’an in Arabic that you may be able to understand. And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book with Us, indeed exalted, full of wisdom. Then he said: ‘Do you know what the Mother of the Book is?’ I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘It is a book that Allah wrote before He created the Heavens, and before He created the earth. In it, it is (written): Fir‘awn is among the inhabitants of the Fire, and in it is: Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!’”
‘Ata’ said: ‘I met Al-Walid the son of ‘Ubadah bin As-Samit the Companion of the Messenger of Allah and asked him: “What was your father’s admonition when he died?” He said: “He called me and said: ‘O my son! Have Taqwa of Allah, and know that you will never have Taqwa of Allah until you believe in Allah, and you believe in Al-Qadar – all of it – its good and its bad. If you die upon other than this you shall enter the Fire. Indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “Verily the FIRST of what Allah CREATED was the Pen. So he said: ‘Write.’ It said: ‘Write what?’ He said: ‘Write Al-Qadar, what it is, and what shall be, until the end.’”’”’ (Sahih)
[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Gharib [from this route]. [1]
[1] It appears again, abridged, in number 3319, and he said: “Hasan Sahih Gharib” (English Translation of Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Compiled by Imam Hafiz ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, From Hadith no. 1897 to 2605, translated by Abu Khalil (USA), Ahadith edited and referenced by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair ‘Ali Za’i, final review by Islamic Research Section Darussalam [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, First Edition: November 2007], Volume 4, Chapter 17. Signifying The Importance Of Believing In Al-Qadar, pp. 216-217; capital and underline emphasis ours)
And:
(and by what they Yastur.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah all said that this means, “what they write.” As-Suddi said, “The angels and the deeds of the servants they record.” Others said, “Rather, what is meant here is the pen which Allah caused to write the decree when He wrote the decrees of all creation, and this took place fifty-thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.” For this, they present Hadiths that have been reported about the Pen. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Al-Walid bin `Ubadah bin As-Samit that he said, “My father called for me when he was dying and he said to me: ‘Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah say…
<<Verily, the FIRST of what Allah CREATED was the Pen, and He said to it: “Write.” The Pen said: “O my Lord, what shall I write?” He said: “Write the decree and whatever will throughout eternity.”>>’” This Hadith has been recorded by Imam Ahmad through various routes of transmission. At-Tirmidhi also recorded it from a Hadith of Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi and he (At-Tirmidhi) said about it, “Hasan Sahih, Gharib.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 68:1; capital and underline emphasis ours)
A quick note here. We are again faced with a number of problems that conflict with sound reasoning. If the pen wrote down everything that would occur fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth then how can it be created? Since the creation of the heavens and the earth included the creation of every spiritual and material object or thing located within them then nothing could have existed prior to this time except for eternal entities or realities. In simple words, since there was neither heaven nor earth when the pen was "created" and the book written, where was this pen and this book? How could this pen, a created thing, exist without any place? This, therefore, suggests that the pen and the book written by the pen are actually eternal objects since they both existed before the creation itself. Yet this flatly contradicts the assertion that the pen is the first thing that Allah created. Moreover, time itself only came into existence with the creation of matter. How can one speak of "50,000 years before creation"? Either the pen and the book are eternal, or the pen is created at the time of the first created matter and the beginning of time, but it makes no sense to speak of a point in time thousands of years earlier. Talk about mass confusion!
Moreover, the first of the above cited narrations makes it clear that the Quran is part of this book, which is called the mother of the book. But, apart from the difficulty of speaking about time periods before there was time, if that book was written by means of something (the pen) that was created, then this book is created as well, contradicting the doctrine of the eternality of the Quran.
And then a totally different question arises. What does Allah need that book for? Isn't Allah permanently omniscient? Allah apparently planned everything that should happen and wrote it down in that book. But why? Does Allah fear memory loss and therefore he needs a book in which he can look up, from time to time, what to do next?
And yet is another thought: Islam also teaches that there are angels on our shoulders writing everything we do, our good deeds and our bad deeds.
What for? If Allah wrote everything that would happen already before the creation of the world, why does he need to have everything we do written again in other books? Isn't it already written? Or does Allah not trust his predestination and needs to check the books later against each other to find out whether it actually worked?
Be that as it may, these next traditions are taken from the noted Muslim historian and commentator al-Tabari:
According to Khallad b. Aslam – al-Nadr b. Shumayl – al-Mas‘udi – Jami‘ b. Shaddad – Safwan b. Muhriz – Ibn Husayn, one of the companions of the Messenger of God… Whereupon the Messenger of God said: God existed when there was nothing. His Throne was upon the water, and (all that was going to be) was written on the memorial (Tablet) before anything (else was created). Then God created seven heavens…
According to Abu Kurayb – Abu Mu‘awiyah – al-A‘mash – Jami‘ b. Shaddad – Safwan b. Muhriz – ‘Imran b. al-Husayn… Whereupon the Messenger of God said: God was upon the Throne, He was before everything, and He wrote everything that was going to on the Tablet… (The History of Al-Tabari, Volume I, pp. 204-205; underline emphasis ours)
By interpreting these reports in light of one another it is apparent that Muhammad believed that Allah was already on the throne when he created the pen and commanded it to write down everything that was going to take place. Yet doesn’t this show that the throne and its waters are eternal since these specific objects were already in existence even before Allah created the pen as the first of his creation?
However, not all of the Islamic sources agree that the pen was the first created thing or that the throne and its waters are uncreated. There are specific reports that say that the first thing Allah created was the throne while he was dwelling in a cloud:
According to Ibn Waki‘ and Muhammad b. Harun al-Qattan – Hammad b. Salamah – Ya‘la b. ‘Ata – Waki‘ b. Hudus – his paternal uncle Abu Razin: I asked the Messenger of God: Where was our Lord before He created His creation? The Prophet replied: He was in a cloud (‘ama’) with no air underneath or above it. Then He created His Throne upon the water.
According to al-Muthanna b. Ibrahim – al-Hajjaj – Hammad – Ya’la b. ‘Ata – Waki‘ b. Hudus – his paternal uncle Abu Razin al-‘Aqil: I asked the Messenger of God: Where was our Lord before He created the heavens and the earth? The Prophet replied: In a cloud with air above and underneath it. Then He created His Throne upon the water. (Al-Tabari, pp. 203-204; underline emphasis ours)
Notice the contradiction between these two narrations. The first narrative says that there was no air above or beneath the cloud that Allah was in whereas the second one says there was!
More importantly, these narrations are only shifting the problem of eternal entities. In the other narrations we had an eternal throne upon eternal water before creation started, while these particular narrations claim that the throne is created and that Allah existed in an uncreated cloud before he started creation by creating the throne. Moreover, in the last two narrations, the water still seems to be eternal, since the throne is created UPON the water that appears to be there already.
The Dilemma
Apart from the gross contradictions and confusion within the Islamic corpus concerning the first thing Allah created, the Muslims are faced with additional problems. If the reports that say that the pen was the first created thing are correct then this means that Allah’s throne and its waters are eternal. Moreover, we saw from specific narratives that Allah’s throne is a material object which eight angels will eventually carry. In light of this how can anything physical or material exist before creation? Does that even make sense?
However, if the narratives that say that Allah was in a cloud before he created the throne are sound then this still leaves Muslims with the problem of explaining of how such an object could exist in eternity when the only way for Allah to be inside or within it is if the cloud was composed of some kind of material substance?
And irrespective of which of the narrations a Muslim accepts as authentic s/he is still left with the following questions to answer. How can any material thing exist eternally if Allah created matter? How can a throne, waters or a cloud exist before the creation of the heavens and the earth when all of these are material objects which require space and place? Does this imply that Allah didn’t create all matter or space since certain objects such as his cloud have always existed with him?
This makes about as much sense as the view held by the modern Salafi cult that Allah literally has a face, eyes, shins, and legs even though these bodyparts are unlike and do not resemble anything in creation. The problem with such a ridiculous belief is that the only way for Allah to actually possess such bodyparts if he is a material being of some kind who occupies space and place. And if he is a spatial being then this again means that not every aspect of time, space and matter are created since Allah’s body is eternal.
To show you just how absurd and irrational this position truly is(1) here is a question that Muslim propagandist Bassam Zawadi asked on an Islamic forum:
11-25-2008, 05:51 PM
Assalamu Alaykum,
I was reading this hadith:
إن الصدقة لتقع في كف الرحمن قبل أن تقع في كف السائل فيربيها كما يربي أحدكم فلوه أو فصيله , والله يضاعف لمن يشاء
and was wondering if the scholars have attributed the kaf (i.e. palm) as an attribute of Allah? (Do Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Affirm a Palm for Allah?)
On another occasion Zawadi and his cohorts were busy discussing whether Allah actually jogs or runs!
02-15-2009, 12:41 AM
salafees_mainstream_muslims
Salam
We read in Fatawa al-Aqida by ibn Uthaimin, page 112:
وأي مانع يمنع من أن نؤمن بأن الله تعالى يأتي هرولة
“What could forbid us from believing that Allah performs jogging?”
If indeed Allah (swt), why does He do it? To refresh? To warm up? Or, does He just jog needlessly?02-15-2009, 02:24 AM
Abu Alqamah
Salam aleykum
Akhi, the atrribute of Harwalah does not mean jogging?
Rather running, and it is established in the Hadith that of someone comes to Allah walking, Allah will run towards him...
And to similar Hadith of Nuzul, Imam Tirmidhi said that Ahlus Sunnah believe in it without asking How, so what is the difference between Nuzul and Harwalah? ...02-15-2009, 07:34 AM
Bassam Zawadi
Quote:
From the little research I've done, it seems that it is something disagreed upon by scholars of Sunnah. Please do share it, because my heart does not accept the fact that Allah does Hirwalah literally because it clearly appears from the hadeeth that it is something metaphorical.
From the little research i've done http://www.ahlalhdeeth.cc/vbe/showthread.php?t=4275 I thought that there was a consensus...
02-15-2009, 05:34 PM
Bassam Zawadi
Sister, I quoted Al Daarimi in his rebuttal to al Marisi http://www.ahlalhdeeth.cc/vbe/showthread.php?t=4275 He cites a consensus.
I need to see someone from the Salaf not take it literally to relax my mind. (Allah Jogs : need answer)
And:
02-09-2009, 02:05 PM
Bassam Zawadi
Sheikh Al Uthaymeen just simply didn't think that it was degrading or logically impossible for Allah to jog. Some might agree with him, some might think its bad ijtihaad.
So because he saw nothing impossible or degrading about it and saw that the Qur'an nor Sunnah negated it, he said that we can't say that it is impossible for Allah.
Al Uthaymeen said that we affirm it without howness http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/Fatwa/S...Option=FatwaId
Al Daarimi affirmed it in his Radd al Al Marisi
Quote:
وقد أجمعنا واتفقنا على أن الحركة والنزول والمشي والهرولة(2) والاستواء على العرش، وإلى السماء قديم، والرضى والفرح والغضب والحب والمقت كلها أفعال في الذات للذات وهي قديمة Abdul Aziz al Raajhi states:
Quote:
السؤال: هل الهرولة صفة ثابتة لله؟ وهل هي غير صفة المشي؟ أرجو الإيضاح؛ لأني سمعت في إحدى الإذاعات من يثبت صفة المشي وأوَّل صفة الهرولة بالرحمة؟ الجواب: هذه الصفات التي أضيفت إلى الله عز وجل على لفظ الفعل تبقى على حالها، كقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيما يرويه عن ربه: (من أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولة)، فتثبت لله كما يليق بجلال الله وعظمته، ولكن من أثرها أن الله تعالى أسرع بالخير من العبد، وأن العبد إذا زاد في العمل زاد الله له في الثواب، وأن الله لا يقطع الثواب من العبد حتى يقطع العمل. والنووي رحمه الله وجماعة في حديث: (من أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولة)، وفي حديث: (إن الله لا يمل حتى تملوا)، يقولون: إن معناها: أن الله لا يقطع الثواب حتى يقطع العبد العمل، وهذا تأويل؛ لأن هذا من آثار الصفة، والصواب: أن الملل والهرولة صفتان تليقان بالله، ولا يلزم منهما النقص، والله لا يشابه المخلوقين في شيء من صفاته. ومن أثرها أن الله أسرع بالخير من العبد، وأن الله لا يقطع الثواب عن العبد حتى يقطع العبد العمل. This is a detailed discussion on the topic http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29235
I am personally confused and find this difficult to accept. The hadeeth seems very obvious to me that it is not literal, but a figure of speech. That is how the dhaahir appears to me. I won't make up my mind until I research this a little further in the future.
However, the point is that Sheikh Al Uthaymeen and others are not to be condemned for this belief.
Salam (Source)
There you have it folks! This is what concerns Salafi Muslims, whether Allah has a palm or jogs! In light of the fact that Zawadi believes that his god has hands and fingers it only seems logical that he would have palms; otherwise we would have to imagine that Allah’s fingers are either attached to his wrists or are simply floating in air! And since Allah has shins he must also have feet, and if he has feet why shouldn't he be able to jog or run if he so chooses?
And these are the same propagandists who would call into question the logical coherence of the glorious and blessed Trinity as well as the hypostatic union, i.e. that Jesus is one eternal Person with two distinct natures, being fully God and fully human at the same time!
Related articles
http://khalas.wordpress.com/2007/03/02/allah-evidence-of-an-anthropomorphic-deity/
http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/allah_as_man.htm
http://www.answering-islam.org/Shamoun/allahs_selfannihilation.htm
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_allahs_face.htm
http://www.answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/zawadi_islam_irrational.htm
Endnotes
(1) To see just how irrational Islamic teachings truly are notice what Muslims believed concerning the origin of the universe:
Someone might say: If it is as you have described, namely, that God created the earth before the heaven, then what is the meaning of the statement of Ibn ‘Abbas told all of you by Wasil b. ‘Abd al-A‘la al-Asadi – Muhammad b. Fudayl – al-A‘mash – Abu Zabyan – Ibn ‘Abbas: The first thing God created is the Pen. God then said to it: Write!, whereupon the Pen asked: What shall I write, my lord! God replied: Write what is predestined! He continued: And the Pen proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and gong to be to the Coming of the Hour. God then lifted up the water vapor and split the heavens off from it. Then God created THE FISH (nun), AND THE EARTH WAS SPREAD OUT UPON ITS BACK. The fish became agitated, with the result that the earth was shaken up. It was steadied BY MEANS OF THE MOUNTAINS, for they indeed proudly (tower) over the earth.
I was told about the same by Wasil – Waki‘ – al-A‘mash – Abu Zabyan – Ibn ‘Abbas.
According to Ibn al-Muthanna – Ibn Abi ‘Adi – Shu‘bah – Sulayman (al-A‘mash?) – Abu Zabyan – Ibn ‘Abbas: The first (thing) created by God is the Pen. It proceeded to (write) whatever is going to be. (God) then lifted up the water vapor, and the heavens were created from it. Then He created the fish, and the earth was spread out on its back. The fish moved, with the result that the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, for the mountains indeed proudly (tower) over the earth. So he said, and he recited: “Nun. By the Pen and what they write.”
I was told the same by Tamim b. al-Muntasir – Ishaq (b. Yusuf) – Sharik (b. ‘Abdallah al-Nakha‘i) – al-A‘mash – Abu Zabyan or Mujahid – Ibn ‘Abbas, with the exception, however, that he said: And the heavens were split off from it (instead of: were created).
According to Ibn Bashshar – Yahya – Sufyan – Sulayman (al-A‘mash?) – Abu Zabyan – Ibn ‘Abbas: The first (thing) created by God is the Pen. God said: Write!, whereupon the Pen asked: What shall I write? God replied: Write what is predestined! He continued. And (the Pen) proceeded to (write) whatever is predestined and going to be from that day on to the Coming of the Hour. Then God created the fish. He lifted up the water vapor, and heaven was split off from it, and the earth was spread out upon the back of the fish. The fish became agitated, and as a result, the earth was shaken up. It was steadied by means of the mountains, he continued, for they proudly (tower) over the earth.
According to Ibn Humayd – Jarir (b. ‘Abd al-Hamid) – ‘Ata’ b. al-Sa’ib – Abu al-Duha Muslim b. Subayh – Ibn ‘Abbas: The first thing created by God is the Pen. God said to it: Write!, and it wrote whatever is going to be until the Coming of the Hour. Then God created the fish. Then he heaped up the earth upon it.
This reportedly IS A SOUND TRADITION AS TRANSMITTED ON THE AUTHORITY OF IBN ‘ABBAS and on the authority of others in the sense commented upon and explained and does not contradict anything transmitted by us from him on this subject.
Should someone ask: What comment on his authority and that of others proves the soundness of what you have transmitted to us in this sense on his authority? He should be referred to what I have been told by Musa b. Harun al-Hamdani - ‘Abdallah b. Mas‘ud and some (other) companions of the Messenger of God (commenting on): “He is the One Who created for you all that is on earth. Then He stretched out straight toward the heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens.” God’s throne was upon the water. He had not created anything except what He created before the water. When He wanted to create the creation, He brought forth smoke from the water. The smoke rose above the water and hovered loftily over it. He therefore called it “heaven.” Then He dried out the water, and thus made it one earth. He split it AND MADE IT INTO SEVEN EARTHS on Sunday and Monday. He created the earth UPON A (big) FISH (hut), THAT BEING THE FISH (nun) MENTIONED BY GOD IN THE QUR’AN: “Nun. By the Pen.” The fish was in the water. The water was UPON THE BACK OF A (small) ROCK. The rock was UPON THE BACK OF AN ANGEL. The angel was UPON A (big) ROCK. The big rock - THE ONE MENTIONED BY LUQMAN - WAS IN THE WIND, neither in heaven nor on the earth. The fish moved and became agitated. As a result, the earth quacked, whereupon He firmly, anchored the mountains on it, and it was stable. This is stated in God’s word that He made for the earth “firmly anchored (mountains), lest it should shake you up.” (The History of Al-Tabari, Volume 1, pp. 218-220; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Here is a story, which is said to be thoroughly sound and authentic by one of the greatest Muslim expositors and historians, that says that Allah made seven earths, placed the earth upon the back of a fish and uses mountains as anchors to keep the earth from shaking, with the fish being in water, the water being on a rock that is in some wind that is neither in heaven nor on the earth and which is held up by the back of an angel!
For more on the fables and myths of the Quran and Islamic sources we recommend the following articles:
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/whale_nun.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Sources/Legends/index.htm