Meaning of 'Allaah created Aadam in his image'

3-1-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

In the light of the Hadeeth that confirms the creation of man in Allaah's image, please contrast this for us with the Christian version of man being made in God's image while noting that "Laysa Ka Mithlihi Shay'un Wa Huwa s-Samee'u al-Baseer" in Surah As-Shooraa, and "Walam Yakun llahu Kufuwan Ahad" in Surah al-Ikhlaas.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

It is confirmed that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "If anyone of you fights with his brother, he should avoid hitting the face as Allaah created Aadam may Allaah exalt his mention [with His Own Hands] in his image [in the image of this man]." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Most of the interpreters of the Quran, interpreted the pronoun 'his' to refer to the person that is hit, that is to say that Allaah created Aadam may Allaah exalt his mention in the image of this man who is beaten. Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said: 'The scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them differed in relation to whom the pronoun 'his' refers; the majority of them are of the view that it refers to the person that is hit.'  Al-Mazri may Allaah have mercy upon him said: 'This narration with the above wording is confirmed, but some narrators added the expression "Created Aadam in His Image", this addition in not sound according to the scholars specialized in prophetic narrations.'

The scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them interpreted the above narration that Allaah created Aadam may Allaah exalt his mention as able to hear, to see and to speak-if Allaah so willed, and this description applies to Allaah, the All-Hearer, All-Seer and Speaks when He so wishes, and that Allaah has a Face. The meaning is not likening and comparing, because Allaah's Image is not like the image of His Creation. What the narration meant is that He is the All-Hearer, All-Seer, and Speaks when He so wishes. Likewise, Allaah created Aadam may Allaah exalt his mention able to hear, to see, has a face, hands and feet, however, Allaah's Hearing is not like Aadam's hearing, and Allaah Sight is not like Aadam's sight, and Allaah's Speech is not like Aadam's speech. Indeed Allaah has Names and Attributes that befit His Majesty, and a human being has his characteristic and features that befit him, but his features are subject to decay and deficiency whereas Allaah's Names and Attributes are Perfect and are not subject to destruction, disappearance or decay.

Any way, it is an obligation to believe that there is nothing like Allaah and He is The Samee' (The All-Hearer) and The Baseer (The All-Seer) and that if the Christians compare Allaah to His Creation as you mentioned in the question, then this is indeed one of their acts of disbelief.

Allaah Knows best.

www.islamweb.net