A prophet says: Allah created Adam in His own image.

A prophet says: Allah created Adam in His own image

They said: you disprove Incarnation but do not deny your prophet’s speech that Allah created Adam in His own image.

And then they mention what is confirmed in Muslim Correct, the book of (The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship) chapter (Prohibiting Slapping the Face) number 4731
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira and in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ibn Hatim Allah's Apostle (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
When any one of you fights with his brother, he should avoid his face for Allah created Adam in His own image.

Dispelling the Misconception:

First :

The Hadith that they use as a reason for questioning is in no way relevant to their purpose; because on the other hand , they are not aware of, it proves he is merciful (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him), and kindhearted, in this way when they fight each other the Prophet is their trustworthy advisor ; it is clear from his (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) speech : “if one of you fought his brother try to avoid his face” .

Alnawawy (Allah grant mercy upon his soul ) in his explanation to Muslim Correct said : his speech (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) : “when one of you fought his brother try to avoid ” .

And in a narration: “ When one amongst you strikes (at the face)” in a narration : (do not slap the face) and in a narration: “when one of you fought his brother try to avoid his face, because Allah created Adam in His own image” .
The experts say : This is declaration of avoiding slapping the face; because it is gentle and includes all the beauties, the organs are precious and gentle, most of the feeling are through it; hitting the face may destroy them, may detract them, or may disfigure them, deforming it is shameless; and because it is outstanding and visible can’t be hidden, and whenever beaten it is not safe from being disfigured in most of the cases, and it is included within the prohibition when one beats his wife, his child or his slave a disciplinary punishment he must avoid the face.
From the widespread proverbs among us in Egypt, a proverb is: ( slapping the face is not forgivable) and this is how the people accustomed in the course of time…

Second :

After the greatness of this merciful prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) is demonstrated - by virtue of Allah the Almighty- in the first part of the reply; their obvious misunderstanding is left, their denying his speech : “Allah created Adam according to His image”.

I said: this happened to them, because they are unaware of our believes , we believe that there is nothing like to Allah, Allah the Almighty says about Himself: (There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing) . Al Shura 11

We do not compare, frustrate, pretend, and do not interpret, but if interpreting is necessary we do and it is better to not .

Al Nawawi (God bless his soul) said in his explanation to Muslim Correct: This is from hadiths about qualities, and the hadith's concern was previously declared clearly in details in the book of (Faith), and some experts refrain from interpreting it, and say: we believe in that it is true, and the expression's appearance is not what intended, and it has a worthy meaning , and this is the belief of ascendants community, it is safer and confine. And some others interpret it in a way that is appropriate with glorifying Allah the Almighty, and there is nothing like unto Him.

And he (Allah grant mercy upon his soul ) said : his speech (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) : “for Allah created Adam in His own image” .
A group said: the pronoun in (his image) refers to the (slapped brother) , and this is the appearance of Muslim’s narration, a group said: it refers to Adam, and it is weak, and a group said: it refers to Allah the Almighty, and what is intended is adding an honor and characteristic like in His speech : (This is the she-camel of Allah) Al Shams 13. As it is used to call Al Kaaba Mecca : House of Allah and the other counterpart Houses. Allah Almighty knows the best

During my research I found a perfect speech by Sheikh Ibn Uthaiman (Allah grant mercy upon his soul ), he was asked about the meaning of Prophet’s (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) speech that : “Allah created Adam in His own image” ?

He replied:

This hadith, I mean Prophet’s (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) speech : “Allah created Adam in His own image”, is confirmed in Sahih (Corrects), it is known that the expression's appearance is not what intended and all the Muslims the wise heads confirm this; cause Allah the Almighty His Seat (Kursi) extends over the heavens and the earth , all the heavens and the earth are like a ring thrown in to desert land if compared to a position of feet in the Seat, and the greatness of His Throne if compared to Seat (Kursi) is like the greatness of the desert land if compared to the ring , so what do you think of Allah the Lord of the worlds ? no one can comprehend this neither through describing nor imagination, and from this quality of His, He can not be like Adam’s appearance sixty cubits, but it has possibly two meanings:

First :
Allah created Adam in an image He chose, and added it to the Almighty Himself for the purpose of honoring and respecting.

Second:
What is intended from “Allah created Adam in His own image” is the sentence only , and just being in His image does not necessarily mean likeness and the evidence is his (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) speech: “The (members) of the first group to get into Paradise would have their faces as bright as full moon during the night, and the next to this group would have their faces as bright as the shining star in the sky” it does not mean they look full moon exactly; because the moon is bigger than the people of Paradise, while they enter the Paradise their length is sixty cubits, so they are not like the moon.

It is understood from what mentioned : his (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) : “Allah created Adam in His own image”. Means : an image of the images Allah the Almighty created and formed ;
Allah the Almighty says: “And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"” Al Ahraf(11), the one who was formed was Adam ; so Adam in Allah the Almighty’s image I mean: Allah the Almighty created Adam in this image that He the Almighty liked, and it is regarded as the best image of the creatures; Allah the Almighty says: “We have certainly created man in the best of stature;” Altin (4), Allah the Almighty added the image for the sake of honoring, Allah the Almighty cared about this image, and because of this and other reasons slapping at the face which is a harmful feeling is prohibited, and cursing (make ugly) it is prevented like saying: Allah make your face ugly, so finding fault within a face which is the same as your face means criticizing your own……

In brief:
Allah the Almighty has face, eye, leg, laughs and becomes happy…. But this does not mean those qualities are like what human being has, there is a some likeness but not exactly, like the first group of Paradise are like the moon but not all the same, and this is the faith of Sunnis and the community……

Third:
If said:
There is another narration tells: do not curse (uglify) face; because Adam is created in the image of Allah the Most Merciful .
I said:
This narration is weak; Al Albany (Allah grant mercy upon his soul ) stated it as a weak hadith in the book (Weak and Fabricated Series) numbered 1176, and more than one researcher.



Fourth:
In fact, the Muslims disprove Incarnation alleged by objectors, Muslims also disprove that Allah excretes, he is beaten, he is humiliated, and he sleeps …..

And they again disprove that Allah is a lamp with seven horns, even if it is for simile ; it is stated in two locations:
First:
In the Book of Apocalypse (Revelation of Christ to John) chapter 5 number 6:
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

2- In the Book of Apocalypse (Revelation of Christ to John) chapter 17 number 14:

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

And the Muslims disprove that Allah is similar to a drunk person shouts aloud because of being heavily drunk , and this is in the Book of The Book of Psalms Chapter 75 number 65:
Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

And they disprove that Allah is like a worm, and this is in the Book of Hosea (5/12)
Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

And they disprove Allah being compared to a bear by objectors, and this is in the book of Lamentations (3/10):
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

And they disprove that Allah is smoker , smoke comes out from His nose, this is written is the Book of chapter 22 number 8-9:
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. 9 . There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it…..
And they disprove……..

Fifth:

The Old Testament mentions that Allah the Almighty created human being in His own image; it is written in the Book of Genesis chapter 1 number 26-27 , Allah said: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

I say: The Jews did not understand those texts like the objectors did, they understood that Allah is like human being or Allah embodied in a human….
The Jews think that the (objectors) are pagans, if they understood in the same way they understood , they would hold the belief of the divinity of Christ, and they did not try killing him… those texts are like the speech of our prophet (Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him) , and the meaning is that Allah the Almighty created human in the image He liked, and gave it some qualities that He liked for Himself without likeness and similarity; we confirm that the image is from Allah, and the image does not mean only the face, we do not interpret , do not frustrate, and do not compare….

An example of this: Allah the Almighty hears so does the human; but Allah hearing is not like human hearing; Allah the Almighty hears the black ant creeping over a silent deaf rock at the dark night, Glory to Allah! Hearing a sound is not taking His attention from hearing another thing, There is nothing like unto Him