Bismihi Ta’ala (In the name of the Most High) Assalam o alaikum …
This is a beginning to the topic on tawhid , and since some readers had insisted, I have taken the initiative to begin it.
The Shias believe that God has no shape, no physical hand, no physical leg, no physical body, and no visible appearance. He does not change along with the time, or does not occupy any physical place. Under no circumstances, God changes. There comes no time frame upon him. He has created time, and physical places. To read in detailed account on how the Shia view tawhid, pursue
A Shi’ite Anthology, S.M Husayn Tabatabai , Muhammadi Trustwww.al-islam.org/anthology
However, there are quite a few traditions in the Sahih of Bukhari and Muslim in which is said that God has such attributes. The following works have been consulted
The translation of the meaning of Sahih al-Bukhari , Arabic-English, Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan Islamic University, Medina al-Munawwara, Kaze Publications.
1529 North Wells Street, Chicago IL 60610 (USA)
Sahih Muslim , Rendered into English by, Abdul Hamid Siddiqui , Printed at Hafeez Press,
***1 - Does God have finger (s)? ***
In the first and the fourth Hadith, the prophet smiles and confirms this (from Ahlal Sunna sources). In the second and the third, the prophet only smiles, which is known as confirmation of the prophet toward a subject.
For your information, all of these traditions are declared as “Israelites” (which are entered by Jews in Islamic theology) and rejected for one simple reason: They dis-agree with the Qur’an.
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.510:Narrated 'Abdullah:
A Jew came to the Prophet and said, “O Muhammad! Allah will hold the heavens on a finger , and the mountains on a finger , and the trees on a finger , and all the creation on a finger and then He will say, ‘I am the King.’” On that Allah’s Apostle smiled till his premolar teeth became visible, and then recited: 'No just estimate have they made of Allah such as due to him…(39.67) 'Abdullah added: Allah’s Apostle smiled (at the Jew’s statement) expressing his wonder and believe in what was said.
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.511:Narrated 'Abdullah:
A man from the people of the scripture came to the Prophet and said, “O Abul-Qasim! Allah will hold the Heavens upon a finger , and the Earth on a finger and the land on a finger , and all the creation on a finger , and will say, ‘I am the King! I am the King!’” I saw the Prophet (after hearing that), smiling till his premolar teeth became visible, and he then recited: – 'No just estimate have they made of Allah such as due to him… (39.67)
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.543:Narrated 'Abdullah:
A Jewish Rabbi came to Allah’s Apostle and said, "O Muhammad! Allah will put the Heavens on one finger and the earth on one finger , and the trees and the rivers on one finger , and the rest of the creation on one finger , and then will say, pointing out with His Hand, ‘I am the King.’ "On that Allah’s Apostle smiled and said, "No just estimate have they made of Allah such as due to Him. (39.67)
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.604:Narrated 'Abdullah:
A priest from the Jews came (to the Prophet) and said, “On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will place all the heavens on one finger, and the Earth on one finger , and the waters and the land on one finger , and all the creation on one finger , and then He will shake them and say. ‘I am the King! I am the King!’” I saw the Prophet smiling till his premolar teeth became visible expressing his amazement and his belief in what he had said. Then the Prophet recited: ‘No just estimate have they made of Allah such as due to Him (up to)…; High is He above the partners they attribute to Him.’ (39.67)
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.532A: also to be found in Sahih Muslim , Chapter LXXXI , pp 115-119, #349 , 350 #351 , #352 , #353 , #354 , and p1533, #7078 .Narrated ‘Ata’ Ibn Yazid al-Laithi:
On the authority of Abu Huraira: The people said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” The Prophet said, “Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on a full moon night?” They said, “No, O Allah’s Apostle.” He said, “Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun when there are no clouds?” They said, “No, O Allah’s Apostle.” He said, "So you will see Him, like that. Allah will gather all the people on the Day of Resurrection, and say, ‘Whoever worshipped something (in the world) should follow (that thing),’ so, whoever worshipped the sun will follow the sun, and whoever worshipped the moon will follow the moon, and whoever used to worship certain (other false) deities, he will follow those deities. And there will remain only this nation with its good people (or its hypocrites). (The sub-narrator, Ibrahim is in doubt.) Allah will come to them and say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will (deny Him and) say, ‘We will stay here till our Lord comes, for when our Lord comes, we will recognize Him.’ So Allah will come to them in His appearance which they know, and will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘You are ourLord,’ so they will follow Him.
Then a bridge will be laid across Hell (Fire)’ I and my followers will be the first ones to go across it and none will speak on that Day except the Apostles. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day will be, ‘O Allah, save! Save!’ In Hell (or over The Bridge) there will be hooks like the thorns of al-Sa’dan (thorny plant). Have you seen al-Sa’dan?" They replied, “Yes, O Allah’s Apostle!” He said, "So those hooks look like the thorns of al-Sa’dan, but none knows how big they are except Allah. Those hooks will snap the people away according to their deeds. Some of the people will stay in Hell (be destroyed) because of their (evil) deeds, and some will be cut or torn by the hooks (and fall into Hell) and some will be punished and then relieved. When Allah has finished His Judgments among the people, He will take whomever He will out of Hell through His Mercy. He will then order the angels to take out of the Fire all those who used to worship none but Allah from among those whom Allah wanted to be merciful to and those who testified (in the world) that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah. The angels will recognize them in the Fire by the marks of prostration (on their foreheads), for the Fire will eat up all the human body except the mark caused by prostration as Allah has forbidden the Fire to eat the mark of prostration. They will come out of the (Hell) Fire, completely burnt and then the water of life will be poured over them and they will grow under it as does a seed that comes in the mud of the torrent.
Then Allah will finish the judgments among the people, and there will remain one man facing the (Hell) Fire and he will be the last person among the people of Hell to enter Paradise. He will say, ‘O my Lord! Please turn my face away from the fire because its air has hurt me and its severe heat has burnt me.’ So he will invoke Allah in the way Allah will wish him to invoke, and then Allah will say to him, ‘If I grant you that, will you then ask for anything else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your Power, (Honor) I will not ask You for anything else.’ He will give his Lord whatever promises and covenants Allah will demand.
So Allah will turn his face away from Hell (Fire). When he will face Paradise and will see it, he will remain quiet for as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, then he will say, ‘O my Lord! Bring me near to the gate of Paradise.’ Allah will say to him, ‘Didn’t you give your promises and covenants that you would never ask for anything more than what you had been given? Woe on you, O Adam’s son! How treacherous you are!’ He will say, ‘O my lord,’ and will keep on invoking Allah till He says to him, ‘If I give what you are asking, will you then ask for anything else?’ He will reply, ‘No, by Your (Honor) Power, I will not ask for anything else.’
Then he will give covenants and promises to Allah and then Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise. When he stands at the gate of Paradise, Paradise will be opened and spread before him, and he will see its splendor and pleasures whereupon he will remain quiet as long as Allah will wish him to remain quiet, and then he will say, O my
The man will say, ‘O my Lord! Do not make me the most miserable of Your creation,’ and he will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will laugh because of his sayings, and when Allah will laugh because of him, He will say to him, ‘Enter Paradise,’ and when he will enter it, Allah will say to him, ‘Wish for anything.’ So he will ask his Lord, and he will wish for a great number of things, for Allah Himself will remind him to wish for certain things by saying, ‘(Wish for) so-and-so.’ When there is nothing more to wish for, Allah will say, 'This is for you, and its equal (is for you) as well."
‘Ata’ Ibn Yazid added: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri who was present with Abu Huraira, did not deny whatever the latter said , but when Abu Huraira said that Allah had said, “That is for you and its equal as well,” Abu Sa’id al-Khudri said, “And ten times as much, O Abu Huraira!” Abu Huraira said, “I do not remember, except his saying, ‘That is for you and its equal as well.’” Abu Sa’id al-Khudri then said, "I testify that I remember the Prophet saying, ‘That is for you, and ten times as much.’ Abu Huraira then added, “That man will be the last person of the people of Paradise to enter Paradise.”
In the following Hadith which is very similar to that of mentioned above, God has a special sign on his leg (or shin). Would you please tell us when you have observed such sign, what is this sign and how it can observe this sign such that they may know their lord too?
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.532s:Narrated Abu Sa’id al-Khudri:
We said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?” He said, “Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon when the sky is clear?” We said, “No.” He said, “So you will have no difficulty in seeing your Lord on that Day as you have no difficulty in seeing the sun and the moon (in a clear sky).” The Prophet then said, "Somebody will then announce, ‘Let every nation follow what they used to worship.’ So the companions of the cross will go with their cross, and the idolaters (will go) with their idols, and the companions of every god (false deities) (will go) with their god, till there remain those who used to worship Allah, both the obedient ones and the mischievous ones, and some of the people of the Scripture. Then Hell will be presented to them as if it were a mirage. Then it will be said to the Jews, "What did you use to worship?’ They will reply, ‘We used to worship Ezra, the son of Allah.’ It will be said to them, ‘You are liars, for Allah has neither a wife nor a son. What do you want (now)?’ They will reply, ‘We want You to provide us with water.’ Then it will be said to them ‘Drink,’ and they will fall
They will reply, ‘We used to worship Messiah, the son of Allah.’ It will be said, ‘You are liars, for Allah has neither a wife nor a son. What: do you want (now)?’ They will say, ‘We want You to provide us with water.’ It will be said to them, ‘Drink,’ and they will fall down in Hell (instead). When there remain only those who used to worship Allah (Alone), both the obedient ones and the mischievous ones, it will be said to them, ‘What keeps you here when all the people have gone?’ They will say, ‘We parted with them (in the world) when we were in greater need of them than we are today, we heard the call of one proclaiming, ‘Let every nation follow what they used to worship,’ and now we are waiting for our Lord.’ Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are not our Lord.’ And none will speak: to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, ‘Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?’ They will say. ‘The Shin,’ and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood (and they will not be able to prostrate). Then the bridge will be laid across Hell." We, the companions of the Prophet said, "O Allah’s Apostle! What is the bridge?’
He said, “It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and (Hooks like) a thorny seed that is wide at one side and narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found in Najd and is called al-Sa’dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell (Fire). The last person will cross by being dragged (over the bridge).” The Prophet said, "You (Muslims) cannot be more pressing in claiming from me a right that has been clearly proved to be yours than the believers in interceding with Almighty for their (Muslim) brothers on that Day, when they see themselves safe.
They will say, ‘O Allah! (Save) our brothers (for they) used to pray with us, fast with us and also do good deeds with us.’ Allah will say, ‘Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of one (gold) Dinar.’ Allah will forbid the Fire to burn the faces of those sinners. They will go to them and find some of them in Hell (Fire) up to their feet, and some up to the middle of their legs. So they will take out those whom they will recognize and then they will return, and Allah will say (to them), ‘Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of one half Dinar.’ They will take out whomever they will recognize and return, and then Allah will say, 'Go and take out (of Hell) anyone in whose heart you find faith equal to the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant), and so they will take out all those whom they will recognize." Abu Sa’id said: If you do not believe me then read the Holy Verse: * ‘Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant) but if there is any good (done) He doubles it.’ (4.40)* The Prophet added, "Then the prophets and Angels and the believers will intercede, and (last of all) the Almighty (Allah) will say, 'Now remains My Intercession. He will then hold a handful of the Fire from which He will take out some people whose bodies have been burnt, and they will be thrown into a river at the entrance of Paradise, called the water of life.
They will grow on its banks, as a seed carried by the torrent grows. You have noticed how it grows beside a rock or beside a tree, and how the side facing the sun is usually green while the side facing the shade is white. Those people will come out (of the River of Life) like pearls, and they will have (golden) necklaces, and then they will enter Paradise whereupon the people of Paradise will say, ‘These are the people emancipated by the Beneficent. He has admitted them into Paradise without them having done any good deeds and without sending forth any good (for themselves).’ Then it will be said to them, ‘For you is what you have seen and its equivalent as well.’"
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.529:Narrated Jarir:
We were sitting with the Prophet and he looked at the moon on the night of the full-moon and said, “You people will see your Lord as you see this full moon, and you will have no trouble in seeing Him, so if you can avoid missing (through sleep or business, etc.) a prayer before sunrise (Fajr) and a prayer before sunset (Asr) you must do
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.530:Narrated Jarir Ibn 'Abdullah:
Sahih al Bukhari , 9.531:Narrated Jarir:
insha 'Allah will continue the discussion as time permits.
Ali Abbaswww.al-islam.org/encyclopedia
[This message has been edited by AliAbbas (edited May 25, 1999).]