عَلَىonهَذِهِthisالصُّورَةimageالَّتِيthatتُعَدُّis consideredأَحْسَنُthe bestصُورَةٍimageفِيinالمَخْلُوقَاتِcreatures﴿لَقَدْIndeed,خَلَقْنَاWe createdالإِنْسَانَhumankindفِيinأَحْسَنِthe bestتَقْوِيمٍ﴾form.
On this image, which is considered the best image among creatures, "Indeed, We created humankind in the best form" (Al-Tin: 4);
فَإِضَافَةٌAnd additionاللَّهof Allahالصُّورَةَthe imageإِلَيْهِto Himمِنْfromبَابِthe perspectiveالتَّشْرِيفِ،of honor,كَأَنَّهُas ifعَزَّ وَجَلَّHe, the Exaltedاعْتَنَىtook careبِهَذِهِof thisالصُّورَةِimageوَمِنْAnd thereforeأَجَلٍforذَٰلِكَ؛that;لَاdo notتَضْرِبْstrikeالْوَجْهَ؛the face;فَتَعِيبَهُas it will deformحَسًّا،physically,وَلَاand do notتُقَبِّحْهُmake it ugly,فَتَقُولَ:and say:قُبْحَMay it be uglyاللَّهAllahوَجْهَكَyour faceوَوَجْهَand the faceمَنْof whomأَشْبَهَresemblesوَجْهَكَ؛your face;فَتَعِيبَهُfor it is distortedمَعْنًى؛in quality;فَمَنْbecause it is
And the addition of the image to Him is a matter of honor, as if He, the Exalted, took care of this image; and therefore, do not strike the face, as it will physically deform it, and do not make it ugly, saying: May Allah make your face ugly and the face of anyone who resembles you; for it is the image that Allah formed and attributed to Himself as an honor and a blessing; do not beautify it with a bodily defect or a moral stigma.
فَهَلْSo doesيُعْتَبَرُit countهَذَاthisالْجَوَابُanswerتَحْرِيفًاas distortionأَمْorلَهُis thereنَظِيرٌ؟a counterpart?
So does this answer count as a distortion, or is there a counterpart to it?
نَقُولُ:We say:لَهُThere is a.نَظِيرٌ،counterpart,كَمَاasفِي:in:بَيْتِthe houseاللَّه،of Allah,وَنَاقَةِand the she-camelاللَّه،of Allah,وَعَبْدِand servantاللَّه؛of Allah;لِأَنَّbecauseهَذِهِthisالصُّورَةُimage(أَيْ:(i.e.,صُورَةَthe imageآدَمَof Adamمُنفَصِلَةٌis separateبَايِنَةٌdistinctمِنْfromاللَّه،Allah,وَكُلَّand anythingشَيْءٍthatأَضَافَهُHe addedاللَّهAllahإِلَىtoنَفْسِهِ؛Himself;وَهُوَand it isمُنْفَصِلٌseparateبَايِنٌdistinct from Him;فَهُوَthus it isمِنْofالمَخْلُوقَاتِ؛the creatures;فَحِينَئِذٍThen the confusionيَزُولُis eliminated.
We say: There is a counterpart, as in: the house of Allah, and the she-camel of Allah, and the servant of Allah; because this image (i.e., the image of Adam) is distinct and separate from Allah, and everything that Allah has added to Himself is distinct and separate from Him; thus it is of the creatures; then the confusion is eliminated.
وَلَكِنَButإِذَاifقَالَhe saysقَائِلٌ:speaker:أَيَّمَاWhich isأَسْلَمَsaferالمَعْنَىmeaningالأَوَّلُfirstأَوْorالثَّانِي؟second?
But if a speaker says: Which meaning is safer, the first or the second?
قُلْنَا:We say:المَعْنَىthe meaningالأَوَّلُthe firstأَسْلَمَis saferمَاas long asدُمْنَاwe findنَجِدُwe findأَنَّthatلَظَاهِرِthe apparentاللَّفْظِmeaningمَسَاغًmake roomفِيinاللُّغَةِthe languageالْعَرَبِيَّةِArabic;وَإِمْكَانًand the possibilityفِيinالْعَقْلِ؛the mind;فَالْوَاجِبُit is obligatoryحَمْلُto carryالْكَلَامِthe statementعَلَيْهِ،on it,وَنَحْنُand weوَجَدْنَاhave foundأَنَّthatالصُّورَةَthe imageلَاdoes notيَلْزَمُnecessitateمِنْهَاfrom it,مُمَاثَلَةًsimilarityالصُّورَةَthe imageالأُخْرَى،the other;وَحِينَئِذٍand thenيَكُونُit isالأَسْلَمَsaferأَنْtoنَحْمِلَهُcarry itعَلَىonظَاهِرِهِ.its apparent meaning.
We say: The first meaning is safer as long as we find that there is room in the apparent meaning in the Arabic language and a possibility in the mind; it is obligatory to carry the statement on it, and we found that the image does not necessitate similarity to the other image; and then it is safer to take it in its apparent meaning.
فَإِذَاSo ifقُلْتَ:you say:مَاWhat isهِيَitالصُّورَةُthe imageالَّتِيthatتَكُونُisلِلَّهِfor Allahوَكُونَand Adam isعَلَيْهَا؟on it?
So if you say: What is the image that is for Allah and Adam is on it?
قُلْنَا:We say:إِنَّIndeed,اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّAllah, the Exaltedلَهُhasوَجْهٌa faceوَلَهُand hasعَيْنٌan eyeوَلَهُand hasيَدٌa handوَلَهُand hasرِجْلٌa footعَزَّ وَجَلَّ،the Exalted,لَكِنَّbutلَاnotيَلْزَمُnecessitateمِنْto beأَنْthatتَكُونَtheseهَذِهِtheseالأَشْيَاءُthingsمُمَاثِلَةًsimilarلِلْإِنْسَانِ؛to the human;فَهُنَاكَthere isشَيْءٌsomethingمِنْofالشَّبَهِ،similarity,لَكِنَّهُbut it is notلَيْسَon the basis ofسَبِيلٍthe manner;مُمَاثَلَةٍ؛similarity;
We say: Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, has a face, and has an eye, and has a hand, and has a foot, the Exalted; but it does not necessitate that these things are similar to humans; there is a certain similarity, but it is not by manner of similarity;