Face, Hand, Eye, Shin, and Foot in the Sources
The source language is real and should not be hidden: the Qur'an speaks of God's face, hands, and eye or watch; Qur'an 68:42 uses a 'shin laid bare' expression; hadith reports speak of God's shin and foot and say that both hands are right hands. But occurrence of a word does not by itself decide whether it denotes an eternal attribute, an idiom, divine action, power or favor, or a bodily organ. Grammar and context also matter: a singular term in one scene is not an inventory of how many parts God has.
Why it matters
The apologetic issue begins only after accurate citation. Both denial that the texts exist and conversion of them into a composite creature bypass the actual metaphysical disagreement.
Perspective note
This is a Christian apologetics study of Islamic claims about God. Qur'anic and hadith wording, Muslim interpretations, and Christian evaluations are kept distinct so that a critique does not substitute a caricature for the position being evaluated.
Key points
- Face: Qur'an 55:27 and 28:88 use wajh in relation to God.
- Hands: Qur'an 5:64 and 38:75 use dual forms; Sunan an-Nasa'i 5379 says both hands are right hands.
- Eye: Qur'an 20:39 says Moses was reared under God's eye or watch; Sahih Muslim 2933a says the one-eyed Dajjal is unlike the Lord.
- Shin and foot: Qur'an 68:42, Sahih al-Bukhari 4919, and Sahih al-Bukhari 4848 are distinct texts and contexts.
- None of these passages describes genitals or assembles the terms into a humanoid body.
Primary sources
Read Qur'an 55:27 in Pickthall's translation:
This follows a statement about the passing away of those on earth. The translated attribute word does not establish a humanoid face or a complete bodily inventory.
There remaineth but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory.
Passage context and translation
This follows a statement about the passing away of those on earth. The translated attribute word does not establish a humanoid face or a complete bodily inventory.
After the excerpt
Which is it, of the