Question
I read your response and feel that it is very plausible. I only need a clarification on one more thing, which really strikes at the heart of my original question.
You write:
Suppose a person came across the information that ‘God created man in His own image’ and erroneously interprets this information as ‘God created man in His own physical image’.
I comprehend what you are saying here but the sentence “God created man in His OWN image,” leaves little room for metaphorical meaning. The Bible uses the same sentence when describing the creation of mankind, but this very sentence is the very cause of confusion in Christian theology of God’s physical nature.
Here are two Biblical quotes:
(KJV) Genesis 1:26 – Then 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 birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
(KJV) Genesis 1:27 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
It seems to me that you are correct that the first part of the Hadith is correct and the latter is an insertion, but I have less faith in those who have inserted it because it looks as if it were peeled from the pages of the Bible and pasted onto this Hadith.
You then write:
If the two parts are not related to each other – that is the latter is not made the reason for the former – and both are taken independently, then both these parts become quite understandable and acceptable.
I have a problem with the second part being “understandable and acceptable.” There is not anywhere, that I know of (and my knowledge is very limited) in the Qur’an that remotely resembles this sort of metaphorical usage. Plus, if one were to use common sense the Hadith without the “reason” makes complete sense. I’m just worried that some of us may fall into the misconception of God having a physical being or that we represent that “physical-ness” in any kind of way. Even you support the idea that someone may unintentionally mistake the meaning of “…in his own image,” by stating:
Suppose a person came across the information that ‘God created man in His own image’ and erroneously interprets this information as ‘God created man in His own physical image’.
Am I incorrect in my understanding? I know may seem cynical but I just want a truthful understanding.
Sincerely
Answer
If one feels that the content of a particular narrative is not understandable, or is against the spirit of the message given in the Qur’an and finds it difficult to agree with any propounded explanation given for that narrative, then one would be justified in being skeptical about the accuracy of ascription of that narrative to the Prophet (pbuh).
Even though, in my opinion, the phrase ‘God’s image’ relates to man’s moral and spiritual being1and, therefore, is quite acceptable, yet I do acknowledge that there can be a difference of opinion in this regard.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Moiz Amjad
June 1, 2002
- This opinion is also given in the Geneva Bible Notes, which writes:
God commanded the water and the earth to bring forth other creatures: but of man he says, “Let us make…” signifying that God takes counsel with his wisdom and virtue purposing to make an excellent work above all the rest of his creation. (t) This image and likeness of God in man is expounded in Eph 4:24 where it is written that man was created after God in righteousness and true holiness meaning by these two words, all perfection, as wisdom, truth, innocency, power, etc.
Adam Clarke, in his commentary writes:
… what is here said refers to his soul. This was made in the image and likeness of God.
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary, John Wesley’s Notes on the Old and the New Testament, Matthew Henry’s Commentary have also expressed closely related views. [↩]