A very important concept regarding Islamic Creed

There are only two things which we see around us: borders and colours. There is nothing else that we observe from eyes. Yes, you can feel, smell, hear or taste other attributes of objects around you, but what we observe through our sight is only this, borders and colours. Now, if we ponder, we can realize that colours are secondary to borders. The reason is that they fall within borders. So, we can see that primarily whatever we see around is nothing, but, borders. Or put it another way, we observe limits in everything we see around ourselves. Everything we see has a physical limit. This is true for all creation. Now, The Holy Qur’an says:

“Absolutely nothing resembles Him, and He is All-Seeing, All-Hearing.” (Surah Ash-Shoora)

From The Book of Allah Almighty we know that Allah Almighty does not resemble anything. He does not resemble the creation. And this Non-Resemblance is not merely as in a way creations are different from each other. It is an Absolute Non-Resemblance to the creation. Let me try to explain this…

We know that we, humans, have feet. We also know that animals have feet. Similarly, if you have watched “Tom and Jerry”, you know that both Tom and Jerry have hands and feet, they walk, eat and make fun like us humans. Obviously, they are only imaginary creations, and do not exist. But, the point that I want to make here is that saying “hand unlike our hand” does not mean that it is absolute non-resemblance, if you mean by hand “a physical limb”.

After knowing this, it is easy for you to understand the reason of deeming it Haraam by Islamic scholars the saying “hand unlike the hand of creation” for ALLAH Almighty. This is because it gives an idea that “Yad” of God is a physical limb. Nauzoo BIllah! So, instead we say “Yad unlike the yad of creation”. And for the very same reason, the eminent scholars of Ummah, including Imam Abu Hanifah (RahimahULLAH), forbade to translate the word “Yad” in Arabic to “hand” in Persian (or English). This is because all the plausible meanings of “Yad” in Arabic are not the same as that for “hand” in English. We affirm “Yad of ALLAH Almighty”, and believe that ALLAH Almighty is free from having limbs, corners, and limits. Reason. Let us come back to where we began. We know from Qur’an al Kareem that Allah Almighty does not resemble anything and we also established that limits and borders are attributes of creation; therefore ALLAH Almighty is not the One Who has limbs, or corners, borders, or limits. Anything, which has a limit, is specified, and that which is specified is a creation. Therefore, it is impossible that these are attributes of the Creator, He is free of them. Allah Almighty is free from any kind of resemblance to the creation. Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala!