ALLAH EXTENDS A HAND: ISLAM’S BLACK STONE IDOL
According to Islamic, the black stone is supposed to be Allah’s right hand which he permits his followers to touch and kiss:
“… When we reached Rukn Aswad (the Black Stone) he said, “O Abu Muhammad, “What (command) has reached you regarding this Black Stone?’ Ata’ said: Abu Huraira related to me that he heard Allah’s Messenger saying, “He who touches it, in fact touches THE HAND OF THE MERCIFUL (Allah).’…”
Grade: Da’if (Darussalam) (Sunan Ibn-I-Majah (Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Yazid Ibn-I-Maja Al-Qazwini), English version by Muhammad Tufail Ansari [Kazi Publications, Lahore (Pakistan), 1st edition 1995], Volume IV, Chapter NO. XXXII: Excellence of Tawaf (Circumambulation), Hadith Number 2957, p. 252: https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:2957; capital emphasis mine)
Sufi scholar Gibril F. Haddad notes:
“The Black Stone is the right hand of Allah Most High.” Ibn Qutayba in Ta’ wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith (1972 ed. p. 215=1995 ed. p. 198, 262) said that it was a saying of Ibn ‘Abbas and relates a saying of ‘A’isha that the Black Stone is the depository of the covenant of human souls with Allah on the Day of Promise (alastu bi rabbikum). He interprets the Black Stone as representing the place where one declares one’s pledge of fidelity to the Sovereign. Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (1959 ed. 3:463 #1520) cites al-Khattabi’s and al-Muhibb al-Tabari’s similar interpretations. Al-Qurtubi said in al-Asna fi Sharh Asma’ Allah al-Husna (2:90-91): “It means that the Black Stone has the standing (manzila) of the Right Hand of Allah. metaphorically speaking.” (Problematic hadiths and various questions: source)
And:
“… Ibn Furak said that he embarked on the study of kalam because of the hadith reported from the Prophet: ‘The Black Stone is Allah’s right hand’48 which a mutakallim explained to his satisfaction in contrast to the fuqaha’.”
48 Narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, Jabir, Anas, and others by Ibn Abi ‘Umar al-Ma’dani in his Musnad, al-Tabarani, al-Suyuti in his Jami’ al-Saghir (1:516 #3804-3805), Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (15:90-92), and others. It is considered da’if (weak) by Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn ‘Adi, and Albani, while others considered it forged. Cf. Al-Ahdab, Zawa’id Tarikh Baghdad (5:321-323 #949). However, al-‘Ajluni in his Kashf al-Khafa’ stated that it is sahih as a halted report from ‘Ibn Abbas as narrated by al-Quda’i in the wording: “The Corner [of the Black Stone] (al-rukn) is Allah’s right Hand on earth…,” and declared it hasan as a hadith of the Prophet. Its mention in the Reliance of the Traveller (p. 835b) as “narrated by al-Hakim, who declared it sahih, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr,” is incorrect. (Islamic Doctrines & Beliefs: Allah’s Names and Attributes (Al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat), Excerpts, Al-Bayhaqi [As-Sunna Foundation of America, Damascus 1998], translation and notes by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad, Volume 4, p. 27; bold emphasis mine)
“As for the saying reported from the Prophet: ‘The Black Stone is Allah’s right hand,’202 if established as true, then it is interpreted figuratively according to the doctrinal necessity that Allah is neither spatially confined anywhere nor divisible, and the fact that the senses witness that the Black Stone is not really the right hand of Allah. Therefore, the hadith is taken variously to mean prosperity, blessing, acceptance, and the context of the Muslims pledge of loyalty to their Creator. Yet Ibn Rajah relates that Ibn al-Fa’us al-Hanbali (d. 521) would say: “The Black Stone is Allah’s Right Hand in reality (haqiqatan),’ for which he was nicknamed ‘The Stony’ (al-Hajari).203 Ibn Furak writes that he embarked on a study of kalam because of this hadith.204 Ibn Qutayba said that it was actually a saying of Ibn ‘Abbas, and he relates a saying of ‘A’isha that the Black Stone is the depository of the covenant of human souls with Allah on the Day of Promise (alastu bi rabbikum).205 Ibn Hajar cites al-Khattabi’s and al-Muhibb al-Tabari’s interpretations of the Black Stone as representing the place where one declares one’s pledge of fidelity to the Sovereign.206
202 Narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas, Jabir, Anas, and others by Ibn Abi ‘Umar al-Ma’dani in his Musnad, al-Tabarani, al-Suyuti in his Jami’ al-Saghir (1:516 #3804-3805), Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (15:90-92), and others. It is considered da’if (weak) by Ibn al-Jawzi, Ibn ‘Adi, and Albani, while others considered it forged. Cf. Al-Ahdab, Zawa’id Tarikh Baghdad (5:321-323 #949). However, al-‘Ajluni stated that it is sahih as a halted report from ‘Ibn Abbas as narrated by al-Quda’i in the wording: “The Corner [of the Black Stone] (al-rukn) is Allah’s right Hand on earth…,” and declared it hasan as a hadith of the Prophet. Its mention in the Reliance of the Traveller (p. 835b) as “narrated by al-Hakim, who declared it sahih, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr,” is incorrect. (Ibid., p. 83; bold emphasis mine)
Seeing that Allah’s very own hand can materialize in creation as an actual physical stone this silences any claim on the part of Muslims that God could not or would not become a man. After all, if Allah’s limb can become a stone without this diminishing his deity then there is no logical objection to the true God becoming a physical human being while still retaining all of his essential divine attributes.(1)
As God’s only inspired Scriptures testifies in regards to the Lord Jesus:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn[ab] over all creation,[ac] for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions,[ad] whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together[ae] in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn[af] from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.[ag] For God[ah] was pleased to have all his[ai] fullness dwell[aj] in the Son[ak] and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him,[al] whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:15-20
aj. Colossians 1:19 tn The aorist verb κατοικῆσαι (katoikēsai) could be taken as an ingressive, in which case it refers to the incarnation and may be translated as “begin to dwell, to take up residence.” It is perhaps better, though, to take it as a constative aorist and simply a reference to the fact that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. This is a permanent dwelling, though, not a temporary one, as the present tense in 2:9 makes clear. New English Translation (NET http://netbible.org/bible/Colossians+1)
“For in him all the fullness of deity lives[t] in bodily form,” Colossians 2:9
t. Colossians 2:9 sn In him all the fullness of deity lives. The present tense in this verse (“lives”) is significant. Again, as was stated in the note on 1:19, this is not a temporary dwelling, but a permanent one. Paul’s point is polemical against the idea that the fullness of God dwells anywhere else, as the Gnostics believed, except in Christ alone. At the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity assumed humanity, and is forever the God-man. (NET http://netbible.org/bible/Colossians+2)
FURTHER READING
Muhammad’s Incorporation of Satan’s Handiwork
The Islamic Gods Unveiled Pt. 2
Muhammad and the Ten Commandments
Endnotes
(1) There even are narrations where Muhammad is reported to have said that he actually saw his lord, i.e. Allah, appear in visible shape:
Narrator: AbdurRahman ibn A’ish
Allah’s Messenger said: I saw my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious in the most beautiful form. He said: What do the Angels in the presence of Allah contend about? I said: Thou art the most aware of it. He then placed his palm between my shoulders and I felt its coldness in my chest and I came to know what was in the Heavens and the Earth. He recited: `Thus did we show Ibrahim the kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth and it was so that he might have certainty.’ (6:75)
Darimi reported it in a mursal form and Tirmidhi also reported. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 237 https://www.alim.org/hadith/tirmidi/237/; bold emphasis mine)
Jami` at-Tirmidhi
47 Chapters on Tafsir
Narrated Mu’adh bin Jabal: “One morning, the Messenger of Allah was prevented from coming to us for Salat As-Subh, until we were just about to look for the eye of the sun (meaning sunrise). Then he came out quickly, had the Salat prepared for. The Messenger of Allah performed the Salat, and he performed his Salat in a relatively quick manner. When he said the Salam, he called aloud with his voice saying to us: ‘Stay in your rows as you are.’ Then he turned coming near to us, then he said: ‘I am going to narrate to you what kept me from you this morning: I got up during the night, I performed Wudu and prayed as much as I was able to, and I dozed off during my Salat, and fell deep asleep. Then I saw my Lord, Blessed and Most High, in the best of appearances. He said: ‘O Muhammad!’ I said: ‘My Lord here I am my Lord!‘ He said: ‘What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?’ I said: ‘I do not know Lord.’ And He said it three times.” He said: “So I saw Him place His Palm between my shoulders, and I sensed the coolness of His Fingertips between my breast. Then everything was disclosed for me, and I became aware. So He said: ‘O Muhammad!’ I said: ‘Here I am my Lord!’…”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
English translation: Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3235
Arabic reference: Book 47, Hadith 3543 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/742690; emphasis mine)
4 Prayer
(8b) Chapter: Mosques and places of Prayer – Section 2
‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘A’ish reported God’s Messenger as saying: I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form, and He said, “What do the angels near My presence dispute about?” I replied,” Thou knowest best.” Then He placed the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades and I felt the coolness of it between my nipples! Then I knew what was in the heavens and the earth. And he recited, “Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and it was so that he might have certainty (Al-Qur’an; 6:75).”
Darimi transmitted it in mursal form.
Reference: Mishkat al-Masabih 725
In-book reference: Book 4, Hadith 154 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/mishkat:725; emphasis mine)
4 Prayer
(8c) Chapter: Mosques and places of Prayer – Section 3
Mu’adh b. Jabal said: God’s Messenger was detained one morning from observing the prayer with us till the sun had almost appeared over the horizon. He then came cut quickly, and when the iqama had been uttered he conducted the prayer in a shortened form; then when he had given the salutation he called out to us saying, “Keep to your rows as you were.” Then turning to us he said, “I shall tell you what detained me from you this morning. I got up during the night, performed ablution, and prayed what I could; but during my prayer I dozed and was overcome, and there and then I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form. He addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Thy service, my Lord,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ and I replied that I did not know. He asked it three times. Then I saw Him put the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades, so that I experienced the coolness of His fingers between my nipples so everything became clear to me and I attained knowledge. He then addressed me by name, and when I replied, ‘At Thy service, my Lord.’…”
Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said, “This is a HASAN SAHIH tradition. I asked Muhammad b. Isma’il (Al-Bukhari) about this tradition, AND HE SAID IT IS A SAHIH TRADITION.”
Reference: Mishkat al-Masabih 748
In-book reference: Book 4, Hadith 176 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/mishkat:748; emphasis mine)
If Allah can therefore appear in a visible body then there is no logical reason why Muslims cannot accept the possibility of the true God becoming a man without ceasing to be God.
For more on Allah existing as a corporeal material being we recommend the following article: