Allah’s Multiple Eyes and Hands

Sam Shamoun

3 Dec 2025

The Quran and sunni tradition depict the Islamic deity as a very grotesque looking hybrid who possesses a composite body of some kind, which consists of at least three eyes, three hands, fingers, a foot, a shin, gonads and a face.

In this post I will highlight the verses, which speak of Allah’s multiple eyes and hands.

Build the ship under Our eyes (bi-ayunina) and by Our inspiration, and speak not unto Me on behalf of those who do wrong. Lo! they will be drowned. S. 11:39 Pickthall

Then We inspired in him, saying: Make the ship under Our eyes (bi-ayunina) and Our inspiration. Then, when Our command cometh and the oven gusheth water, introduce therein of every (kind) two spouses, and thy household save him thereof against whom the Word hath already gone forth. And plead not with Me on behalf of those who have done wrong. Lo! they will be drowned. S. 23:27 Pickthall

So wait patiently (O Muhammad) for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes (bi-ayunina), and glorify the Praises of your Lord when you get up from sleep. S. 52:48 Hilali-Khan

The Arabic word for eyes, ayun, refers to three or more.

In the following verse, Allah speaks of using his two hands to create Adam:

He said: O Iblis! what prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My two hands (biyadayya)? Are you proud or are you of the exalted ones? S. 38:75 Hilali-Khan

Yet elsewhere, Allah is said to have at least three hands, not just two!

Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands (aydina) have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners. S. 36:71 Hilali-Khan

Here the Arabic term for hands, aydi, is a nominative feminine plural noun. Taking the literal interpretation of this expression means that the Muslim deity has at least three hands, if not more.

Realizing the problem with such a depiction, specific Muslim scholars reject the view that these qualities are meant to be interpreted in a literal manner. They take the position that these are metaphorical expressions that refer to Allah’s power, control, awareness, knowledge, etc.

These same scholars chide and mock those Muslims who do hold to the literal interpretation, arguing that these are actual qualities of Allah even though they are unlike anything in creation.

One such renowned authority who argued for taking these depictions at face value was Ibn Taymiyya. This prompted another Muslim scholar to point out the fact that this position ends up depicting Allah as a rather hideously ugly entity:

We say to him: What do you say concerning the mention of “several eyes” (a‘yun), the mention of the “flank” (janb), the mention of the single “shin” (saq), and the mention of the “several hands” (aydi)? If we take these literally then we must affirm a being that has one face with many eyes, a single side, many hands, and a single shin! What being on earth is possibly uglier? And if you take the liberty of interpreting this and that to be dual or singular, then why does Allah not mention it, nor the Prophet, nor the Salaf of the Community? (Ibn Jahbal Al-Kilabi, The Refutation of Him (Ibn Taymiyya) who Attributes Direction to Allah (al-Raddu ‘ala Man Qala bil-Jiha), Introduction by Shaykh Wahbi Sulayman Ghawji, translation and notes by Gibril Fouad Haddad [Aqsa Publications, Birmingham UK 2008: http://www.aqsapublications.com], Chapter Seven. The Absurdity of His Literalism, pp. 221-223; bold emphasis mine)

Ibn Jahbal Al-Kilabi was absolutely correct since what could be uglier than a embodied god composed of a face with three eyes, and a body made up of three hands, a single foot/shin, gonads etc.?

Such a deity would be a hideously grotesque monster, which makes Frankenstein look like a model.

Allah’s Multiple Eyes and Hands

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