What Exactly is Allah? A Humanoid or Spirit?

The Quran and the sunna followed by Sunni Muslims present a baffling and confusing picture of Allah. These sources portray the Muslim deity as an exalted man, a glorified humanoid who has a spirit, but is never said to be a spirit.

For instance, Allah appears to Muhammad as a man and physically touches Muhammad with his hand:  

Jami` at-Tirmidhi

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!’ He said: ‘What is it that the most exalted group busy themselves with?’ I said: ‘In the acts that atone.’ He said: ‘And what are they?’ I said: ‘The footsteps to the congregation, the gatherings in the Masajid after the Salat, Isbagh Al-Wudu during difficulties.’ He said: ‘Then what else?’ I said: ‘Feeding others, being lenient in speech, and Salat during the night while the people are sleeping.’ He said: ‘Ask.’ I said: ‘O Allah! I ask of you the doing of the good deeds, avoiding the evil deeds, loving the poor, and that You forgive me, and have mercy upon me. And when You have willed Fitnah in the people, then take me without the Fitnah. And I ask You for Your love, the love of whomever You love, and the of the deeds that bring one nearer to Your love.'” The Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed it is true, so study it and learn it.”

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)

English reference: Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3235

Arabic reference: Book 47, Hadith 3543 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/642690; 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,’ He asked, ‘What do the angels near My presence dispute about?’ I replied, ‘Expiation.’ He asked what they were, and I replied, ‘Walking on foot to the congregational prayers, sitting in the mosques after the prayers are over, and performing complete ablution in difficult circumstances. He asked what next they disputed about, and when I said it was about degrees, He asked what they were and I replied, ‘Providing food, speaking gently, and praying at night when people are asleep.’ He then told me to make a request, and I said, ‘O God, I ask Thee for power to do good things and abandon objectionable things, for love towards the poor, that Thou shouldest forgive me and show mercy to me, and that when Thou intendest to test any people Thou wilt take me to Thyself without being led astray. And I ask for Thy love, the love of those who love Thee, and a love of doing things which will bring me near to Thy love.’” Then God’s Messenger said, “It is true, so study it and learn it.”

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)

Allah has a shin which he will unveil:

The Day that THE SHIN SHALL BE LAID BARE, and they shall be summoned to prostrate, but they shall not be able,- S. 68:42 Hilali-Khan

According to the ahadith, this shin is Allah’s, which he will bare for all to see on Judgment Day:

(2) “(Remember) the Day when the Shin shalt be laid bare…” (V.68:42)

Narrated Abu Said:

I heard the Prophet saying, “ALLAH WILL LAY BARE HIS SHIN, and then all the believers, men and women, will prostrate themselves before Him; but there will remain those who used to prostrate in the world for showing off and for gaining good reputation. Such a one will try to prostrate himself (on the Day of Judgment) but his back (bones) will become a single (vertebra) bone (so he will not be able to prostrate).” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 441, by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D., Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan in The Noble Quran English Translation of the Meanings and Commentary [King Fahd Complex for the printing of the Holy Qur’an, Madinah, K.S.A.], p. 779, f. 1a: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4919; bold and capital emphasis mine)

And:

Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri… Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than the one which they saw the first time, and He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are not our Lord.’ And none will speak to Him: then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, ‘Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?’ They will say. ‘THE SHIN,’ AND SO ALLAH WILL THEN UNCOVER HIS SHIN whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation… (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532s: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7439)

Allah has loins/genitals, which a talking female womb yanked/seized:

[111] Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Prophet as saying that, <<When Allah had finished creating all things, ties of relationship arose AND SEIZED THE LOINS OF THE COMPASSIONATE ONE. He said <<STOP!>> And they said, <<This is the place for him who seeks refuge in Thee from being cut off>>. He replied <<Are you not satisfied that I should keep connection with him who keeps you united and sever connection with him who severs you?>> They said, <<Certainly, O Lord>>. He replied, <<Well, that is how things are>>. Abu Huraira said, <<Recite if you wish, <<Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?>>(1)>>. Bukhari transmitted it.

(1) Qur’an (47:22). (The Divine Traditions: “Al-Ahadith Al-Qudsiya”, rendered into English by Dr. Ibrahim Al-Selek [Dar El Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon 1994], Chapter XII. The Lord of Glory Speech to the (Womb) Ties of Kith and Kin, pp. 80, 82; bold and capital emphasis mine)

And:

Abu Hurayra narrated on the authority of the Prophet: When God had completed the creation the rahim stood up AND SEIZED THE LOIN OF THE MERCIFUL (akhadhat bi-HAQWI al-Rahman). He said to her: ‘Stop it!’ And she said: ‘This is the place where a person seeks Your protection from the enmity among relatives.’ He replied: ‘Will you be satisfied if I stay close with the person who makes you close to him, and be detached from the person who detaches himself from you?’ She said: ‘Of course, my Lord.’ And He said: ‘So, here then, this shall be granted to you.’ Abu Hurayra added:  ‘If you want, you can recite [the Quranic verse]: “If you [the hypocrites] renounced the Faith you would surely do evil in the land and violate the ties of blood”.’88 (Livnat Holtzman, Anthropomorphism in Islam: The Challenge of Traditionalism (700-1350) (Edinburgh Studies in Classical Islamic History and Culture) [Edinburgh University Press, Ltd. 2019], 4. The Diversified Solution to the Islamic Traditionalism: Ahadith al-Sifat and Bi-La Kayfa, p. 209; bold and capital emphasis mine)

88. Al-Bukhari, al-Jami’, vol. 3, p. 292 (Kitab al-Tafsir, bab wa-tuqatti’u arhamakum). For the sentence ‘I stay close with the person who makes you close to him, and be detached from the person who detaches himself from you’. (Ibid., p. 253)

Allah also has a flank or a lumbar region:

Lest any soul should say, “Alas, my grief that I was unmindful of the flank of Allah (janbi Allahi), and was a scoffer,” S. 39:56

Allah has at least three eyes:

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 ayun used in these verses refers to three or more.

Allah also has at least three arms, two that are right and one that is left!

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.

And:

Abdullah b. ‘Umar reported Allah’s Messenger saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, would fold the Heavens on the Day of Judgment and then He would place them on His right hand and say: I am the Lord; where are the haughty and where are the proud (today)? He would fold the earth (placing it) on the left hand and say: I am the Lord; where are the haughty and where are the proud (today)? (Sahih Muslim, Book 039, Number 6704: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=39&translator=2&start=0&number=6703)

49 The Book of the Etiquette of Judges

(1) Chapter: Virtue of the Judge Who is Just in Passing Judgement

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As that: The Prophet said: “Those who are just and fair will be with Allah, Most High, on thrones of light, at the right hand of the Most Merciful, those who are just in their rulings and in their dealings with their families and those of whom they are in charge.” Muhammad (one of the narrators) said in his Hadith: “And both of His hands are right hands.”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 5379

In-book reference: Book 49, Hadith 1

English translation: Vol. 6, Book 49, Hadith 5381 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/nasai:5379; emphasis mine)

18 The Offices of Commander and Qadi

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Those who act justly will be with God on pulpits of light* at the right hand of the Compassionate One, and both His hands are right. They are those who are just in their jurisdiction, towards their people and what is under their charge.”

Muslim transmitted it.

*This phrase is explained either in a literal sense, or as indicating their high station.

Reference: Mishkat al-Masabih 3690

In-book reference: Book 18, Hadith 30: (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/mishkat:3690; emphasis mine)

Allah also loves to laugh, and even gets shocked or amazed at people:

Sunan Ibn Majah

The Book of the Sunnah

“The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah LAUGHS at the despair of His slaves although He soon changes it.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, does the Lord laugh?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ I said: ‘We shall never be deprived of good by a Lord Who laughs.'”

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)

Sunnah.com reference: Book 1, Hadith 181

English reference: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 181

Arabic reference: Book 1, Hadith 186 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah/introduction/181; emphasis mine)

Abdullah b. Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah said: I know the last of the inhabitants of Fire to be taken out therefrom, and the last of the inhabitants of Paradise to enter it. A man will come out of the Fire crawling. Then Allah, the Blessed and Exalted will say to him: Go and enter Paradise. So he would come to it and it would appear to him as if it were full. He would go back and say: O my Lord! I found it full. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, would say to him: Go and enter Paradise. He would come and perceive as if it were full. He would return and say: O my Lord! I found it full. Allah would say to him: Go and enter Paradise, for there is for you the like of the world and ten times like it, or for you is ten times the like of this world. He (the narrator) said. He (that man) would say: Art Thou making a fun of me? or Art Thou laughing at me though Thou art the King? He (the narrator) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah laugh till his front teeth were visible. And it was said: That would be the lowest rank among the inhabitants of Paradise. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0359: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=001&translator=2&start=0&number=0359)

And:

The Messenger of Allah said: “Verily, your Lord is AMAZED at a youth who does not incline towards his desires.” (‘Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah’, Number 2843)

عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَقُولُ « يَعْجَبُ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ رَاعِى غَنَمٍ فِى رَأْسِ شَظِيَّةٍ بِجَبَلٍ يُؤَذِّنُ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَيُصَلِّى فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ انْظُرُوا إِلَى عَبْدِى هَذَا يُؤَذِّنُ وَيُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ يَخَافُ مِنِّى فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لِعَبْدِى وَأَدْخَلْتُهُ الْجَنَّةَ» 

Uqbah ibn Amir said: “I heard the messenger of Allah: ‘Your Lord is AMAZED with a shepherd high in the mountains who calls the Athan for the prayer and prays. Allah says: “Look at my slave, he calls the Athan and Iqamah for prayer and fears me. I have forgiven my slave and admitted him to paradise.”’” (Collected by Abu Dawud (1205) and An-Nasa’i (666) and ibn Hibban (260), and graded as being Sahih by Shaykh Al-Albani)  

Allah also likes to run:

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 502: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=93&translator=1&start=0&number=502)

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, “My Lord says, ‘If My slave comes nearer to me for a span, I go nearer to him for a cubit; and if he comes nearer to Me for a cubit, I go nearer to him for the span of outstretched arms; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.'” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 627: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=93&translator=1&start=0&number=627)

Allah can even fit himself within a fire and within a tree:

When he saw a fire, and said to his family, 'Tarry you here; I observe a fire. Perhaps I shall bring you a brand from it, or I shall find at the fire guidance.' When he came to IT, a voice cried, 'Moses, I am thy Lord; put off thy shoes; thou art in the holy valley, Towa. I Myself have chosen thee; therefore give thou ear to this revelation. S. 20:10-13 Arberry

When Moses said to his people 'I observe a fire, and will bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that haply you shall warm yourselves.' So, when he came to IT, he was called: 'Blessed is he who is IN the fire, and he who is ABOUT it. Glory be to God, the Lord of all Being! Moses, behold, it is I, God, the All-mighty, the All-wise. S. 27:7-9 Arberry

Then, when Musa (Moses) had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his family, he saw a fire in the direction of Tur (Mount). He said to his family: "Wait, I have seen a fire; perhaps I may bring to you from there some information, or a burning fire-brand that you may warm yourselves." So when he reached IT (the fire), he was called from the right side of the valley, in the blessed place FROM the tree: "O Musa (Moses)! Verily! I am Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!" S. 28:29-30 Hilali-Khan

To top it off, Allah descends to the lowest heaven at the third hour of every night:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Every night when it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Superior, the Blessed, descends to the nearest heaven and says: Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” (See Hadith No. 246,Vol. 2) (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 586: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=93&translator=1&start=0&number=586)

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: Our Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted, descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the latter part of the night is left, and says: Who supplicates Me so that I may answer him? Who asks Me so that I may give to him? Who asks Me forgiveness so that I may forgive him? (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 1656: https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=004&translator=2&start=0&number=1550)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Abdullah al-Agharr and from Abu Salama from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah said, “Our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, descends every night to the heaven of this world when the last third of the night is still to come and says, ‘Who will call on Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give him? Who will ask forgiveness of Me so that I may forgive him?’” (Malik’s Muwatta, Book 15, Number 15.8.30: https://sunnah.com/urn/404990; emphasis mine)

As if it couldn’t get any more baffling, Allah created Adam after the very shape and image of Allah himself:

I. Initiating the Greeting

5873. Hammam related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet said, "Allah created Adam on HIS FORM and HIS HEIGHT was sixty cubits. When He created him, He said, 'Go and greet that group angels and listen to how they greet you. It will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.' He said, 'Peace be upon you,' and they said, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,' and they added, 'and the mercy of Allah.' Everyone who enters the Garden will be in form of Adam. People have been getting shorter until now." (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Chapter 82. Book of Asking Permission to Enter; emphasis mine)

And:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created Adam in HIS OWN image with HIS LENGTH of sixty cubits, and as HE created him HE told him to greet that group, and that was a party of angels sitting there, and listen to the response that they give him, for it would form his greeting and that of his offspring. He then went away and said: Peace be upon you! They (the angels) said: May there be peace upon you and the Mercy of Allah, and they made an addition of "Mercy of Allah." So he who would get into Paradise would get in the form of Adam, his length being sixty cubits, then the people who followed him continued to diminish in size up to this day. (Sahih Muslim, Book 040, Number 6809: *)

Here we learn that Allah’s height in which he made Adam is sixty cubits in length, or approximately ninety feet tall!

This means that Muhammad erroneously thought that both Allah and Adam were/are roughly ninety feet tall.

Now, just in case a Muslim tries to deny that this is what Muhammad meant, we quote the following Islamic scholars who unapologetically admit that all the pronouns in the above narratives refer back to Allah, e.g., Allah created Adam in Allah’s very own image and length:

Ibn Abi 'Aasim narrated in al-Sunnah (517) that Ibn 'Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah said: "Do not say 'May Allaah deform your face' [a form of cursing in Arabic], for the son of Adam was created IN THE IMAGE OF THE MOST MERCIFUL." Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Ghunaymaan said: "This hadeeth is saheeh and was classed as such by the imams and by Imam Ahmad and Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh. Those who classed it as da'eef have no evidence, except for the view of Ibn Khuzaymah, but those who classed it as saheeh are more knowledgeable than him.

Ibn Abi 'Aasim also narrated (516) that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah said: "When any one of you fights let him avoid the face, for Allaah created Adam in the image of His Face." Shaykh al-Albaani said: its isnaad is saheeh.

These two hadeeth indicate that the pronoun in the phrase "in His image" refers to Allaah, may He be glorified.

From these ahaadeeth we learn that IT IS PROVEN THAT ALLAAH HAS AN IMAGE (soorah in Arabic), in a manner that befits Him, may He be glorified and exalted. His image is one of His attributes which cannot be likened to the attributes of created beings, just as His essence cannot be likened to their essence.

And he [Ibn Taymiyya] said: "There was no dispute among the salaf of the first three generations that the pronoun in the hadeeth refers to Allaah, and it is narrated through many isnaads from many of the Sahaabah. The contexts of the ahaadeeth all indicate that. But when al-Jahamiyyah became widespread in the third century AH, a group began to say that the pronoun refers to something other than Allaah, and this was transmitted from a group of scholars who are known to have knowledge and to follow the Sunnah in most of their affairs, such as Abu Thawr, Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu'l-Shaykh al-Asfahaani and others. Hence they were denounced by the imams of Islam and other Sunni scholars."

The Prophet's words, "Adam was created in His image" means that Allaah created Adam in His image, for He has a face, an eye, a hand, and a foot, and Adam had a face, an eye, a hand, and a foot. but that does not mean that these things are exactly the same. There is some similarity, but it is not exactly the same. Similarly the first group to enter Paradise are likened to the moon, but they are not exactly the same. This confirms the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, who say that none of the attributes of Allaah can be likened to the attributes of created beings, without distorting or misinterpreting, or discussing how or likening Him to His creation.

See Sharh al-'Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/107, 293... (Islam QA, Question #20652: Commentary on the hadeeth, "Allaah created Adam in His image";emphasis mine)

These reports indicate that Adam was created to essentially be Allah’s physical clone, having been fashioned after Allah’s very own size and shape.

It is, therefore, obvious from the aforementioned descriptions that Muhammad’s god is a finite, localized, embodied entity.

In fact, such statements led some of Islam's greatest theologians to embrace a rather strict, literal anthropomorphic depiction of the Muslim deity. For instance, one of Sunni Islam’s greatest hadith scholars, who even has a Muslim school (madhab), e.g., the Hanbali school, was Ahmad b. Hanbal. Ibn Hanbal was a staunch anthropomorphist who believed his lord had curly hair, a mouth, breath, a chest, a back, and two elbows!

Ibn Hanbal, then, was an anthropomorphist. He affirmed for the divine a human form, including a face, eyes, curly hair, mouth,⁹⁶ voice,⁹⁷ breath,⁹⁸ chest and two elbows,⁹⁹ back,¹⁰⁰ arms,¹⁰¹ hands with a palm,¹⁰² five fingers¹⁰³ and fingertips,¹⁰⁴ legs, shin, feet, soul,¹⁰⁵ physical beauty, a limit, and even, shockingly, loins.¹⁰⁶ He affirmed the external meaning of these attributes and refused to qualify them with balkafa. (Wes Williams, "Aspects of the Creed of Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal: A Study of Anthropomorphism in 9th-10th Century Islamic Discourse," in International Journal of Middle East Studies, 34 (2002), pp. 449; emphasis mine)

96 He says in ‘Aqı¯da I, “Allah spoke to Musa with His mouth”: Ibn Abi Ya’la, Tabaqat, 1:29.

97 ‘Abd Allah said, “I asked my father about a people who say: ‘When Allah spoke to Musa he didn’t speak with a voice.’ And my father said: ‘Rather, your Lord indeed spoke with a voice. These hadiths we report them as they came.” Also, “My father said [from Ibn Mas’ud]: ‘When Allah spoke a voice is heard like the dragging of iron chains on stones.’ My father said: ‘This is the Jahmiyya deny’ ”: ‘Abd Allah, Kitab al-Sunna, 1:280, no. 533.

98 From Qur’an 15:29; also, the hadith reported on the authority of Abu Hurayra, who alleges to have heard the Prophet say, “Wind comes from God’s breath”: Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:267.

99 Ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-Sunna, 151; ‘Abd Allah, Kitab al-Sunna, 2:510. 100.

100 Abd Allah narrates from Ibn Hanbal, “Allah wrote the Torah for Musa while supporting His back on a rock, on Tablets of pearl, and the screech of the pen could be heard”: Ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-Sunna, 67; ‘Abd Allah, Kitab Al-Sunna, 1:294, no. 568.

101 He reports in Musnad, 3:473, the narration of Malik ibn Nadla in which the Prophet declares, “The Arm of God is stronger than your arm.”

102 Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:538.

103 Ibn Hanbal narrated the hadith “God will [on the Day of Resurrection] hold the heavens on one finger [first], the lands on one finger [second], the mountains on one finger [third], the humid land on one finger [fourth], and all of the creatures on one finger [fifth]”: ibid., 1:429; idem, Kitab al-Sunna, 54.

104 Idem, Musnad, 5:243.

105 Idem, ‘Aqı¯da VIII, near Ibn Abi Ya’la, Tabaqat, 2:298.

106 From the tradition found in Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:330, “After God completed creation, kinship rose and seized God’s loin (˙aqw).” Cf. Goldziher, Zahiris, 154 f; Gimaret Dieu a` l’image, 229 ff. (Ibid., pp. 460; emphasis mine)

Hence, the Islamic deity is not the only true God of the Holy Bible, who is portrayed as an infinite, immaterial, incorporeal, non-spatial spiritual Being.

Further Reading

Allah: A Finite, Limited, Temporal Embodied Soul

ALLAH SO LOVES THE UMMA THAT HE GIVES UP HIS FOOT! 

ALLAH SACRIFICES ONE OF HIS FEET

Allah’s Multiple Eyes and Hands

ALLAH’S AMAZEMENT AND LAUGHTER

To Descend or Not to Descend?

Allah - An Immaterial Entity or an Invisible Man?

Allah: An Exalted Woman? Examining the Issue of Allah's Veil

The Annihilation of Allah (A Question and Challenge to Salafi Anthropomorphists)

Can Allah be seen and did Muhammad see his Lord?