Does Allah have form or shape?
Most Muslims would say NO. Maybe some Muslims will not know how to answer this.
Let’s find out from the Quran and Hadith.
In Sura 68:42, Allah says:
“The Day the shin will be uncovered and they are invited to prostration but the disbelievers will not be able…”
What does this mean? Let’s now turn to Sahih Bukhari Book 93, Hadith 532, for clarification. I have copied the relevant portion below.
“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. These people will try to prostrate but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood (and they will not be able to prostrate).”
A few serious questions detrimental to Islam arise from this short passage. Let’s consider a few of these.
1. It says Allah will come in a SHAPE other than which they SAW the first time. WHAT??!!!
What SHAPE did Allah come the first time?
When was that?
The believers physically SAW something with their eyes.
What is this new SHAPE that Allah comes in this time?
What is the purpose for Allah to appear in a different shape?
2. and He will say, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are not our Lord.’
All Muslims have been taught to ask Christians, “Where did Jesus say ‘I am God’.
But here, Allah clearly and unequivocally, states in no uncertain terms, “I am your Lord”; and the response of the Muslims was “You are not our Lord.”
Why did they say this? Because they did not recognize the physical shape they saw when Allah came to them.
Is this also the same reason why Muslims don’t recognize Jesus as God?
3. ‘Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?’ They will say. ‘The shin,’
What is the sign to recognize Allah?
Is it his words? Is it his power? Is it his compassion and mercy? Is it the testimony of his prophet? Is it his miracles?
No, no, no, no, no.
The sign to recognize Allah is by seeing the PHYSICAL form. A SHIN.
4. and so Allah will then uncover His shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him
This is the ultimate revelation of Allah, THE SHIN, on the Day of Resurrection.
The sight of THE SHIN is what causes the true Muslims to prostrate before THE SHIN.
5. and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood (and they will not be able to prostrate).”
This tells us that there are Muslims who prostrate before Allah just to show off and gain a reputation.
Are you one of them? Do you prostrate before Allah five times a day piously just to show off to the other Muslims prostrating with you? Is everyone trying to outdo each other in prostrations and showing off?
Conclusion: Allah has no definite form or shape but he manifests in the physical form of a SHIN, and is recognized as Allah, on the Day of Resurrection. He can also manifest in a different shape, as he did when he came “the first time” as made clear in the hadith above.
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Does Allah have a shin
يَوۡمَ يُكۡشَفُ عَنۡ سَاقٍ وَّيُدۡعَوۡنَ اِلَى السُّجُوۡدِ فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَۙ -original Arabic
The hadith you quote or parts of it about the “shin” must be understood in respect of the following verse from the Quran
68:42
Yusuf Ali: The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,
or
Mohsin Khan -(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they (hypocrites) shall not be able to do so,
(Shin has nothing to do with “leg”, that is naive, shin must be understood within Arabic context/idioms ;
“Do not pull my leg” –
this must not be taken literally as it is a idiom that means stop fooling/joking around
“You don’t have a leg to stand on” –
should not be taken literally , don’t you have 2 legs, so why am I saying, you don’t have a leg to stand on –do you understand this idiom.
I hope, so )
Literally:
The Day the Shin shall be uncovered.
Some of the companions and their successors relate that these words have been used idiomatically, for according to Arabic idiom,
kashf-i-saq
implies
“befalling of an affliction”
According to another saying “kashf-i-saq” implies uncovering the facts and truths.
Also, a day when shin shall be exposed means that a dire matter (amrun shadid) shall be disclosed”
We relate, the shin’s association with direness being that it was customary for Arab warriors fighting in the desert to ready themselves to move fast and hard through the sand in the thick of the fight by lifting the hems of their garments above the shin.
“ shin” in the above verse context means
“a day of war and direness (harbin wa shidda)”
In view of this interpretation, the meaning would be:
The Day when all truths shall be bared and the people’s deeds shall become open and manifest.
NB – If we continue to the next verse 43 –
Their eyes shall be downcast and ignominy shall overwhelm them.
For when they were safe and sound, they were summoned to prostrate themselves, (and they refused).
It means:
On the Resurrection Day it will be openly and publicly demonstrated as to who in the world had actually worshipped Allah and who was disinclined to do so.
For this purpose the people will be called upon to prostrate themselves before Allah.
Then, those who had been sincerely worshipping Allah in the world would prostrate themselves, and those who had declined to bow before Him in the world would be unable to do so.
It will become impossible for them to put up a false show of being worshippers.
Therefore, they will remain standing, degraded and downcast with shame.
To end , reference to Allah in Surah Ash-Shuraa, Chapter 42, Verse 11
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.
قصبة- -qasaba –SHIN
رجل- rajul – LEG
سَاقٍ – sāqin – SHIN
شدة -direness
Sam,
If you read the hadith I quoted, you will find that the vision is literal.
Please refer to https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7439
It is something the believers will SEE with their eyes.
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Yes, I have.
The book is available on Amazon in Kindle and also in paperback versions.
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It is titled FAITH: MUHAMMAD OR JESUS
It exposes Muhammad as a fraud who has deceived multitudes.
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Thank you! I appreciate that. If you can write a review on Amazon that would be great.
Yes, I do have plans to write more.
Blessings to you and your family.