8 — Al-Thawrī also transmitted this report with a disconnected chain, rather than a connected one. Abū Mūsā Muhammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us, saying: ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī narrated to us, saying: Sufyān narrated to us, from Habīb ibn Abī Thābit, from ‘Atā’, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The face must not be disparaged, for the son of Adam was created in the image of the Most Merciful.”

⦗87⦘ Abū Bakr said: A scholar among those who did not pursue knowledge carefully was led astray by this wording in ‘Atā’s report. They imagined that attributing the image to the Most Merciful in this report meant attributing to Him an attribute of His essence. In this they committed a manifest error and made an abhorrent statement resembling the position of those who liken Allah to His creation. May Allah protect us and all Muslims from their position.

My understanding of this report—if its transmission with a connected chain is authentic—is as follows. There are, however, three defects in the report. First, al-Thawrī differed from al-A‘mash regarding its chain: al-Thawrī transmitted it with a disconnected chain and did not say, “from Ibn ‘Umar.” Second, al-A‘mash practised concealment of intermediaries in transmission, and it is not stated that he heard this report from Habīb ibn Abī Thābit. Third, Habīb ibn Abī Thābit also practised concealment of intermediaries in transmission, and it is not known that he heard it from ‘Atā’.

I heard Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Habīb ibn al-Shahīd say: Abū Bakr ibn ‘Ayyāsh narrated to us, from al-A‘mash, who said: Habīb ibn Abī Thābit said, “If a man narrated a hadith to me from you, I would have no qualms about narrating it from you”—meaning that he would have no qualms about concealing the intermediary.

Abū Bakr said: Our scholars versed in transmitted reports would scarcely use a report like this as evidence, especially when it concerns a subject of this kind: something that, if established, would require knowledge, rather than a matter requiring action whose authenticity and reliability might be supported by reasoning, comparison, and analogy with other sunnahs of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concerning legal rulings and jurisprudence.

If this report is authentic with a connected chain—if al-A‘mash heard it from Habīb ibn ⦗88⦘ Abī Thābit, Habīb heard it from ‘Atā’ ibn Abī Rabāh, and it is established that it came from Ibn ‘Umar as al-A‘mash transmitted it—then, in our understanding, attributing the image to the Most Merciful in this report is simply an attribution of a created thing to Him. ⦗91⦘ Creation is attributed to the Most Merciful because Allah created it; likewise, the image is attributed to the Most Merciful because Allah fashioned it. Have you not heard His words, mighty and majestic is He:

“This is Allah’s creation. So show Me what those besides Him have created.” [Luqmān: 11]

Allah attributed creation to Himself because He Himself created it. Likewise, Allah, mighty and majestic is He, says:

“This is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you.” [al-A‘rāf: 73]

Allah thus attributed the she-camel to Himself. He also said:

“Grazing on Allah’s earth.” [al-A‘rāf: 73]

And He said:

“Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” [al-Nisā’: 97]

He said:

“Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He grants it as an inheritance to whomever He wills of His servants.” [al-A‘rāf: 128]

⦗92⦘ Allah attributed the earth to Himself because He Himself created it and spread it out. He also said:

“The natural disposition instilled by Allah, upon which He created mankind.” [al-Rūm: 30]

Allah attributed this natural disposition to Himself because He created mankind upon it. Thus, what Allah attributes to Himself has two meanings: one is an attribution pertaining to His essence, and the other is an attribution of something He created. Understand these two meanings, and do not confuse them.

The meaning of the report—if its transmission with a connected chain is authentic—is that the son of Adam was created in the image that the Most Merciful created when He fashioned Adam and then breathed the spirit into him. Allah, majestic and exalted is He, said:

“We certainly created you, then fashioned you.” [al-A‘rāf: 11]

And the evidence for the soundness of this interpretation is