and not to concern themselves with it, or that the early generations of this community and its leading scholars ever turned away from any part of the Book of Allah—especially the verses that speak of Allah’s names and attributes. There is not a single such verse without a report transmitted by the Companions from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that agrees with its meaning and explains it (1); they discussed the matter so thoroughly that no further clarification is required. Consider, for example, His words:
"They have not esteemed Allah with the esteem due to Him; the whole earth will be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand" (2).
Although some later writers altered the wording, claiming that "in His grip" means "by His power" and that "His right hand" (3) means "His strength," "His oath," or the like, the authentic hadiths narrated by the finest of the Companions and their scholars, and by the finest of the Successors and their scholars, have spread widely. All of them affirm the outward sense of the verse and clarify its meaning—such as the hadith of Abu Hurayrah agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim (4); the hadith of Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, likewise agreed upon (5); the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud concerning the Jewish scholar (6), also agreed upon; and the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas reported by
(1) In the printed edition: yufsiruhu.
(2) Surah az-Zumar (39:67).
(3) In the printed edition: qabdatuhu qudratuhu wa biyameenihi.
(4) Its wording is: Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, “Allah will seize the earth and fold up the heavens in His right hand, then say, ‘I am the King; where are the kings of the earth?’”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6/33 – Book of Tafsīr – Tafsīr of Surah az-Zumar – chapter on the phrase {wa-al-ardu jami‘an qabdatuhu yawma al-qiyāmah} (And the earth in its entirety will be in His grasp on the Day of Resurrection).
(5) Muslim reports from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah (the Exalted and Glorious) will fold up the heavens on the Day of Resurrection, then take them in His right hand and say, ‘I am the King; where are the arrogant? Where are the haughty?’ Then He will fold up the two earths in His left hand and say, ‘I am the King; where are the arrogant? Where are the haughty?’”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 4/2148 – Kitāb Ṣifat al-Munāfiqīn wa Aḥkāmihim – Kitāb Ṣifat al-Qiyāmah wa al-Jannah wa al-Nār – Hadith 24.
(6) In the original edition: al-khabar. This is a scribal error. The reading confirmed in Ṣ and in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is: al-Bukhārī narrated from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: ...