that isti​wāʾ is unique to the Throne and to nothing else. He then marshalled proofs from the Quran, the hadiths, scholarly consensus, and reason. Afterward he declared: “Chapter: A discourse on the Face, the two eyes, Sight, and the two hands.”

[Abū al-Ḥasan’s position on the textual attributes]
He cited the relevant verses and answered the allegorical interpreters in a lengthy discussion that cannot be reproduced here in full. By way of illustration he said: “If we are asked, ‘Do you affirm that Allah has two hands?’ we reply: ‘Indeed we do, for the Exalted has said, “The Hand of Allah is over their hands” (al-Fath 10) and, “for what I created with My two hands” (Ṣād 75).’”

It is also reported from the Prophet ﷺ: “Allah stroked Adam’s back with His hand and brought forth from him his progeny.” Another established report states: “Allah created Adam with His hand, created the Garden of Eden with His hand, wrote the Torah with His hand, and planted the Tree of Ṭūbā with His hand.”