This is why Abd Allāh ibn Umar said, “Allah created only three things with His hand: He created Adam with His hand, planted the Garden of Firdaws with His hand, and wrote the Torah with His hand.” If “hand” meant power, there would be nothing distinctive about these acts, nor would this give Adam any distinction over anything else created by that power.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also related that “the people gathered for Judgment will come to him on the Day of Resurrection and say, ‘O Adam, you are the father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand.’”

Likewise, Adam said to Moses when debating with him, “Allah chose you by speaking to you and inscribed the Tablets for you with His hand.” Another wording states, “He wrote the Torah for you with His hand.” This is among the most authentic hadiths. Likewise, there is the well-known hadith:

“The angels said, ‘Our Lord, You created the children of Adam, who eat, drink, marry, and ride. So grant them this world and grant us the Hereafter.’ Allah Most High said, ‘I will not make the righteous descendants of the one whom I created with My two hands and into whom I breathed of My spirit like those to whom I merely said, “Be,” and they were.’”

This distinction was understood specifically from His words, “I created with My two hands.” Had these been equivalent to His words, “what Our hands have made,” Adam and livestock would have been equal in this respect. Muslims understood that His words, 38:75 “What prevented you from prostrating to what I created with My two hands?” establish Adam’s distinction and superiority over those commanded to prostrate to him, because he was created with the two hands. Those gathered for Judgment likewise understood this when they counted it among his distinctive qualities. Equating this statement with His words, 36:71 “Do they not see that We have created for them livestock from what Our hands have made?” is therefore a sheer error.