And analogous to this is our acceptance of the apparent meaning of the reports concerning the placing of the Foot in the Fire and David’s taking hold of His Foot, without understanding it as a limb or as involving physical contact—just as we affirm that He created Adam with His two Hands. The two Hands are an attribute of His Essence, and His creating with them does not involve touching or contact. The same applies here.”

He said: “Our shaykh Abū ‘Abd Allāh mentioned this in his book concerning this hadith and its acceptance according to its apparent meaning. This is also the apparent import of Ahmad’s words. Al-Marwadhī said: ‘A letter from Damascus reached me, and I showed it to Abū ‘Abd Allāh, who examined it. It stated that a man had cited the hadith of Abū Hurayrah from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Allah created all beings, and when He had finished creating them, there arose