describe his formation and his being brought into existence after the model of another. It is impossible for the first to have been formed after the model of something that did not yet exist; it could only have been formed after the model of something that already existed.

Sixth: If the point is that the person being struck and insulted resembles Adam, this is plainly known to everyone, learned and unlearned alike. If that were the intended reason, one would have said, “For this includes the prophets,” or “For this includes Adam,” or used some similar expression explaining the ugliness of his words—namely, that his wording encompasses those whom he himself knows to exist. Merely telling him something everyone already knows, however, is not how such an admonition is expressed.

Seventh: If mere resemblance to Adam and his descendants were intended, there would be no need for the expression “created in the image of …”, since this expression is used only of something made after the model of another. Rather, one would say, “For his face resembles Adam’s face,” or “For his image resembles Adam’s image.”

Eighth: Granted that this rationale is appropriate to his statement, “Let none of you say, ‘May Allah disfigure your face and the face of anyone whose face resembles yours,’” how, then,