Adam is no different from the fact that all the other bodily parts resemble Adam’s. A person’s head resembles Adam’s head, his hand resembles Adam’s hand, and his foot resembles Adam’s foot. His abdomen, back, thigh, and shin resemble Adam’s abdomen, back, thigh, and shin. Thus, the face is not unique in resembling Adam; all the bodily parts are alike in this respect. If this resemblance were a valid reason for prohibiting striking, it would follow that striking any part of the bodies of Adam’s descendants would be impermissible, since all these parts are in the image of their father Adam. Yet the Muslims unanimously agree that striking these parts is obligatory in jihad against disbelievers and hypocrites and in carrying out the prescribed punishments, despite their resemblance to the bodily parts of Adam and all the other prophets. This demonstrates that striking the face—or any other part—cannot be prohibited on account of this resemblance.

Eleventh: If the reason for prohibiting insulting and disparaging the face were its resemblance to Adam’s face, then insulting and disparaging all the other bodily parts would likewise have been prohibited: “Let none of you say, ‘May Allah cut off your hand and the hand of anyone whose hand resembles yours.’”

Twelfth: The interpretation he has offered of this invalidates the claim of anyone who says that Adam had a different form, as when it is said that he