Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-ʿAbbās Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah Most High be pleased with him—was asked about the Prophet’s saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“The Black Stone is Allah’s right hand on earth,”

and his saying:

“Indeed, I feel the breath of the Most Merciful from the direction of Yemen,”

and the words:

“Then He rose over the Throne,”

and:

“Allah’s hand is above their hands,”

and:

“And be patient with your Lord’s judgement, for you are under Our eyes.”

He replied—may Allah have mercy on him:

As for the first hadith, it has been narrated from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through a chain of transmission that is not established as authentic. The well-known report is instead from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:

“The Black Stone is Allah’s right hand on earth. Whoever clasps it and kisses it, it is as though he has shaken hands with Allah and kissed His right hand.”

Anyone who reflects on the transmitted wording will see that it presents no difficulty except to someone who has not reflected on it. For he said, “Allah’s right hand on earth,” qualifying it with the words “on earth.” He did not say simply, “Allah’s right hand,” without qualification. A qualified expression does not carry the same force as an unqualified one.

He then said:

“Whoever clasps it and kisses it, it is as though he has shaken hands with Allah and kissed His right hand.”

It is well known that the thing being likened is distinct from that to which it is likened. This explicitly shows that the person clasping it has not actually clasped Allah’s right hand at all, but