ALLAH WEARS GARMENTS LIKE CREATURES: AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC CRISIS IN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY

ALLAH WEARS GARMENTS LIKE CREATURES: AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC CRISIS IN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute
Originally published on August 3, 2015

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Abstract

This study critically examines the anthropomorphic depictions of Allah found in Islamic Hadith literature. By analyzing authentic Hadith texts and their theological implications, this paper argues that the Islamic conception of Allah—though officially described as transcendent and incomparable—reveals inconsistencies through narratives that portray Him in human-like forms and actions. These portrayals present a theological crisis within Islam’s doctrine of tanzīh (absolute transcendence) and challenge the Muslim claim that Allah has no likeness (laysa kamithlihi shayʾun).

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1. Introduction

One of the fundamental claims of Islamic theology is that Allah is beyond all human likeness or form. The Qur’an emphatically declares:

“There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (Qur’an 42:11).

However, a careful examination of the Hadith—the recorded sayings of Muhammad—reveals that Allah is often described in distinctly human terms. Such descriptions introduce theological contradictions that undermine the doctrine of divine transcendence.

This paper explores these contradictions, particularly focusing on Hadith Qudsi that depict Allah as wearing garments—a characteristic belonging to physical beings.

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2. The Hadith of Allah’s Garments

In Sahih Muslim (Book 38, Hadith 7388), Allah is reported to have said:

الكبرياء ردائي والعظمة إزاري
“Pride is My cloak and majesty is My lower garment.”

This statement is widely quoted in Islamic theology as a Hadith Qudsi—words of Allah relayed through Muhammad. However, this anthropomorphic imagery raises profound theological questions.

If Allah possesses a cloak (ridāʾ) and a lower garment (izār), it implies He has a form upon which these garments are worn. In the material world, garments are designed to cover or adorn a body. Thus, if Allah “wears” them, one must logically infer that He has a body or structure—a notion directly conflicting with the Qur’anic claim that He is without likeness or form.

This apparent contradiction leads to the central problem of anthropomorphism in Islamic thought.

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3. Anthropomorphic Imagery in Other Hadith

The anthropomorphism is not limited to Allah’s garments. In another Hadith Qudsi found in Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 81, Hadith 38), Allah is portrayed as having human faculties:

“When I love My servant, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks.”

The language of this Hadith implies that Allah has ears, eyes, hands, and feet, or at least attributes them to Himself in human-like metaphors.

Islamic theologians such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim accepted these verses bi-la kayf (“without asking how”), meaning they affirmed Allah’s attributes without questioning their modality. However, this approach fails to reconcile the logical inconsistency between transcendence (tanzīh) and embodiment (tashbīh).

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4. Theological Implications

The problem of anthropomorphism in Islamic theology stems from its tension between two competing ideas:

1. Transcendence (Tanzīh): Allah is utterly beyond human comprehension or likeness.

2. Similarity (Tashbīh): Allah’s revealed attributes resemble human characteristics.

While the Qur’an insists on transcendence, the Hadith reintroduce physical and emotional traits—suggesting that Allah:

• Descends physically to the lowest heaven at night (Sahih Bukhari 1145).

• Laughs, smiles, and sits on a throne (Sahih Muslim 2841).

• Has fingers and a right hand (Sahih Bukhari 4855; Sahih Muslim 2788).

Such imagery parallels pagan conceptions of deity and contradicts monotheistic doctrines of divine simplicity and incorporeality.

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5. Biblical Contrast: The God of Scripture

In contrast, the God of the Bible, though described metaphorically, explicitly reveals Himself as Spirit (John 4:24). Biblical anthropomorphisms are understood as symbolic expressions meant to help finite humans comprehend divine realities.

For example, when the Bible says “the hand of the Lord” (Exodus 15:6), it does not imply a literal hand but symbolizes God’s power and authority. Unlike the Hadith, biblical theology clearly distinguishes between figurative language and ontological reality.

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6. Conclusion

The depiction of Allah as wearing garments, possessing limbs, and performing physical actions introduces a theological crisis within Islam. Such portrayals undermine the Qur’anic assertion that Allah has no equal or likeness.

From a comparative theological standpoint, the Christian understanding of God as spiritual and personal—revealed fully in Jesus Christ (John 1:14)—provides a coherent and consistent framework for divine transcendence and immanence.

The Islamic dilemma, as seen in the Hadith, reflects a form of theological anthropomorphism that inadvertently humanizes Allah, thereby compromising His alleged uniqueness.

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Bibliography

• Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Isma‘il. Sahih al-Bukhari. Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir, 1987.

• Muslim, Ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim. Riyadh: Dar al-Salam, 2007.

• Ibn Taymiyyah. Al-‘Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah. Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 2005.

• Ibn Kathir, Isma‘il. Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1999.

• Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din. Beirut: Dar al-Ma‘rifah, 1983.

• The Holy Qur’an, Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 2001.

• The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

• Shimba, Maxwell. Theological Reflections on the Nature of God in Islam and Christianity. Shimba Theological Institute, 2025.

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Author’s Note

This paper is part of the Comparative Theology and Islamic Studies Series at Shimba Theological Institute, dedicated to examining theological inconsistencies within Islamic tradition and upholding the integrity of biblical revelation.

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