LessonsMuḥkam, Mutashābih, Kināyah, Taʿrīḍ and Figurative AttributionQuiz

«بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ»
“Rather, His two hands are extended.” (al-Māʾidah 5:64, excerpt)

In its context, the expression counters an accusation of withholding and communicates the abundance of God’s generosity. The language of open-handedness is a familiar way to convey liberal giving; the intended assertion is not a measurement of bodily posture.

The interpretive move is from a recognizable image to the attribute expressed by it. The surrounding denial and response guide that move. The point is to understand the intended generosity without imposing the physical properties of created bodies upon God.

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“His hands are extended”: generosity

Muḥkam, Mutashābih, Kināyah, Taʿrīḍ and Figurative Attribution

«بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ»
“Rather, His two hands are extended.” (al-Māʾidah 5:64, excerpt)

In its context, the expression counters an accusation of withholding and communicates the abundance of God’s generosity. The language of open-handedness is a familiar way to convey liberal giving; the intended assertion is not a measurement of bodily posture.

The interpretive move is from a recognizable image to the attribute expressed by it. The surrounding denial and response guide that move. The point is to understand the intended generosity without imposing the physical properties of created bodies upon God.