Title: The Hadith relating to 'Adam Created in God’s Image' Question: I bought a series of the prophets stories for children. I read through them all and when I got to the last book it was about Muhammad. As I was finishing it I read a sentence that curdled my blood: "Islam encouraged peace to the extent that the Prophet Muhammad said, 'When one of you strikes a blow, let him avoid striking the face...for GOD CREATED ADAM IN HIS IMAGE." (capitalization emphasis mine) How could this be accurate? I went to the local Mosque and some tried explain it by saying don't take it too literally and some seemed too scared to even challenge it. As little as I know, this has got to be wrong!! Please explain in full detail what is the correct belief and where the misunderstanding lies. I will take your explanation to the mosque and to the publisher to retract the statement. Ronnie USA Answer: Before we attempt to understand the meaning of the referred narrative, it is important to note that by compiling the various forms in which this narrative has been reported, we see that one of the most significant variations in its reporting relates to the last sentence [1] , i.e. ' فإن الله خلق آدم على صورته '. In a number of narrations of this narrative, this last sentence is omitted. For instance, in Bukhairy , narrative no. 2420, the narrative has been reported thus: إذا قاتل أحدكم فليجتنب الوجه When one of you fights, he should avoid targeting the face. Abu Dawood , narrative no. 4493, reports a similar implication in the following words: إذا ضرب أحدكم فليتق الوجه When one of you strikes [another], he should avoid striking the face. The same is the case with the reporting of the same implication in a number of other narratives. In view of the foregoing, it is quite possible that the latter part of the narrative, which apparently describes the reason for the directive given in its first part, was actually not a part of the Prophet's speech, but was, in fact, a clarification of the reason of the Prophet's directive (given in the first part), as understood by a narrator. However, later on, the whole sentence was mistakenly reported as the Prophet's speech. Such a discrepancy can easily occur, without any ill-intentions on the part of any of the narrators. Such a mistake can occur when a person erroneously interprets two separate pieces of information as related and then presents them as such, while, in fact, they are not related to each other. Suppose a person came across the information that 'God created man in His own image' and erroneously interprets this information as 'God created man in His own physical image'. Now, at a separate instance, the same person is informed that the Prophet (pbuh) has said that 'In a fight, a person should not target the face of another human being'. At getting this information, the person incorrectly relates the second information with the first one and subsequently reports it as: 'The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'When one of you fights, he should avoid targeting the face', [this is so,] because God has created man in His own image'. A person, who hears this report may interpret the whole sentence as a saying of the Prophet (pbuh), while, in fact, only the first part was a narration of the Prophet's saying and the second part was only an explanation of the reason and wisdom of the Prophet's saying, as interpreted by the narrator. An in-depth study and analysis of the Hadith literature clearly suggests that such mistakes and erroneous additions to a narration can easily take place and have, in fact, taken place, as intelligent and wise people are not only prone to explaining the reasons and the wisdom of various directives, as they understand them, but are also highly prone to creating relationships and connections between the various directives and information provided in the various forms of prophetic literature. In my opinion, the two parts of the referred narrative have been erroneously connected with each other due to a mistake by the narrators of this saying of the Prophet (pbuh). If the two parts are not related to each other - that is the latter is not made the reason for the former - and both are taken independently, then both these parts become quite understandable and acceptable. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad May 19, 2002 [1] That is, 'God created Adam in His own image'.