Bismillah
alhamdulillah, was-salatu was-salamu ‘ala Rasulillah,
Allah ‘azza wa jal said in surat Ath-Thariyat (51) ayah (47):
{وَالسَّمَاء بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ}
(47) سورة الذاريات
Translation (Hilali & Khan):
With power did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of space thereof (51:47)
Some claim that the tafsir of the word “Aydin” as “power” is ta’wil of the word, for they say that “Aydin” in this ayah is plural of “hands”.
So they say that Ibn Kathir rahimahu Allah made ta’wil of Allah’s attribute of “yad”.
Reply to this claim:
Aydin can either be the plural of the root word yad (meaning hand – literally), or it can be the word “Ayd“, which literally means power in Arabic.
So which one is it?
1_ The plural of yad that means “hand”?
or
2_ “Ayd” which literally means power ?
Answer:
It is # 2 = the word Ayd which literally means “power”.
Evidences for that:
1_ Majority of the Arabic dictionaries (Ma’ajim) mention this ayah under the root word “Ayd” and not “Yad”, confirming that it is the word Ayd and not the plural of yad that means hand.
2_ Muhammad ar-Razi (666 A.H.) said in “Mukhtar as-Sihah” under the root “yad”, when speaking about this ayah:
قلتُ: قوله تعالى: (بأَيْد) أي بقُوَّةٍ وهو مَصْدَر آدَ يئِيدُ أَيْداً إذا قَوِيَ وليس جَمْعاً لِيدٍ ليُذْكَر هُنَا بل مَوْضعُه بابُ الدَّالِ. وقد نَصَّ الأزَهَري على هذه الآية في الأيدِ بمعنى المَصْدَر. ولا أَعْرِفُ أَحدَاً من أَئِمَة اللُّغَة أو التَّفْسِير ذَهَبَ إلى ما ذَهَب إليه الجَوْهَرِي من أَنَّها جَمْعُ يَدٍ.
Translation:
“I said: His (Allah) saying: (Bi-aydin) meaning with power, and it is the root Aada ya’idu aydan if he became strong; and it is not the plural of yad/hand, for it to be mentioned here (under the root word yad) , its place is in the section of the letter dal. and al Azhari (370 A.H.) mentioned this ayah under the word al Ayd meaning the root. And I do not know any of the imams of the Arabic language or tafsir who had the same opinion of al Jawhari that it is the plural of yad – hand.”
3_ Imam Ibn Khuzaimah (d. 311 A.H.) rahimahu Allah said in his book “Tawhid”:
“And some of Jahmiyah claimed that the meaning of his saying ‘Allah created Adam with His (two) hands‘ is ‘His power’, so he claimed that ‘the yad’ means power, and this is from changing (words) also, and it is ignorance of the Arabic language , and power is called in the Arab’s language “Al-ayd” not “al-yad” ….. Allah has informed us that he created the heaven (As-sama’) with (Ayd) power, and (al-yad) the hand and (al-yadan) the two hands are different than (al-ayd) power; for if Allah created Adam with ayd like he created the heaven, without favouring the creation of Adam with His (two) hands He (Allah) wouldn’t have said to Iblees: (ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدي - (Allâh) said: ‘O Iblîs (Satan)! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands 38:75′ , and there is no doubt that Allah Azza wa Jal has created Iblees (Allah’s curse be upon him) also with His power.
Conclusion:
Explaining the word “aydin” to mean power is not ta’wil, it is confirming the dhahir & haqiqi meaning of the word, which is “ayd” meaning power, so their is no ta’wil in this ayah.
