Is the Attribute of "Foot" (Rijl) Affirmed for Allah? – In the Light of Qur’an and Hadith
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
❖ Question:
Is the attribute of Rijl (foot) affirmed for Allah Almighty?
❖ Answer:
Yes, the attribute of foot is affirmed for Allah Almighty. However, none of His attributes resemble the creation. Allah’s foot is as befits His Majesty and Perfection.
Sayyiduna Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أما النار فلا تمتلئ حتى يضع رجله فتقول: قط قط، فهنالك تمتلئ ويزوى بعضها إلى بعض، ولا يظلم الله عز وجل من خلقه أحدا
Hell will not be filled until Allah places His foot in it. Then it will say: “Enough, enough!” At that point it will be full, and part of it will draw close to the other. And Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will not wrong any of His creation.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4850, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2846)
This narration is also reported from Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4848)
❖ Evidence from the Qur’an
Allah Almighty says:
وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ
(Al-Baqarah: 255)
Sayyiduna ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما said that Kursī refers to “the place of the two feet (موضع القدمين).”
(Al-ʿAẓamah by Abū Shaykh: 2/552 – chain is ḥasan)
Many of the Salaf gave the same tafsīr.
Conclusion:The attribute of foot (rijl) is indeed affirmed for Allah Almighty in Qur’an and authentic Hadith. However, it must be understood without likening it to creation, without delving into its modality, and while affirming it as it befits His Majesty.
