Among the Muslims and non-Muslims is a group of “corporealists” who believe that God has a physical existence like us humans. They have been known to say things that are humorous and shameful. Shahristani has quoted them in his book Millal wan Nahal, “They say you can touch God with your hands, even shake hands with Him; the true believers can carry Him in their laps and hug Him. Daud Jawaribi is one among them and he says, “excepting for the sexual organ and beard ask me anything (about God). My God has a body, with flesh and blood, hands and legs, a head, a tongue, two eyes and two ears. His body cannot be compared to any other and His flesh is not like the flesh of others.” He is also known to have said, “God is empty up to His chest and full below it. He has long curly hairs. (2)

Mohaqqiq Dawani has also written about them. He says they have various groups some feel that God is made of flesh and blood and others say that He is a shining light like a white sun and He is seen hands tall ( according to His hands). Some others say that he is a young man with curly hairs. Others say that he is a very aged person and His beard and hairs are black and white. (3)

These childish ranting clearly indicates their low mental state. Even the children do not use the words that they use for God but they still do not feel ashamed for what they say. We cannot readily accept that people with such faith Muslims or non-Muslims exist in modern times.

Every presupposition has an opposite and every excess has its opposite. Opposed to them are those people who say that you should cut off the hands of anyone who emphasizes on it after reading the words, “I created man with my own hands.” They say the fingers of the person who exhibits his fingers after reading the words “the heart of the believer is between the two fingers of God’ (5)

We find that there are two sources of all these weak and frivolous beliefs: (a) the love of the material world filled with banal ideas and ignorance does not permit man to come out of a materialistic world. This unwarranted attachment results in attributing human qualities to God. (b) There are certain ambiguous and symbolic terms in the Qura’n which may lead some ignorant people to believe in the physical existence of God.

We should also consider that believing God to have a body is like denying Him being a Necessary being and His Godship because every body has parts subject to time and pace. The body is subject to changes and alterations and is always moving towards death and destruction. All this denies the attributes of God and his omnipotence. If He has a body then will have a similitude but many verses of the Qura’n deny this to be so. We will end this discussion with the statement of Imam Musa Kazim.

 “Some people told the Imam that there are some people who believe that God has a body and He descends to earth.”

The Imam replied, “God never descends and He has no need because distance and closeness are the same to Him. He does not need anything and everything needs him. Whoever talks this way about God believes in increase and decrease in Him. Whoever moves needs a motivator for this movement and this is unthinkable because whoever thinks this is damned and will lead others to damnation. Beware! Never believe in any limitations about God or, increase or decrease, motivation or movement, decadence and descent, reposing or standing because God is far above all this.” (6)

There are umpteen traditions in this regard but we do not need them after achieving our conclusion. (7)

Some of these wayward people have attribute these wild and baseless Hadiths to the school of Ahlulbait also but the study of Shia books reveal that they believe God to be free from all needs and all material form.

We end this discussion with a quote from Imam Reza who said, “Whoever thinks that God has a body is not from amongst us and we are aloof from him in this world and the hereafter.” (8)

1. Millal wan Nahal page 105

2. Wafra the hairs of the head that go up to the ear lobes

3. Sha’r Qatt or Qatat= Curly hairs

4. Behar-ol-Anwar vol. 3 page 289

5. Millal wan Nahal vol.1. Page 97

6. Behar-ol-Anwar Vol.3 page 311

7. For more information see Tawhid of Shaykh Suduq page 97 to 104 chapter “God has no body or face” . There are 20 hadiths having the same meaning.

8. Tawhid of Shaykh Suduq as above Hadith 20.