The Image of God

Ramazan M. Zuberi
May 16, 2004 / 27 1425

The belief that God created man in His own image has distorted the concept of God for
centuries. It would be completely illogical to believe that God possesses human physical
features. The expression the image of God has been taken out of context and
misunderstood. If creating an image, its characteristics must also go with it. Well, if God
was in fact in the shape of a human, then it would be logical to assume that He would
also bear the same characteristics of a human and also be subject to the laws of human
nature.

Lets think deeply about this. Analyzing the human being, we see that there is a complete
biological system in place for reproduction purposes and must posses similar organs as
we do here on Earth. What purpose would God have for any of these organs? Then ask
yourself - is he Male, female, transgender, white, black, etc.? Questions like this are
important if placing human physical features on God.

There are also many impurities in the human that we cannot attribute to God. For
example, we are in need of eating, drinking and therefore to answer the call of nature,
we naturally become impure to the point of needing baths. Lets face it; we are impure
and imperfect creatures. Can we imagine God answering these calls, or being in need of
anything? We also have functions such as taste, smell, desires, affections, emotions,
feelings, etc., as well as functions of weakness such as fatigue, sleep, forgetfulness,
imperfection, pain, sickness, disease, etc.. Therefore again I ask, can you honestly and
rationally believe that God also possesses these same functions? Or is He above all this?

Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal.
No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and
on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He
permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or
after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge
except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the
earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is
the Most High, the Supreme (in glory). (Quran 2:255)
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There are many confirmations from the Bible and Quran that refute this notion, some of
which are:

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son,
which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

I was told a number of times that the above reference means that Jesus ()
declaring God means that he has seen him. I strongly disagree because to say he
hath declared him does not necessarily mean he has visually seen him.
Declaring means to make known formally or officially, and this is something
Muslims do every single day with the Shahaadah (Bearing Witness), e.g. when
declaring la ilaha ill Allah, wa Muhammadun rasoolullah, this is declaring that
there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The
Aramaic word that was translated to mean declared is ..,.

(eshtaee)
which means: to relate, declare, narrate, tell, discuss, discourse, and talk. So,
there is no interpretation which relates to a visual expression.

Other references are:

John 5:37 Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his
shape.

Quran 6:103 No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision:
He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.

The Quran and the Bible are in agreement with this idea. Therefore, we should have no
difficulty in erasing from our minds any physical representation of God.

The reference of the Image of God comes from the famous Old Testament verse:

And God created Adam in the likeness,
in the likeness of God created He him;
male and female created he them.
(Genesis 1:27)
ae ai %di N %di ae
a ai bj i
________________________________________________________________________

The above translation is my own from Aramaic. The word ..:

(bSalma) is derived
from the Aramaic word .:

(Salma) which means: Representative, Likeness, etc.. It

does not mean a physical representation or image of God. The KJV states: in his OWN
image. However, the word for OWN is not in the original text. With the addition of
the word own in the verse creates the idea that God resembles man in the physical
sense. This is certainly not true. In the Likeness means that God created Adam however
He pleased, to His liking, according to His Plan, Will and Decree. The above reference
can be compared to the Quranic reference when Allah () created Adam ():

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Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: I
will create a vicegerent on earth. They
said: Wilt Thou place therein one who
will make mischief therein and shed
blood? Whilst we do celebrate Thy
praise and glorify Thy holy (name)? He
said: I know what ye know not.
(Quran 2:30)





________________________________________________________________________

The word (Khaleefah) is similar in meaning to the Aramaic word ..:

(Salma). It is derived from the Arabic root (Khalafa) which means: Succeeded.
In turn, also means: Role Model, Representative, Vicegerent, Successor, etc..
We find another example of this in the following:

O David! We did indeed make thee a
vicegerent on earth: so judge thou
between men in Truth (and justice): nor
follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for
they will mislead thee from the Path of
Allah: for those who wander astray from
the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous,
for that they forget the Day of Account.
(Quran 38:26)





________________________________________________________________________

This informs us that we were also created to be Vicegerents, Soldiers, Representatives,
Role Models, etc., of Allah (). It was not just applied to the first man on earth; this
applies to every human being.

We also find this idea of image of God in the New Testament. We read in II
Corinthians 4:4 from the KJV:

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)

If we refer back to the previously mentioned verses (John 1:18 & 5:37), we know that
God in fact does not have an image, and if He does, no man has seen Him. Also, we now
have a better understanding of the image means in the scriptures. God is simply a
Spirit who has no shape or form. Jesus () says:

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John 4:24 For Allah is Spirit: and those
who worship Him, in Spirit and in Truth
they must worship him.

ae by N v a
Z byi v i .
________________________________________________________________________

Rooha haw geir Allaha, wailein dsajdeen leh, bRooha wbashrara wa le dnesjedoon

In the previous Old Testament references, we were analyzing the word ..:

(Salma)
and its meaning. In the New Testament, I want to point out a difference in II Corinthians
4:4 as there is a different word used in this verse. Below is II Corinthians 4:4 in
Aramaic:

In whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God.

b b e e N
Z |
bz e Z
e a .
________________________________________________________________________

Ailein dalaheh dalma hana awar madayhoon. al dla mhaimneen: dla nednaH lahoon
noohreh dewangeliyoon dshoobheh dMsheeha: dhooyu dmooteh dAllaha

The word that is taken to mean image is the word ..

(dmooteh). This word is
derived from the Aramaic word i..

(dmoota). Like the word ..:

, it means:
Likeness, Similitude, Type, an Exemplar, Model, Vicegerent, Pattern, etc.. We can see
that even though the words between Genesis 1:27 and II Corinthians 4:4 are different,
they are identical in meaning, as well as the Quranic word. Correctly translating this
verse, it reads as follows:

In whom the god of this world has blinded their minds
1
, unto them who
have no faith, lest dawns on them the light of the glorious gospel of the
anointed one (Jesus), who is Allahs vicegerent (on earth). (From
Aramaic)

Again, we can use the word Vicegerent because it is one of the meanings and Jesus
() was indeed a vicegerent or example on earth as every prophet was. He surely
brought a way of life, a pattern for the people of his time to follow. The way of life that
Jesus () taught, was the religion to accept in his time, and the religion that he taught

1
The Aramaic word .,.

(Mada) also means: Intellect, knowledge, understanding,
judgment, etc.
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was no other than Total Submission to Gods Will. This concept is comprised in one
Arabic word: Islama and in Aramaic: Shlama as Jesus () says in John 14:27:

b be j N b be l N be b l be a be l
N y j .

This reads as follows:

Shlama shabaq ana lakoon, Shlama dilee yaheb ana lakoon. La hwa aikana dyaheb
alma, ana yaheb ana lakoon. La netdawad lebkoon wa la nedhal
A more meaningful translation of this verse would be:

Shlama (same as Islama) I leave with you (all), Shlama of mine I give to
you (all). Not as the world gives it, (only) as I give it to you (all). Do not
let your heart be troubled, and neither afraid.

Interestingly enough, a Bishop from the East refers to the word Shlama in the
following manner:

Tranquility, that Peace which is under and in accordance to Gods Will.
2

However, George M. Lamsa said it best in his commentary concerning the above,

the Peace which caused them to surrender themselves to God
3

Is this not what Islam is?

We can see the following points have been illustrated and clarified using the original
language of Jesus.

God has no image, shape or form and if He does, then it would be beyond our
comprehension and we have no right to try and define Him.

Prophets are only in His image in so far as that they are His vicigerents, and carry out His
Will in the best of manners throughout their lives.

May Allah () continue to guide us all to the Straight Path, Ameen!

2
Enlightenment From Aramaic, Selected Passages From The Khaboris Manuscript, by
Sadook De Mar Shimun, Archdeacon
3
New Testament Light, George M. Lamsa, Copyright 1968 by Nina Shabaz, page 141
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Bibliography:

b bi : (Kitaba Qadeesha), The Aramaic Bible known as the Peshitta

ay b Z bz : dDyateqa Hadtta: dmaran Yeshu MsheeHa,
The New Testament: Of our Lord Yeshu The Anointed One. Aramaic New Testament

- : Qamoos Siryanee _ Arabiyya : Syriac Arabic
Dictionary
4

Orahams Dictionary of the Stabilized and Enriched Assyrian Language and English

Lexicon to the Syriac New Testament (Peshitta), by Willian Jennings

The New Testament Light by George M. Lamsa

The Holy Bible, From The Ancient Eastern Text by George M. Lamsa.

Enlightenment From The Aramaic Selected Passages From The Khaboris Manuscript,
An Ancient Text Of The Syriac New Testament, By Sadook De Mar Shimun,
Archdeacon

The Holy Quran Abdullah Yusuf Ali Translation

Vocabulary of The Holy Quran compiled by, Dr. Abdullah Abbas Nadwi

4
This particular dictionary is a Syriac French English Arabic Dictionary.
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