Does the Hadith, "The hearts of the servants are between two fingers of the Fingers of the Most Merciful; He turns them as He wills," necessitate an allegorical interpretation of the attribute of "fingers," or is it a metaphor for Allah's power, and what is its relationship to predestination (jabr), free will (ikhtiyar), divine will (mashee'ah), and divine decree (qadar)?

Fingers are an established attribute of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, as indicated by texts from the noble Hadith (definition), such as the Hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas and the Hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with them both. The imams of the Salaf, like Ibn Khuzaymah, Al-Ajurri, and Al-Darimi, affirmed this attribute and did not interpret it in a way that contradicts its apparent meaning.