Is he mistaken who believes that the pronoun in the Hadith "Allah created Adam in His image" refers to Adam and not to Allah, while affirming the attribute of image for Allah Almighty, especially if that is to ward off misgivings related to the essence of Allah, and what is one's duty concerning these Ahadith?

Scholars have differed on the Hadith (definition) "Allah created Adam in His image" (خلق الله آدم على صورته), with several views:

1. Refraining from Delving: One group holds that refraining from delving into this Hadith and similar ones is safer (aslam).

2. Interpretation (Ta'wil): Another group opts for interpretation, and they have two approaches: The pronoun refers to Adam: This view holds that the pronoun in "His image" refers to Adam, and that he was created in his own image, which has not changed since his creation. This is the apparent meaning. The pronoun refers to Allah: This view, adopted by the majority of the Salaf, holds that the pronoun refers to Allah Almighty. However, this does not necessitate resemblance, for Allah cannot be encompassed by description or imagination. Allah created Adam in an image He chose as an honor, or that Adam was created in Allah's image in a general sense, without resemblance.

3. Our Duty Towards the Hadith: We must be certain that the Hadith is, by consensus, diverted from its apparent, commonly understood meaning, and we must believe in the absolute transcendence of Allah Almighty from anything unworthy of Him. It should be noted that affirming an "image" (ṣurah) for Allah Almighty is something indicated by the Qur'an and Sunnah (definition), and agreed upon by the righteous Salaf.