Why was the word "aydin" (أَيْدٍ - hands/power) in the plural form in Allah's saying, "And the heaven We constructed with power (أَيْدٍ), and indeed, We are [its] expander"?
The word "أيد" (ayd) in the verse: {And the heaven We constructed with power} [Adh-Dhariyat:47] is not the plural of "يد" (yad - hand). Rather, it is a verbal noun derived from "آد يئيد أيداً" (aada ya'eedu aydan), meaning strength or power. This is the interpretation adopted by Al-Tabari, Ibn Abbas, Sufyan Al-Thawri, Qatadah, Abu Hayyan, and Al-Raghib Al-Isfahani. Sheikh Al-Amin Al-Shanqiti and Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on them, both refuted anyone who thought it was the plural of "hand." The hamza (أ) in "بأيد" (bi-aydin) is original, not an extra hamza for pluralization as in "أيدٍ" (aydin - hands). The meaning of the verse is: "And the heaven We constructed with power." There is no contradiction between this meaning and affirming Allah's attributes, as Muslims affirm power for Allah, as indicated by other texts in the Holy Qur'an. As for the plural of "hand" in the Qur'an, it comes in the form "الأيدي" (al-aydi), as in His saying: {Do they not see that We have created for them from what Our Hands have fashioned, grazing livestock?} [Ya-Sin:71].
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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