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There is a tradition from Sahih Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4879

حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي مُزَرَّدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْخَلْقَ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْهُ قَامَتِ الرَّحِمُ فَأَخَذَتْ بِحَقْوِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَقَالَ لَهَا مَهْ‏.‏ قَالَتْ هَذَا مَقَامُ الْعَائِذِ بِكَ مِنَ الْقَطِيعَةِ‏.‏ قَالَ أَلاَ تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ أَصِلَ مَنْ وَصَلَكِ وَأَقْطَعَ مَنْ قَطَعَكِ‏.‏ قَالَتْ بَلَى يَا رَبِّ‏.‏ قَالَ فَذَاكِ لَكِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ اقْرَءُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏{‏فهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَنْ تُفْسِدُوا فِي الأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ‏}

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah created His creation, and when He was done with it, the womb, got up and caught hold of the Merciful's loin (or loincloth?) Allah said, "What is the matter?' On that, it said, 'I seek refuge with you from those who sever the ties of Kith and kin.' On that Allah said, 'Will you be satisfied if I bestow My favors on him who keeps your ties, and withhold My favors from him who severs your ties?' On that it said, 'Yes, O my Lord!' Then Allah said, 'That is for you.' " Abu Huraira added: If you wish, you can recite: "Would you then if you were given the authority. do mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship. (47. 22)

‏ According to Almaany Online Arabic Dictionary the Arabic word "حَقو", means 'groin' and 'loin'.

Google Translate (which admittedly doesn't have a scholarly-authored glossary but one that reflects languages as commonly used by internet users) returns 'waist' and 'loin'.

I also looked up the word "الحقو" in an Arabic Dictionary (?) and this was the definition:

الحقو- بفتح المهملة و سكون القاف-: موضع شد الإزار، و هو الخاصرة، ثم توسعوا حتى سموا الإزار الذي يشد على العورة" حقوا" و الجمع" أحق" و" حقي" مثل فلس و أفلس و فلوس، و قد يجمع على" حقاء" كسهام.

is the place where the loincloth is fasten which is waist, then they extended it to name the loincloth itself ...

But in the translation offered by Sunnah.com, it seems that the word 'حقو' is entirely ignored which could be an indication that their translation is not literal but interpretive, i.e. how this particular translator understands and interprets the hadith.

But since a physical part or object is attributed to Allah in the original Arabic version of the hadith, what does it mean? Does it meant that Allah have indeed physical parts or belongings, or else?

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fatemah3
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  • It doesn't say "caught hold of arrahman's loincloth" in the Arabic. – Sayyid Jul 27 '14 at 19:08
  • i don't know if u are an arab. if not, u may have been mistaken. http://quranx.com/Hadith/Bukhari/Book-65/Hadith-4879/ –  Jul 28 '14 at 18:35
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    "whereupon" is not the correct translation of the word "حقو". That's why I mentioned its definition given by an Arabic Dictionary. – fatemah3 Jul 28 '14 at 21:22
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    See discussion about this closure on meta: Does it make any sense to you to put on hold question 16544? – Caleb Aug 01 '14 at 10:45
  • Considering that, by your own quoted reference, the primary definition of الحقو is "waist", why would you prefer the translation of "loincloth" instead? I have yet to see this hadith translated in that manner anywhere – goldPseudo Aug 27 '14 at 17:23
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    @goldPseudo, I think we missed the whole point of this question. I think the OP had mainly intended to get an answer on correct interpretation of traditions that attribute physical parts or belongings to God but by insisting on this or that translation ('waist' or 'loincloth' or whatever!) the main point of the question was entirely overshadowed! – infatuated Aug 30 '14 at 06:05
  • I edited your question to unwind the confusion between translation and interpretation to salvage your question. I also left a question mark in () for your to specify the name of the dictionary you used to define the word حقو. Hopefully your question can be reopened. – infatuated Aug 31 '14 at 04:43

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I will answer this question disregarding whatever the translation says.

Simply, Allah(cc) can not be perceived in a wordly way, as us humans do with senses. As such it is not possible to give him a form or physical representation, because the forms which we understand rely on our senses. In the same way the cloths are stuff which we use for the forms which we understand.

Basically, no one can talk about what Allah wears, or looks like as he does not belong in the category of physical representations which we can grasp.

Kristof Tak
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    This Hadith is in direct contradiction to what you've stated. please provide me with sufficient reasons supporting your ideas. – fatemah3 Jul 27 '14 at 16:46
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    @fatemah3 no it's not. All my English translations of the Quran mention some 'physical' aspect of Allah like saying "such and such matter is in Allah's hand" and makes great pains to clarify Allah subhana wa-ta'ala is above such images but it is mentioned figuratively to aid our limited understanding. – PracticingFerret Aug 04 '14 at 06:58