Are we created in God's image?

By: A. Muhammad

According to the Old Testament, man was created in the image of God:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our own image, in our likeness ..." (Genesis 1:26)
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male
and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

The purpose of this article is to examine the authenticity of the Biblical passage in
Genesis. Normally, the Quran would be the only source used for evidence, however, in
this article Quranic as well as Biblical references are used. Biblical verses are used for the
benefit of the readers and followers of the Bible who do not accept the credibility of the
Quranic evidence.

It can be shown that the concept of 'man created in the image of God', as in Genesis 1:26-
27, is in contradiction to a number of other Biblical verses. It can also be shown that this
concept is categorically refuted in the Quran.

FIRST: The true worth, nature and image of God is far beyond human comprehension

A number of Biblical verses state that we can never comprehend what God is like:
- How great is God - beyond our understanding! (Job 36:26)
- Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalms
145:3)

If we were created in God's image, then God would not be completely beyond our
understanding, for then we would at least know what God looks like.

The Quranic words affirm the same truth that we can never comprehend anything about
the nature of God:

They did not value God according to His true worth. The whole earth is within His grip
on the Day of Resurrection and the universes are folded up in His right hand. Glory to
Him and exalted is He, far above whatever they associate with Him. 39:67

SECOND: Are the words "in the image of God" literal?

There are some Biblical scholars who do not endorse the literal sense of the words "in the
image of God". This may have been due to the difficulty of reconciling the literal sense of
the Genesis concept with the other Biblical verses.
As a result, they suggest that the Biblical words "in the image of God" should be
understood in terms of similar characteristics and not as a literal visual likeness.
According to this interpretation, being created in the image of God does not mean that
God has two arms, a nose and a mouth. Rather, it is saying that the basic characteristics
of the human being are derived from similar characteristics of God. So for example, both
God and man have a mind, emotions and awareness. In the Bible, God is sometimes
portrayed as sad, angry or joyful. The same range of emotions are also shared by man.
This interpretation can be refuted on two counts:

1- The words used in Genesis are "in the image of God". The word image means a visual
representation. Emotional characteristics are not visual.

2- If being created "in the image of God" relates to characteristics that are shared by God
and humans, such as sadness, anger, joy, then we should conclude that animals are also
created "in the image of God", for animals also show expressions of sadness, anger and
joy. Animals also have a brain, awareness and they express emotions.

THIRD: Does anything in the universe bear resemblance to God?

Once again, we find a number of Biblical verses that state the exact opposite of the
concept in Genesis:

- Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am
God, and there is none like me. (Isaiah 46:9)

- How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but
you, as we have heard with our own ears. (2 Samuel 7:22)

- There is no one like you, LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with
our own ears. (1 Chronicles 17:20)

The statement 'none is like God', which is common to the above three verses, is
proclaimed in absolute manner; it is not restricted to any narrow meaning. Thus, the
message is that none is like God in any way.
If we (humans) had the same image as God, the above words would be invalid, since we
would be like God in image.
The Quranic words assert the same truth with the words:

And none is akin to Him. 112:4

If there was any resemblance in image between us and God, the words in 112:4 would be
untrue, or at least partially untrue. Rather, no one is akin to God in any way.

FOURTH: Why do we look like we do?

Our physical bodies are created in the form they are so that we would be able to function
in the physical universe we find ourselves in. Our bodies contain various apparatuses and
receptors that allow us to detect and interact with our physical surroundings.
Our eyes are apparatuses designed to receive visible light waves and convert them to
particle images in the brain.
Similarly, our ears are apparatuses designed to receive a range of sound waves and
convert them to audible messages in the brain.
The same applies to our other senses (touch, taste and smell) which are assigned to the
apparatuses of skin, tongue and nose respectively.

He is the One who devised for you the hearing, the sight and the hearts. Rarely do you
give thanks. 23:78

Or do they have eyes with which they see? Or do they have ears with which they
hear? 7:195

God created the universe and all that is in it. God also set all the laws that govern the way
everything in the universe operates. Since God created the universe, and since God
always existed, long before He created the universe, it follows that God is not in any way
subject to, or bound to anything in the universe that He created.
The apparatuses we are given (eyes, ears, etc) are necessary to intercept and make sense
of the waves, particles and forces that operate around us. Our apparatuses compensate for
our limitations. In contrast, God does not have any limitations that require specialized
apparatuses (eyes, ears, etc).

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded from the above that it is totally insolent to entertain the thought that
we look like God in any way. In fact, it is highly insulting to God's Majesty to even
suggest that we resemble God in any shape or form. More humble, and indeed factual, is
to remember our miniscule size and place within God's creation. The human being is but
one species among millions of others created by God and placed on an insignificant
planet (Earth) revolving around an insignificant star, our Sun. The Sun is one of billions
of other stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and the Milky Way is one galaxy among
billions of other galaxies in the vast universe.
That is our true miniscule size in the vast universe, but even the vast universe is a mere
creation of Almighty God.
Every part of our body, an apparatus devised by the One God, is of meager capability.
Such apparatuses devised by God enable us to detect and interact with a miniscule
amount of information (waves, energy, matter) that surrounds us. Ultimately, nothing
about us or our extreme limitations, or indeed in the whole universe that surrounds us, is
in any way akin to God. Be He glorified.