Names and Attributes of Allah, - Meaning of the hadeeth which says that Allaah created Adam in His Image .

I am asking about the correct understanding ofthe hadeeth, "Adam was
created in the Image of the Most Merciful"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah created Adam in His Image…"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6227; Muslim, 2841.
With regard to the hadeeth, "Do not (insult one another) and say 'May
Allaah make your face ugly', because Adamwas created in the Image of
the Most Merciful," this was classed as da'eef (weak) by al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, no. 1176.
Perhaps the questioner is confused by this hadeeth because of the
verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
The scholars answered this problem in two ways: a brief answer anda
detailed answer.
The brief answer is that it is impossible for this hadeeth to
contradict the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
If we find a way to reconcile between them,all well and good,
otherwise we should say,
" 'We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are
from our Lord.' And none receive admonition except men of
understanding"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:7 – interpretation of the meaning]
We believe that there is nothing like unto Allaah and thus we will be
on the safe side before Allaah. These are the words of Allaah, and
these are the words of His Messenger; both are true and it is
impossible for one of them to belie the other. So we say thatthe verse
shows that His creation cannot resemble Allaah, and the hadeeth
affirms that Allaah has an Image. Both are true and we believe in
them; we say that both are from our Lord, and remain silent
thereafter. This is all thatwe can do.
See Sharh al-Waasitiyyahby Ibn 'Uthaymeen.
With regard to the detailed answer:
This hadeeth proves thatAllaah has an Image, andthat Allaah created
Adamin His Image.
But there is nothing in this hadeeth to indicate that the image of
Adam (peace be upon him) resembles the Image of Allaah, rather this
meaning is absolutely false and was not meant by the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
The fact that one thing islikened to another does not mean that it is
identical to it in all aspects, rather they are likened to one another
because they share someattributes, but that does not means that every
attribute is identical.
This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "The first group to be admitted to Paradise
willbe in the image of the moon on the night whenit is full." Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 3327; Muslim, 2834.
This hadeeth does not mean that they will enter Paradise in a form
that is exactly like the moon in all regards, otherwise that would
mean that they will enter Paradise with no eyes or mouths, or as
rocks.
Rather what the hadeethmeans is that they will be like the moon in
beauty and brightness, with shining faces, and so on.
So if you say: what is theImage that belongs to Allaah and in which
Adam was created? We say that Allaah has a Faceand Eyes and Hands and
Feet, but that does not mean that because of these things He resembles
man. There may be some similarity but that does not mean that these
things are identical, just as the first group of the people of
Paradise to enter Paradise are likened to the moon, but that does not
mean that they resemble the moon. This confirms the belief of
Ahlal-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, that none of the attributes ofAllaah can
be likened to the attributes of created beings, and they do not
misinterpret the Divine attributes or deny them, and they do not liken
them to the attributes ofhuman beings.
See Sharh al-'Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
al-'Uthaymeen, part 1, p. 107-110.