World Dawah Quran & Sunnah through understanding of Salaf
The Ash’aris uniquely affirmed the attribute of internal speech (al-kalam al-nafsi) for Allah, Glory be to Him, and they say: “Indeed, Allah’s speech is eternal, and it is all one. Thus, command, prohibition, and information are all one speech, and they do not affirm what Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah established regarding Allah speaking whenever He wills with letter and sound. Rather, according to the Ash’aris, His speech, Glory be to Him, is an eternal attribute that does not renew, while Ahl al-Sunnah say: Allah’s speech is eternal in type but temporal in individual instances.
The Ash’aris established that Allah’s speech is an attribute of Allah, Glory be to Him, and that it is uncreated, and they refuted the Mu’tazilites regarding their statement about the creation of the Quran, although some later Ash’aris have made their disagreement with the Mu’tazilites in this matter merely verbal, and all of this will soon be quoted from their books.
Abu Nasr Al-Sijzi said: “Know – may Allah guide us and you – that there was no disagreement among creation, despite their different creeds from the beginning of time until the era when Ibn Kullab, Al-Qalanisi, Al-Ash’ari, and their contemporaries appeared, regarding the fact that speech consists only of letters and sound with composition and arrangement, even though languages may differ…
The consensus was established among rational people that speech consists of letters and sound. When Ibn Kullab and his associates emerged and attempted to refute the Mu’tazilites through mere rational argument – while they were neither well-versed in the fundamentals of Sunnah, nor in the way of the predecessors, nor did they use the relevant narrations as evidence, claiming these were isolated reports that don’t establish definitive knowledge – the Mu’tazilites compelled them with the argument that there was agreement that speech consists of letters and sound, involving succession and composition, which in observable reality only exists through movement and stillness, and must necessarily have parts and segments.
Whatever has these characteristics cannot be among the essential attributes of Allah, because Allah’s essence, Glory be to Him, cannot be described with combination and separation, wholeness and parts, or movement and stillness. The ruling for an essential attribute follows the ruling of the essence itself. They said: Through this principle, we know that the speech attributed to Allah, Glory be to Him, is His creation which He originated and attributed to Himself, just as we say: Allah’s servant, Allah’s creation, and Allah’s act.
Ibn Kullab and his associates felt constrained by this logical necessity due to their limited knowledge of the Sunnah, their abandonment of accepting it, and their submission of the reins to mere reason. Thus, they adopted what the Mu’tazilites said, engaged in obvious obstinacy, and violated the established consensus between all people, both Muslim and non-Muslim. They said to the Mu’tazilites: ‘What you mentioned is not the reality of speech; it is only called speech metaphorically because it is a narration or expression of it. The reality of speech is: a meaning established in the essence of the speaker…’ Then from this, they proceeded to claim that establishing letters and sound Allah’s speech, Glory be to Him, is anthropomorphism, and establishing language for it is comparison?!”
“Sharh Al-Sawi ‘ala Jawharat Al-Tawhid” (p. 183)
Ibn Taymiyyah said: “Know that the origin of the statement regarding expression is that Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Sa’id ibn Kullab was the first in Islam to say that the meaning of the Quran is the speech of Allah, while its letters are not Allah’s speech. He adopted half of the Mu’tazilites’ position and half of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah’s position! He had already established the attributes of Allah the Almighty, and opposed the Mu’tazilites in this matter, and affirmed Allah’s transcendence above the Throne and His distinction from creation, establishing this in a more complete manner than his followers did after him. People had discussed whether one who conveys another’s speech should be called a ‘narration’ of it or not. Most Mu’tazilites said it is a narration of it. Ibn Kullab said: ‘The Arabic Quran is a narration of Allah’s speech; it is not Allah’s speech!’ Then Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari came after him and followed his methodology in establishing most of the attributes, and in the matter of the Quran as well, but he corrected his statement about it being a ‘narration,’ saying: ‘A narration can only be like the thing being narrated, which would align with the Mu’tazilites’ position. Rather, what suits our position is to say it is an expression of Allah’s speech, because speech is not of the same genus as expression.’
“Majmu’ al-Fatawa” (12/272)
The statements of the early Ash’ari scholars and their later followers regarding the attribute of Speech, quoted from their books, including some true and false statements. The correct position of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah who follow Allah’s Book and His Messenger’s Sunnah and what the early generations of the Ummah were upon will be explained at the end of this discussion:
Al-Ash’ari (d. 324 H) said: “We say: Allah’s Speech is not created, and that He, Glory be to Him, does not create anything except He says to it: ‘Be’… and whoever says the Quran is created is a disbeliever.” This is a true statement.
“Al-Ibanah ‘an Usul al-Diyanah” (p. 23-27)
Al-Baqillani (d. 403 H) said: “Allah’s Speech is an attribute of His essence that has always existed and will always exist as His attribute, and it subsists in His essence and is specific to His essence, and its existence cannot be valid in other than Him. Even though it is preserved in hearts, recited by tongues, written in copies of the Quran, and read in prayer niches – in reality not metaphorically – and it does not transform in any of these forms. If it were to transform into something else, that thing would become the speaker, commander, prohibitor, informer, and sayer of ‘Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me’ [Taha: 14], and that contradicts the religion of Muslims.”
“Al-Insaf fima Yajib I’tiqaduhu wa la Yajuz al-Jahl bihi” (p. 25-27)
And He also said: “It must be known that Allah’s speech is heard by us in reality but through a medium, which is the reciter; the evidence for this is Allah’s saying: ‘And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah’ [At-Tawbah: 6]. And know that what is heard is Allah’s eternal speech, an attribute of Allah the Exalted, eternal and existing before the listener’s hearing of it, and only What comes into existence after not existing is the hearing of the listener and the understanding of the one who understands Allah’s speech. Allah the Exalted creates for him hearing when He wants him to hear His speech, and understanding when He wants him to understand His speech; because what is heard did not exist and then came to exist at the time of hearing and understanding.”
“Al-Insaf fima Yajib I’tiqaduhu wa la Yajuz al-Jahl bihi” (p. 91)
And he also said: “It must be known that Allah the Exalted’s eternal speech is not characterized by letters and sounds.”
“Al-Insaf fima Yajib I’tiqaduhu wa la Yajuz al-Jahl bihi” (p. 94)
And He also said: “It must be known that true speech is the meaning that exists in the soul, but signs were made to indicate it; sometimes it is a verbal statement in a language according to the convention of the people of that language, what they agreed upon, what became their custom, and what was made their language. Allah the Exalted has explained this in His saying: ‘And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them’ [Ibrahim: 4].He informed that He sent Moses, peace be upon him, to the Children of Israel in Hebrew language, so he made them understand Allah’s eternal speech that exists in the soul in Hebrew. And Jesus, peace be upon him, was sent with Syriac language, so he made his people understand Allah’s eternal speech in their language. And our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent with the Arabic language, so he made his people understand Allah’s eternal speech that exists in the soul in their speech. The Arabic language is different from Hebrew, and the Syriac language is different from both, but the eternal speech that exists in the soul is one thing that does not differ or change. The conventional writing systems among each people who write can indicate the speech that exists in the soul, so writing takes the place of verbal utterance in indicating meaning…, and likewise symbols and signs can indicate the true speech that exists in the soul.
“Al-Insaf fima Yajib I’tiqaduhu wa la Yajuz al-Jahl bihi” (p. 101-102)
Ibn Furak said: “The meaning of Allah’s speaking to His creation is making them understand His speech as He wills; either by making them hear expressions that indicate His meaning, or by creating initial understanding in their hearts by which they understand what He wants them to understand, and all of this is permissible and valid, and this is the meaning of how Allah speaks to the servant during accountability.”
Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq (p. 320)
He also said: “Just as we reject the statement of one who says Allah spoke only once, we likewise reject the statement of one who says Allah speaks time after time, because all of this necessitates that speech is created.”
Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq (p. 446)
He also said: “The correct view is to say: Allah’s speech has always existed and will always exist, and He makes whom He wills of His creation hear it, and makes understand whom He wills to make understand at the time He wants them to hear and understand what He wills of it, without renewing any statement or speech.”
Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq (p. 449)
Abdul-Qahir Al-Baghdadi said, explaining the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah – meaning in his speech the Ash’aris and those who agree with them: “They agreed that Allah’s speech is an eternal attribute of His, and that it is not created, originated, or temporal.”
Al-Farq bayna al-Firaq (p. 320)
Tahir bin Muhammad Al-Isfarayini said: “Allah’s speech is not letters or sound, because letters and sound imply the possibility of sequence and succession, which is impossible for the Eternal, Glory be to Him. What is indicated in Allah’s Book about speech having unlimited aspects proves it is not letters or sound, because what can be described as such must be finite… Allah’s speech is eternal and one – command, prohibition, information and inquiry in terms of determination. Everything that has come in the books from Allah in different languages – Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac – all are expressions indicating the meaning of Allah’s Book.”
“Al-Tabsir fi al-Din wa Tamyiz al-Firqah al-Najiyah ‘an al-Firaq al-Halikin” (p. 167)
Abu Al-Ma’ali Al-Juwayni said: “Among the beliefs of the people of truth is that Allah’s speech is not composed letters nor segmented sounds, but rather it is an attribute existing in His Essence. The Quran’s recitation indicates it, just as saying ‘Allah’ indicates eternal existence. What is named are sounds, and what is understood from them is the Lord, Blessed and Exalted… It must be stated absolutely that Allah’s speech is heard, but this does not mean perception is connected to the eternal speech existing in the Creator. Rather, what is perceived is the reciter’s voice, and what is understood during its recitation is Allah’s speech, Glory be to Him.”
“Al-‘Aqidah al-Nizamiyyah fi al-Arkan al-Islamiyyah” (p. 155, 157)
Al-Jurjani said in his explanation of Al-Iji’s “Al-Mawaqif”: “This” which the Mu’tazilites said “we do not deny,” rather we say it and call it verbal speech, and we acknowledge its temporal nature and that it does not exist in His Essence. “However, we affirm something beyond that, which is the meaning existing in the soul” that is expressed through words.
Sharh al-Mawaqif” (3/203)
Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali said: “A person is called a speaker in two considerations;
1. through sound and letter,
2. the other: through speech of the soul (kalam nafsi)which is not sound and letter, and that is perfection,
and it is not impossible regarding Allah the Exalted, nor does it indicate temporal occurrence, and we only affirm for Allah the Exalted the speech of the soul (Kalam nafsi).
Al-Iqtisad fi al-I’tiqad” (p. 68)
And he also said: “Moses, peace and blessings be upon him, heard Allah’s speech without sound or letter, just as the righteous will see Allah’s Essence in the Hereafter without substance or accident.”
Qawa’id al-‘Aqa’id (p. 59)
Al-Fakhr Al-Razi said: “The doctrine of the people of truth is that Allah’s speech has no beginning to its existence, and it is not letter nor sound, rather these are indications of it. They differed on whether it is described in pre-eternity as being commanding and prohibiting? Abdullah bin Sa’eed prevented this and said: It is only described with these attributes when He creates those legally responsible and makes them understand what He wants them to understand from His speech, such that when He makes the addressees understand obligation or recommendation, His speech is then described as being a command, and if He makes them understand prohibition or discouraged matters, it is described as being a prohibition. They have uncertainty about whether it is described in pre-eternity as being informative or not? And our Sheikh[1], may Allah be pleased with him, held that the eternal speech has always been command, prohibition, information, and address.”[2]
[1] Ya’ni bihi: Aba al-Hasan al-Ash’ari
[2] Al-Isharah fi ‘Ilm al-Kalam (p. 205)
Al-Amidi said: “The meaning of His being a speaker according to our companions is: that speech exists in His essence – eternal, pre-eternal, of the soul, one in essence, not letters nor sounds, yet it relates to all speech relations. However, they differed about describing Allah’s speech in pre-eternity as being command, prohibition, address, and speaking. Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari affirmed this, while Abdullah bin Sa’eed and many groups of the predecessors denied it, while agreeing on describing Him with this in what is ongoing.”
Abkar al-Afkar fi Usul al-Din (1/353)
Al-Taftazani said: “The verification: that Allah’s speech is a shared name between the eternal speech of the soul, and the meaning of its attribution: it being an attribute of Allah the Exalted, and between the temporal verbal [speech] composed of surahs and verses, and the meaning of its attribution: that it is created by Allah the Exalted, not from the compositions of created beings.”
“Sharḥ al-ʿAqāʾid al-Nasafiyyah” (p. 46)
Al-Dasuqi said: “The meaning of ‘And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech’ [Al-Nisa: 164] is not: that He began speech after being silent, nor that He became silent after speaking to him, rather The meaning is that He removed the veil from Moses, and created hearing for him, and strengthened it until he perceived His eternal speech, then prevented him after that and returned him to what he was before hearing His speech.
“Hashiyat al-Dusuqi ‘ala Umm al-Barahin” (p. 113
Al-Sawi said: “Allah’s speaking to Moses on the mountain was with the speech of the soul according to the verification of the Ash’aris.”
“Sharh Al-Sawi ‘ala Jawharat Al-Tawhid” (p. 183)
Al-Bajuri said, explaining the doctrine of the Ash’aris whom he described as Ahl al-Sunnah: “The people of different religions and schools differed regarding the meaning of His speech, the Exalted; so Ahl al-Sunnah said: It is an eternal attribute existing in His Essence, the Exalted, not with letters nor sound, free from sequence and succession and declension and construction, and free from internal silence by not managing speech within Himself while having the ability for it, and free from internal defect by not having the ability for that as in the state muteness and childhood. And the Hashawiyyah and a group who called themselves Hanbalis said: His speech, the Exalted, is the successive, ordered letters and sounds, and they claim that these are eternal. Some of them went so far as to claim the eternity of these letters that we read and the written forms, and some of them in their ignorance even went beyond that to [claim the eternity of] the cover of the Musha
“Tuhfat al-Murid ‘ala Jawharat al-Tawhid” pp. 129-131
Said Fudah said: “Allah the Exalted is a speaker, and His speech which is one of His attributes subsists in Him. This amount is agreed upon between the Ash’aris and the Mujassimah, but the Mujassimah add by saying: speech is sound and letter, and among these is Ibn Taymiyyah.”
“Al-Kashif al-Saghir” p. 309
And he also said: “Indeed Allah, Glory be to Him, is a speaker, meaning: He is characterized by a personal attribute which is speech, but His speech does not resemble any speech, and this attribute does not match any attribute of personal speech of humans or others… And this attribute is not with letter and sound, rather it is a personal attribute of Allah.And they said at the same time: Indeed He, Exalted be His status, can create sounds, letters, and words indicating some meanings of His personal speech, but these sounds or actions do not exist in Allah’s Essence; due to the impossibility of temporal things existing in Him, Exalted be His status.”
“Al-Sharh Al-Kabir ‘ala Al-‘Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah” (p. 557)
And he also said: “The Ash’ari masters declared that everything temporal is undoubtedly created, and Allah Glory be to Him, no temporal things or creations exist in His Noble Essence, therefore Allah the Exalted must have created the Arabic Quran in some of His creation.”
“Al-Sharh Al-Kabir ‘ala Al-‘Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah” (p. 342-343)
These are the statements of the Ash’ari imams that Allah’s speech is personal speech, not with letter or sound[1], and that it is an eternal attribute existing in His Essence, with no sequence or succession.
[1] Qala Al-Safarini fi “Lawami’ Al-Anwar” (1/143): (Mimman dhahaba ila madhhab Al-Salaf wal-Hanabilah min qidam kalamihi ta’ala, wa annahu bi harfin wa sawt, min muta’akhkhiri muhaqqiqi Al-Asha’irah: sahib Al-Mawaqif, wa in radda ‘alayhi jam’un minhum min mutahadhliqin wa mujazifin), ya’ni bi sahib Al-Mawaqif Al-‘Adud Al-Iji, lakin lam naqa’ ‘ala shay’in min hadha fi ayyin min kutubihi.
As for the imams of the Salaf from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, these are their statements regarding the attribute of speech:
From Mu’awiya bin ‘Ammar Al-Duhni, who said: I said to Ja’far bin Muhammad: “They are asking about the Quran – is it created?” He said: “It is neither creator nor created, but it is the speech of Allah.”
Narrated by Abdullah bin Ahmad in “Kitab Al-Sunnah” (132), Ibn Battah in “Al-Ibanah Al-Kubra” (52), and Al-Bayhaqi in “Al-Asma’ wa Al-Sifat” (537).
Waki’ bin Al-Jarrah said: “Whoever claims that the Quran is created has claimed that something from Allah is created. He was asked: From where did you say this? He said: Because Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: ‘But the word from Me took effect’ [As-Sajdah: 13], and nothing from Allah can be created.”
“Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah” by Al-Lalaka’i (2/245).
And Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah said: I heard ‘Amr bin Dinar saying: “I met our sheikhs seventy years ago saying: The Quran is Allah’s speech, from Him it began, and to Him it will return.”
Narrated by Al-Tabari in “Sarih Al-Sunnah” (16), Ibn Battah in “Al-Ibanah Al-Kubra” (184), and Al-Lalaka’i in “Sharh Usul Al-I’tiqad” (381).
From Abu Al-Nadr Hashim bin Al-Qasim, who said: “Ibrahim bin Shakalah called us, and brought Bishr Al-Marisi, wanting to execute him, and said to us: What do you say about the Quran? I said: The Quran is Allah’s speech, not created. He said: Why didn’t you just say ‘Allah’s speech’ and remain silent? I said: Because this enemy of Allah said it is created, so we had to say it is not created.”
Narrated by Al-Khallal in “Kitab Al-Sunnah” (1798).
And Ahmad bin Hanbal said: “The Quran is Allah’s speech and is not created. And one should not be weak in saying: it is not created, for Allah’s speech is not separate from Him, and nothing of it is created. And beware of debating with those who innovate in it, and those who speak about the pronunciation and other aspects, and those who hesitate about it saying: I don’t know if it’s created or not created, it is just Allah’s speech! Such a person is an innovator, like the one who says it is created! Rather, it is Allah’s speech, not created.”
“Usul Al-Sunnah” (p. 10).
Abu Bakr Al-Marwadhi said: “I heard Abu Abdullah – meaning: Ahmad bin Hanbal – and it was said to him: Abdul-Wahhab has spoken and said: ‘Whoever claims that Allah spoke to Moses without sound is a Jahmi, an enemy of Allah and an enemy of Islam.’ So Abu Abdullah smiled and said: ‘How excellent is what he said! May Allah grant him health!'”
“Dar’ Ta’arud Al-‘Aql wal-Naql” by Ibn Taymiyyah (2/38-39). See also: “Al-Masa’il wal-Rasa’il – Al-Marwiyah ‘an Al-Imam Ahmad fil-‘Aqidah” by Al-Ahmadi (1/302-303), “Al-‘Aqidah Al-Salafiyyah fi Kalam Rab Al-Bariyyah” by Al-Judi’ (p. 162).
Abdullah bin Ahmad said: “I asked my father, may Allah have mercy on him, about people who say: When Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, spoke to Moses, He did not speak with a sound. My father said: Yes, indeed your Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, spoke with a sound. We narrate these hadiths as they came. And my father, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him: ‘When Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, speaks, a sound is heard like the dragging of a chain over smooth rock.’ My father said: And the Jahmiyyah deny this[1]. And my father said: These are disbelievers, they want to confuse people. Whoever claims that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, does not speak is a disbeliever. Indeed, we narrate these hadiths as they came.”[2]
[1] Narrated by Abu Dawud (4738) from the hadith of Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him. Also narrated by Ibn Hibban (37), and Al-Bayhaqi in “Al-Asma’ wa Al-Sifat” (433).Authenticated by Ibn Hibban, Al-Bayhaqi, and Ibn Taymiyyah in “Al-‘Aqidah Al-Asbahaniyyah” (68), and Al-Albani in “Sahih Sunan Abi Dawud” (4738).The hadith was narrated as mawquf, and Al-Bukhari reported it as mu’allaq in the form of jazm before hadith (7481) with similar wording, and Al-Bayhaqi reported it as connected in “Al-Asma’ wa Al-Sifat” (432) with this wording.
Al-Bayhaqi authenticated it, and Al-Khatib said in “Tarikh Baghdad” (11/392): “It is the preserved version
[2]”Al-Sunnah” (1/280, 281), “Majmu’ Al-Fatawa” by Ibn Taymiyyah (12/368).
Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Bukhari said: “I heard Ubaydullah bin Sa’id said: I heard Yahya bin Sa’id saying: “I have always heard our companions saying: Indeed, the actions of the servants are created.” Abu Abdullah said: “Their movements, voices, earnings, and writings are created. As for the Quran that is recited, explained, established in the written Mushaf, inscribed, and preserved in hearts; it is the speech of Allah, not created. Allah the Exalted said: ‘Rather, it is clear verses [preserved] within the breasts of those who have been given knowledge’ [Al-‘Ankabut: 49]. And Ishaq bin Ibrahim said: ‘As for the vessels, who doubts their creation?!'”
Khalq Af’al Al-‘Ibad” (2/70)
And Al-Bukhari also said: “I met more than a thousand men of knowledge; people of Hijaz, Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Wasit, Baghdad, Sham, and Egypt. I met them multiple times, generation after generation, then generation after generation. I found them in abundance for more than forty-six years… and I did not see any one of them differing about these matters: That religion is speech and action, due to Allah’s saying: ‘And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the correct religion’ [Al-Bayyinah: 5], and that the Quran is Allah’s speech, not created and he said “Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command.” [Al-A’raf: 54]
Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: Allah distinguished creation from command, due to His saying: “Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.” [Al-A’raf: 54]
See: “Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah” by Al-Lalaka’i (1/193-196)
Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari said: “The Quran is Allah’s speech and His revelation; as it is from the meanings of His oneness. Therefore, the correct statement according to us regarding this is that it is Allah’s speech, not created, however it is written and wherever it is recited; in the heaven where it exists, and on earth where it is preserved.” “In the Preserved Tablet it was written, and on the slates of school children it was inscribed, carved in stone, written on paper, preserved in hearts, and pronounced by tongues. Whoever says otherwise or claims that there is a Quran in earth or heaven other than the Quran we recite with our tongues and write in our copies, or believes otherwise in his heart, or conceals it within himself, or says it with his tongue while believing in it; such a person is a disbeliever in Allah, his blood is lawful, he is free from Allah, and Allah is free from him “Nay, this is a Glorious Quran, (Inscribed) in a Preserved Tablet” [Al-Buruj: 21, 22], and He said – and His word is the truth – the Mighty and Majestic: “And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah” [At-Tawbah: 6]. Thus He, exalted be His praise, informed that it is written in the Preserved Tablet, and it is heard from the tongue of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and it is one Quran heard from Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, written in the Preserved Tablet, and likewise it is preserved in the hearts, and recited by the tongues of the elderly and the youth.
“Sarih Al-Sunnah” (p. 18)
Abu Ja’far Al-Tahawi said in explaining the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, according to the school of the jurists of the religion: Abu Hanifa Al-Nu’man bin Thabit Al-Kufi, Abu Yusuf Ya’qub bin Ibrahim Al-Ansari, and Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Al-Shaybani, and what they believe of the principles of religion, and what they profess to the Lord of the Worlds: “Indeed the Quran is the speech of Allah, from Him it began without modality as a statement, and He revealed it to His Messenger as revelation, and the believers believed in it as truth. And they were certain that it is truly the speech of Allah the Exalted, not created like the speech of creation. Whoever hears it and claims it is human speech has disbelieved, and Allah has condemned him and threatened him with Saqar (Hell); as Allah the Exalted said: ‘I will cast him into Saqar’ [Al-Muddaththir: 26]. Thus Allah threatened with Saqar those who said: ‘This is nothing but the word of humans.'”
We know and are certain that it is the speech of the Creator of mankind, and it does not resemble human speech. Whoever describes Allah with any human attributes has disbelieved. Whoever sees this should take heed, refrain from statements like those of the disbelievers, and know that Allah in His attributes is not like humans.”
“Al-‘Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah” (p. 12, 13)
Abu Bakr Al-Ajurri said: “Chapter on mentioning the belief that the Quran is the speech of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and that His speech, Exalted and High, is not created, and whoever claims the Quran is created has disbelieved.
Know – may Allah have mercy on us and you – that the statement of the Muslims whose hearts have not deviated from the truth, and who were guided to righteousness in the past and present, is that the Quran is the speech of Allah, not created; because the Quran is from Allah’s knowledge, and Allah’s knowledge cannot be created – Exalted is Allah above that. This is proven by the Quran, Sunnah, statements of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and the words of the Muslim scholars. None denies this except a wicked Jahmi.”
“Al-Shari’ah” (1/489)
Al-Lalaka’i enumerated the names of more than five hundred scholars from different eras and regions who said: “The Quran is Allah’s speech, not created.” He said at the end of his statement: “These are five hundred and fifty persons or more from among the Successors, their followers, and the approved Imams, besides the righteous Companions, across different eras and passing years. Among them are about a hundred Imams whose statements people followed and whose schools they adopted. If I had engaged in transmitting the statements of the hadith scholars, their names would have reached many thousands, but I abbreviated and removed the chains for brevity. I transmitted from these scholars era after era, with no one opposing them, and whoever denied their statement was asked to repent or was ordered to be executed, exiled, or crucified. There is no disagreement among the Ummah that the first to say ‘The Quran is created’ was Ja’d bin Dirham in the year one hundred and twenty-something, then Jahm bin Safwan.”
“Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahl Al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah” (2/253-344)
Ibn Abi Al-Khayr Al-‘Umrani (d. 558 H) [1] said: “The Ash’aris agreed with us that the Quran is not created, and whoever says it is created is a disbeliever, and they refuted the statement of the Mu’tazilites and Qadarites who say it is created. However, the Ash’aris said: Allah’s true speech is a meaning existing in Himself that does not separate from Him, not involving composition, arrangement, or sequence, and is not with letter and sound. Allah does not speak Arabic or any other language, and it has no beginning, end, or parts. Rather, it is one thing that Allah did not reveal to our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or to any of the prophets, and it is not recited or written, and no one heard it except Moses, peace be upon him. These surahs and verses are expressions and narrations of Allah’s speech, called Quran, just as the Torah is an expression of Allah’s speech in the language of Moses and his people, and the Gospel is an expression of Allah’s speech in the language of Jesus and his people!
[1] He is Yahya bin Abi Al-Khayr Salim bin As’ad bin Yahya, among the senior Shafi’i scholars in Yemen. He has works refuting the Ash’aris, Mu’tazilites, and Qadarites. See: “Tarikh Al-Islam” by Al-Dhahabi (12/155), “Tabaqat Al-Shafi’iyyah Al-Kubra” by Al-Subki (7/336)
They claimed that Allah’s speech is other than the Quran, and that the Quran is other than Allah’s speech, so their statement that ‘the Quran is not created’ is mere manipulation and contradiction of speech!
The proof that this Quran is called Allah’s speech is His saying: ‘And if any of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah.’ There is no dispute that He meant: until he hears this Quran from you, then if he accepts it and enters Islam, he is one of you, otherwise escort him to his place of safety. Among the proofs for this also is Allah’s saying: ‘They want to change the Words of Allah.'”
“It is known that the polytheists have no way to hear what is in Allah’s Self of speech nor to change it; thus it is established that what is meant by all of this is the recited, audible Quran
What we have said is indicated by Allah’s saying: ‘And a party of them used to hear the Words of Allah, then distort it after they had understood it.’ The meaning of Allah’s speech in this verse refers to the Torah.
What indicates that the recited is called Allah’s speech is His saying: ‘No doubt! Verily, the Awliya’ of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve’ to His saying: ‘No change can there be in the Words of Allah,’ meaning: there is no alteration to what Allah has promised His allies of noble reward.
As for the proof that this recited text is called Quran, it is Allah’s saying: ‘Say: If mankind and jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof.’ What Allah challenged the Arabs to produce the like of and made a miracle for His Prophet ﷺ, and informed that they cannot produce its like: it is this Quran and its surahs and verses. As for what is in the Creator’s Self of speech, neither the Arabs nor anyone from creation has any way to hear it or to challenge it.
What we have said is indicated by Allah’s saying: ‘And this Quran has been revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomsoever it reaches’ [Al-An’am: 19]. He said: ‘this Quran,’ and this is pointing to something present with the Prophet ﷺ, while what is in the Creator’s Self is not present with him, and because the Prophet ﷺ only warned them with what is recited in these surahs and verses.”
“Al-Intisar fi Al-Radd ‘ala Al-Mu’tazilah Al-Qadariyyah Al-Ashrar” (2/554-556)
Ibn Al-Jawzi said: “Every person of intellect knows that the one who said ‘This is not but the word of a human being’ [Al-Muddaththir: 25] was only pointing to what he heard, and the people of understanding and comprehension of discourse do not differ that His saying ‘And indeed it’ refers to the Quran, and His saying ‘brought down by also refers to it, and His saying ‘And this is a Book’ points to something present. This is a straightforward matter about which none of the ancients differed during the time of the Messenger ﷺ and the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
Then Satan introduced innovations, and some people said: ‘This which is being pointed to is created!’ So Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, stood firmly like no other in refuting this statement, lest something enter into the Quran that would diminish its reverence in souls and remove it from being attributed to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. He saw that innovating what had not been said about it was impermissible to use, so he said: ‘How can I say what has not been said?!’
“Sayd Al-Khatir” (p. 197)
Muwaffaq Al-Din Ibn Qudamah said: “We believe that the Quran is Allah’s speech, and it is these one hundred and fourteen surahs, beginning with Surah Al-Fatihah and ending with Al-Mu’awwidhat, and that it consists of surahs, verses, letters, and words, recited, heard, and written.
According to them [i.e., the Ash’aris], these surahs and verses are not the Quran, but rather expressions and narrations of it, and they are created, and that the Quran is a meaning in the Self of the Creator, and it is one thing that cannot be divided, partitioned, or multiplied, and it is not something that descends, nor is recited, heard, or written, and that there is nothing in the mushafs except paper and ink.”
“Al-Munazarah fil-Quran” (p. 17, 18)
Ibn Uthaymeen said: “The Ash’aris said: Allah’s speech is a meaning existing in itself that is not connected to His will, and these letters and audible sounds are created to express the meaning that exists in Allah’s Self!
We respond to them with the following:
1- It contradicts the consensus of the Salaf.”
2.“It contradicts the evidences, because they indicate that Allah’s speech is heard, and only sound can be heard, not the meaning that exists within oneself.”
3.“It contradicts what is known, because known speech is what the speaker utters, not what they conceal within themselves.”
“The proof that it consists of letters is Allah’s saying: ‘O Moses! Indeed, I am your Lord’ [Taha: 11, 12]; for these words are letters, and they are Allah’s speech.”
“The proof that it is with sound is Allah’s saying: ‘And We called him from the right side of Mount Tur and brought him near in communion’ [Maryam: 52], and calling and private conversation can only occur with sound.”
“Abdullah bin Anis reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Allah will gather the creatures and call them with a voice that those far will hear just as those near will hear: I am the King, I am the Judge.'”
Reported by Al-Bukhari as mu’allaq in the form of weakness before hadith (7481) and his wording, and reported as connected by Ahmad (16042), and Al-Tabarani (14/275) (14914). Ibn Al-Qayyim considered it hasan as in “Mukhtasar Al-Sawa’iq Al-Mursalah” (p. 489), Al-Hakim authenticated its chain in “Al-Mustadrak” (3638), Al-Mundhiri considered it hasan in “Al-Targhib wal-Tarhib” (4/303), and Ibn Hajar in “Fath Al-Bari” (1/209).
“Allah’s speech, the Most High, is eternal in type but occurring in individual instances. The meaning of ‘eternal in type’ is that Allah has never ceased and will never cease to be speaking – speech is not something that came into being from Him after not existing. And the meaning of ‘occurring in individual instances’ is that the individual instances of His speech – that is, specific, particular speech – are occurring because they are connected to His will” “Whenever He wills, He speaks what He wills, however He wills.”
“Ta’liq Mukhtasar ‘ala Lum’at al-I’tiqad” (p. 73, 74)
Now we will talk about some quranic verses and ahadith of prophet [pbuh]
“As Allah the Most High said: ‘But when he came to it, he was called from the right side of the valley in the blessed spot from the tree, ‘O Moses, indeed I am Allah, Lord of the worlds.'” [Al-Qasas: 30]
“And Allah, Glorified is He, said: ‘And the Day He will call them and say, “What did you answer the messengers?”‘” [Al-Qasas: 65]
“And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: ‘And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.”‘” [Al-Baqarah: 30]
“And Allah the Most High said: ‘And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted.'” [Luqman: 27]
“Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet ﷺ led us in the morning prayer at Hudaibiyah. Then he said: ‘Do you know what your Lord said last night?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘This morning some of My servants became believers in Me and some disbelievers. As for the one who said: “We received rain by Allah’s grace and mercy,” that one is a believer in Me and a disbeliever in the stars. And as for the one who said: “We received rain by such-and-such star,” that one is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.'”
Reported by Al-Bukhari (1038) and the wording is his, and Muslim (71).
“Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ‘When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His word, [making a sound] like a chain [being dragged] on a smooth rock. When fear is removed from their hearts, they say, “What has your Lord said?” They say to the one who asked, “The truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.”‘”
Reported by Al-Bukhari (4800) in extended form.
“Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ‘When Allah speaks with revelation, the inhabitants of heaven hear for the heaven a sound like the dragging of a chain on a smooth rock, and they fall unconscious. They remain in that state until Jibreel comes to them. When Jibreel comes to them and fear is removed from their hearts, they say: ‘O Jibreel, what did your Lord say?’ He says: ‘The Truth,’ and they say: ‘The Truth, The Truth.'”
Reported by Abu Dawud (4738) and this is his wording, and Ibn Khuzaymah in “Al-Tawhid” (1/350), and Ibn Hibban (37). Authenticated by Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Taymiyyah in “Al-Aqidah Al-Asfahaniyyah” (68), and Al-Bayhaqi in “Al-Asma’ wal-Sifat” (1/413).
Translation: “If you want to know the difference between the simple, natural, and easy saying of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, and the complex philosophical saying of the people of kalam – like the Ash’aris and Maturidis – then look at each of their beliefs regarding Allah’s speech.”
Position of Ahl al-Sunnah:
“Ahl al-Sunnah said: ‘Allah speaks whenever He wills, whatever He wills, however He wills,’ and this has been their statement for more than a thousand years until now.”
- The Ash’ari Position:
“As for the Ash’aris, Sa’id Fudah summarizes their position regarding Allah’s speech saying: ‘It can be said based on the Ash’ari school: Allah has power over speech as He wills, based on temporal verbal speech or non-verbal speech as we mentioned. This speech indicates His internal speech (kalam nafsi), and is not subsisting in His essence due to its temporal nature. It is called Allah’s speech because it indicates Allah’s speech, and because it proceeds from Allah through direct creation to guide creatures to His eternal internal speech!'”
“Al-Kashif Al-Saghir” (p. 451, 452).
Ibn Taymiyyah’s Analysis:
“Among the most prominent who verified the disagreement in the matter of speech and explained the position of the Salaf with textual and rational evidences was Ibn Taymiyyah, as he explained the origins of the statements of those who opposed the way of the Salaf, and exposed their misconceptions.” - Beginning of Ibn Taymiyyah’s Quote:
“Ibn Taymiyyah said: ‘The position of the Salaf, the jurists, and the majority is that speech is a name for the utterance and the meaning in a general way. So when it is said: ‘Someone spoke,’ what is understood from it unconditionally is both the utterance and the meaning together, as the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Indeed Allah has pardoned my nation for what their souls whisper to them, as long as they do not speak of it or act upon it’. [1] So speech when used unconditionally includes both the utterance and meaning together, and if the meaning alone is called speech or the utterance alone is called speech, this is only with a qualification indicating that.”[2]
[1] Reported by Al-Bukhari (5269) and Muslim (127) with slight differences from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.
[2] “Majmu’ al-Fatawa” (6/533)
“He also said: ‘The matter of Allah’s speech: People are confused about it, and they have reached nine different positions:'”
[Then he lists the positions]:
- “First: That Allah’s speech is what overflows upon souls from meanings that emanate; either from the Active Intellect according to some of them, or from something else. This is the position of the Sabians and the philosophers who agree with them, like Ibn Sina.”
- “Second: That it is created, Allah created it separate from Himself. This is the position of the later Rafidah, the Zaydiyyah, the Mu’tazilah, and the Jahmiyyah.”
- “Third: That it is one eternal meaning subsisting in Allah’s essence, which is the command, prohibition, information, and inquiry. If expressed in Arabic it is Quran, and if expressed in Hebrew it is Torah. This is the position of Ibn Kullab and those who agreed with him, like Al-Ash’ari and others.”
- “Fourth: That it consists of eternal letters and sounds combined in pre-eternity. This is the position of the Salimiyyah and those like them.”
- “Fifth: That it consists of letters and sounds, but He spoke with them after not being a speaker, and His speech occurring in His essence just as His action occurs in His essence after He was not speaking nor acting, and this is the position of the Karramiyyah and others.”
“Sixth: The position of those who say: He has always been speaking when He wills, whenever He wills, and however He wills, with speech that subsists in Him, and He speaks with it in an audible voice, and that the genus of speech is eternal and pre-eternal, even if the specific voice itself is not made eternal, and this is what is reported from the Imams of Hadith and Sunnah.”
“Seventh: His speech returns to what occurs from His knowledge and will that subsist in His essence, and Abu Abdullah Al-Razi states this position in his book ‘Al-Matalib Al-‘Aliyah.'”
“Eighth: His speech includes a meaning subsisting in His essence and what He creates in others. Among these are those who say regarding that meaning what Ibn Kullab said, and this is the position of Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi, and among them are those who say what the philosophers say, and this is the position of a group of the esoteric heretics, both their Shi’ites and their Sufis.”
“Ninth: Allah’s speech is shared between the eternal meaning subsisting in the essence and what He creates in others of sounds, and this is the position of Abu Al-Ma’ali and those who followed him among the later Ash’aris.”
“Minhaj Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyyah” (2/358-363)
“Ibn Taymiyyah also said: ‘The Salaf and the Imams of Sunnah and Hadith say: Indeed Allah speaks by His will and power, and His speech is not created, rather His speech is an attribute of His that subsists in His essence… They agree that He has always been speaking when He wills and however He wills… They say: It is an attribute of essence and action, He speaks by His will and power with speech that subsists in His essence, and this is what is understood from the attribute of speech for every speaker, for every living being described with speech – like the angels, humans, jinn, and others – their speech must subsist in themselves, and they speak by their will. and their power. Speech is an attribute of perfection, not an attribute of deficiency, and whoever speaks by his will is more perfect than one who does not speak by his will. So how can the created be described with attributes of perfection without the Creator?!
But the Jahmiyyah and Mu’tazilah built upon their principle that no attribute can subsist in the Lord, because according to their claim, this would necessitate anthropomorphism and impossible resemblance, since an attribute is an accident, and an accident can only subsist in a body.”
“The Kullabiyyah say: He is described with attributes over which He has no power and which do not occur by His will. As for what occurs by His will, it is temporal (hadith), and temporal events cannot subsist in the Lord. They interpret the voluntary attributes through the issue of the occurrence of temporal events, saying that when He spoke to Musa ibn Imran by His will and power, and called him when he came by His power and will, that call and speech was temporal. They say: If the Lord were described by it, temporal events would subsist in Him, and if temporal events subsisted in Him, He would never be free of them, and whatever is never free of temporal events is itself temporal. They say: Because His being receptive to that attribute, if it were from the necessities of His essence, would mean He was receptive to it in pre-eternity, necessitating the possibility of its existence in pre-eternity, but temporal events cannot exist in pre-eternity, as that would necessitate the existence of temporal events without a beginning.”
“Jami’ al-Rasa’il” (2/4, 6)
Also he said “It has not been transmitted from any of the Salaf that they said: ‘Allah speaks without sound or without letter,’ nor did they deny that Allah speaks with sound or letter. None of them said: ‘The sound that Musa heard is eternal,’ or ‘that call is eternal.’ None of them said: ‘These sounds heard from the reciters are the same sound with which Allah spoke.’ Rather, the narrations are abundant from them distinguishing between the sound with which Allah speaks and the sounds of the servants. The Imams of the Sunnah would consider those who denied His speaking with sound to be from the Jahmiyyah, as Imam Ahmad said when asked about those who say: ‘Allah does not speak with sound,’ he said: ‘These are Jahmiyyah.”They are only revolving around negation/denial [of Allah’s attributes].”
“Majmū’ al-Fatāwā” (12/301-305)
By Abu Ibrahim Al athari Al hanbali
