Do Ashari’s believe the Speech of Allah (Most High) is created?

No, it is not true that the Ashari school of Aqeedah believes that the Speech of Allah (Most High) is created. Rather this is complete falsehood. The Ashari scholars have always opposed those who held this belief.

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

O you who believe. Stand firm for Allah and be just in testimony. Do not let enmity lead you to injustice. Be just! That is closer to Taqwa. And have Taqwa of Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of what you do. (Surah al-Maidah, 8).

Many Muslims in our times have aligned with particular groups, instead of following the mainstream of Ahl al-Sunnah. This has resulted in numerous problems. One of the issues is the spreading of hate amongst them. Not only is this strictly prohibited in Quran and Hadith, but it often results in them misrepresenting each other. Such behaviour is clearly prohibited in the verse above.

It is inevitable that Muslims will differ with each other at times. Sometimes those differences need to be highlighted and respected. At other times they need to be highlighted and refuted. The response depends on the nature of the difference. However, it is never permitted to misrepresent the people one is differing with. This is dishonesty. A Muslim cannot claim to be promoting the truth, whilst being dishonest regarding those he differs with.

Although this behaviour is rife, one particularly disturbing example of this was brought to my attention recently. It was so shocking because it was so obviously untrue. A number of brothers have taken to saying that the Ashari School of Aqeedah agrees with the Mutazilah in saying that the Quran is created and not a pre-eternal attribute of Allah Most High.

There are so many Nusoos (texts) that prove this wrong, it feels insufficient to select a few and highlight them below.

ونقول: إن كلام الله غير مخلوق، وأنه سبحانه لم يخلق شيئا إلا وقد قال له كن. (الإبانة عن أصول الديانة)

We say: The Speech of Allah (Most High) is not created. He (Most High) did not create anything, except that he said to it ‘Be.’ (Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, al-Ibaanah).

The Nass above is from Imam Ash’ari himself. This is one amongst many examples of Imam Ash’ari refuting groups that said the Quran is created. Next, we have Imam Abu Bakr al-Baaqilaani categorically refuting the false notion, and establishing the fact that Ahl al-Sunnah belief the Speech of Allah Most High is uncreated.

اعلم: أن الله تعالى متكلم، له كلام عند أهل السنة والجماعة، وأن كلامه قديم ليس بمخلوق، ولا مجعول، ولا محدث، بل كلامه قديم صفة من صفات ذاته، كعلمه وقدرته وإرادته ونحو ذلك من صفات الذات. ولا يجوز أن يقال كلام الله عبارة ولا حكاية، ولا يوصف بشيء من صفات الخلق. (الانصاف فيما يجب اعتقاده)

Know that Allah Most High speaks, He has the attribute of Speech according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. His speech is beginningless and not created. It is not produced, nor initiated. Rather His speech is beginningless, it is an attribute from the attributes of His Essence (Dhaat), similar to His Knowledge, Power, Will and other attributes of the Dhaat. It is not permitted to say the Speech of Allah Most High is statement or narration. Rather it is not described in the way creation is described. (Imam Abu Bakr al-Baaqilaani, al-Insaaf).

In the Nass (text) below Imam Abu Bakr ibn Furak goes further and explains that all of the divine attributes, including speech are uncreated.

{وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ}

يطلق له صفة مخلوق فدخل في ذلك أعمال العباد لأنها مخلوقة دون كلام الله وذاته وصفات ذاته لأنها غير مخلوقة

And He created everything. (Surah al-Anaam, 101). The attribute of being created is mentioned generally. Therefore, it encompasses the actions of the slaves since they are created. As opposed to the Speech of Allah (Most High), His Dhaat (essence) and the attributes of His Dhaat, since they are not created. (Imam Abu Bakr ibn Furak, Tafseer Ibn Furak).

ثم يعتقدون أن اللّه عز وجل متكلم بكلام قديم أزلي أبدي غير مخلوق ولا محدث. (الإشارة إلى مذهب أهل الحق)

And they (the people of truth) believe that Allah (Most High) Speaks with pre-eternal Speech. It has no beginning and no end. It is neither created nor initiated. (Imam Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi, al-Ishaarah).

Imam al-Shirazi reiterated the belief of the Ashari School. Imam al-Aamidi below mentions it as one of the differences between the Ahl al-Sunnah and the Qadariyyah (a sect outside of the mainstream).

الرابع: قولهم بخلق القرآن. (أبكار الأفكار في أصول الدين)

The fourth (difference) is they say the Quran is created (Makhlooq). (Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Aamidi, Abkaar al-Afkaar).

Imams al-Ghazali and his teacher al-Jowayni are amongst the most famous Ashari scholars, and both made it repeatedly clear that the position of Ahl al-Sunnah is to refute the falsehood spread by the Mutazilah. They also explained the difference between what we recite and the attribute of Allah Most High.

ثم [من] معتقد أهل الحق، أن كلام الله تبارك وتعالى ليس بحروف منتظمة، ولا أصوات مقطعة، وإنما هوصفة قائمة بذاته [تعالى]، يدل عليها قراءة القرآن. (العقيدة النظامية في الأركان الإسلامية)

From the beliefs of the people of truth is the fact that the Speech of Allah Most High is not comprised of letters arranged, nor sounds produced. Rather it is an attribute that is established in His (Most High) Dhaat (essence). The recitation of the Quran directs one to it. (Imam Abu al-Ma’ali al-Jowayni, al-Aqeedah al-Nidhamiyah).

قلنا: سمع كلام الله تعالى وهو صفة قديمة قائمة بذات الله تعالى ليس بحرف ولا صوت، فقولكم كيف سمع كلام الله تعالى كلام من لا يفهم المطلوب من سؤال كيف. (الاقتصاد في الاعتقاد)

We say: He (Sayidina Musa) heard the Speech of Allah (Most High). It is a beginningless attribute that is established in His (Most High) Dhaat (essence). It is not (comprised of) letters nor sounds. Therefore, your question ‘How did he hear the Speech of Allah (Most High),’ are the words of a person who has no understanding of the meaning of the word how. (Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, al-Iqtisaad fi al-Itiqaad).

We see that Imam al-Ghazali rejects the idea of asking how when it comes to hearing the Speech of Allah (Most High).

Jowharatu al-Towheed is one of the most regularly studied texts of Ashari creed. It is part of the syllabus in Madrasahs across the Muslim world. It repeatedly emphasises the belief of the Ashari School. The commentators further clarified the absolute insistence of the Ashari School when it comes to the issue of the divine Speech.

ونزه القرآن أي كلامه … عن الحدوث واحذر انتقامه

Absolve the Quran, i.e. His speech of any temporality and beware of His vengeance.

قوله: (ونزه القرآن .. ) الخ أي: واعتقد أيها المكلف تنزه القرآن بمعنى كلامه تعالى عن الحدوث، خلافا للمعتزلة القائلين بحدوث الكلام، زعما منهم أن من لوازمه الحروف والأصوات، وذلك مستحيل عليه تعالى، فكلام الله تعالى عندهم مخلوق، لأن الله خلقه في بعض الأجرام، ومذهب أهل السنة أن القرآن بمعنى الكلام النفسي ليس بمخلوق، وأما القرآن بمعنى اللفظ الذي نقرؤه فهو مخلوق، لكن يمتنع أن يقال: القرآن مخلوق ويراد به اللفظ الذي نقرؤه إلا في مقام التعليم، لأنه ربما أوهم أن القرآن بمعنى كلامه تعالى مخلوق، ولذلك امتنعت الأئمة من القول بخلق القرآن. (تحفة المريد على جوهرة التوحيد)

His saying: Absolve the Quran: Meaning, believe (O responsible person) in the transcendence of the Quran, which is His (Most High) speech. (Absolve it) of being created. This is in opposition to the Mu’tazilah who said the (Divine) Speech is created. This was based on their misconception that it necessitates letters and sound, whilst that is inconceivable for Him (Most High).

Therefore with them the Speech of Allah (Most High) is created. As He (Most High) created it with matter. As for the view of the Ahl al-Sunnah, the Quran, when referring to Kalam Nafsi (His own Speech), is not created. But if (the word) Quran is used to refer to the words we recite (meaning either the physical book, or our speech) then that is created.

But one must refrain from saying the Quran is created, meaning by it, what we recite. Unless one is in a class teaching. As this may lead to the confusion of a person thinking that the actual speech of Allah Most High is created. This is why the Imams refrained from saying the Quran is created (meaning they did not delve into deeper explanation). (Imam al-Baajuri, Tuhfatu al-Mureed).

قوله: (وكل نصّ للحدوث دلا)

أي: كل لفظ دالّ على الحدوث كقوله تعالى: {إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ} [القدر: 1] {إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ} [الحجر: 9] {الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ} [الكهف: 1]

His saying: Any text that indicates creation. Meaning, any words that indicate creation, like His words (Most High): Indeed We revealed it in the night of power. (Surah al-Qadr, 1). Indeed We have revealed the remembrance. (Surah al-Hijr, 9). Praise be to him who revealed the book upon his slave. (Surah al-Kahf,1).

قوله: (احمل على اللفظ الذي قد دلا)

أي: على بعض مدلول الكلام القديم القائم بذاته، يعني أن ما ورد من الكتاب والسنة مما يوهم الحدوث فإنه عند أهل السنة محمول على اللفظ الحادث الدالّ على بعض مدلول الكلام القديم. (شرح الصاوي على جوهرة التوحيد)

His saying: Interpret it as referring to the words themselves. Meaning, the words direct one to some of the meaning of the uncreated Speech that is established in His (Most High) essence (Dhaat). Thus, anything from the Book (Quran) and Sunnah that may lead a person to suppose creation, is interpreted to be referring to the created words that direct one to the uncreated Speech according to Ahl al-Sunnah. (Imam al-Saawi, Sharh Jowharah)

In the Nass above Imam al-Saawi not only reiterates the position of the Ashari School, but he also refutes the Mutazilah, and explains the proof they presented.

By this point it should be abundantly clear to any open-minded person that the accusation against the Ashari School was completely and demonstrably false. Only a sectarian individual will indulge in such propaganda after seeing the abundance of proof available to disprove the prevalent slander.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (29.07.2022)

See also:
Do Ash’ari scholars prefer intellect over Quran and Hadith?

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