THE UNCREATED CREATED QURAN

Is Quran created or uncreated speech of Allah? I’ve read about this in Wikipedia encyclopedia. Can you please explain the term as I am confused?

Answer

Fatwa: 915/818=B/1429)

The unanimous faith of Ahl-e-Sunnah wal-Jamah is that the holy Quran is eternal and uncreated:

فأهل السنه كلهم من أهم المذاهب الأربعه و غيرهم من الخلف والسلف متفقون علی أن القرآن غير مخلوق (شرح الفقه الأكبر)

However, calling the holy Quran as eternal and uncreated means that the Word of Allah Almighty is eternal which is an attribute of Allah and is associated with Him. So far as written and recited words of Quran are concerned, these are the created ones AND THEY ARE NOT THE ATTRIBUTE OF ALLAH, but they indicate to the Words of Allah. A common person should avoid venturing such philosophical discussions, for sometimes a man may fall in suspicion and doubt. One must only believe in the fundamental beliefs mentioned in the Holy Quran and Hadith.

Allah knows Best

Darul Ifta,

Darul Uloom Deoband (IslamQA.org, Hanafi Fiqh, Is the Quran created or uncreated speech of Allah?; emphasis mine)

Question: Assalamu alaykum, I read recently that the Ahl Al-Sunnah believe that the Quran is the ‘uncreated’ speech of God. Can you please elaborate on what exactly this means as I find it difficult to understand because the Quran is a physical thing we hold in our hands and recite on our tongues. So how is it uncreated?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh,

May Allah reward you for your courage to ask when you don’t know. To answer your question, yes, the creed of Ahl al-Sunna is that the Qur’an is the “uncreated speech,” of Allah. Similarly, you are right in asserting that the Qur’an is a physical thing that we hold in our hands and recite on our tongues. In fact, in the celebrated creed written by Imam al-Nasafi he says, “The Qur’an is the uncreated Speech of Allah, and it is written in our Masaahif, memorized in our hearts, recited on our tongues, heard with our ears, and He does not dwell within it.” So to rephrase your question for you, how can both of those things be true?

The answer is: The word, “Qur’an,” is used sometimes to refer to God’s Attribute of Speech which is uncreated and other times the word, “Qur’an,” is used to refer to the physical texts we read from, the words we recite on our tongues etc. Therefore, when we use the word, “Qur’an,” to refer to God’s Attribute of Speech, it is uncreated. When we are using the word, “Qur’an,” to refer to the physical text, or what we memorize and recite, those things are all created and they are not the attribute of speech. Therefore, to remove any confusion all one needs to understand is that the physical text as well as the memorized or recited words are not the actual attribute even if we use one word, “Qur’an,” to refer to both. [Sharh al-Aqa’id – Taftazani]

I pray that clarified matters for you.

I leave you in Allah’s care,

[Ustadh] Mohammed Tayssir Safi

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani (IslamQA.org, Hanafi Fiqh, The Qur’an As The Uncreated Speech Of Allah; emphasis mine)

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum Wa rahmatullahi Wa barakatuhu,

Respected Ulamaa

I would like to have some detailed information regarding the Aqeedah in regards to the Speech of Allah.

I understand the following 4 points to be the Speech of Allah (uncreated). Please do correct me because my knowledge is limited and I’m ignorant of the details other than the Qur’an being the uncreated Speech of Allah!

1. Qur’an

2. The Previous Kitaabs (Taurah, Injeel) etc.

3. Whatsoever Allah Says (i.e. the incident of Moosa, the Me’raaj [and all other commands that Allah issues to the Angels such as Jibreel]

4. In other words everything that Allah Speaks is uncreated Speech, and unlike the speech of Mankind. We only don’t know the ‘how’ but we know Allah Speaks!

—

Now my queries:-

Q1. Please explain the objection that the Qur’an (Speech of Allah) did not exist in pre-eternity and that it came into being at a particular time when Allah Ta’ala willed … and that it is only applicable till Qiyaamah and not eternal! Similarly the argument that the Speaking to Hadhrat Moosa came into existence at a particular time when Allah willed … and it was only applicable then … that was also Speech of Allah so how is it eternal?

Q2. If a person says that Allah does not Speak or denies that the Qur’an is the uncreated Speech of Allah will he become an apostate?

Q3. What if someone says, yes it’s Speech of Allah in terms of that it was created by Allah and that no one else can create it. Like how Allah created the Arsh and no one but Allah can create the Arsh? How do we argue that?

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Q4. Below is an objection from a deviant, please address them and in particularly the event of Speaking of Allah with Hadhrat Moosa. How did it take place? I’m sure it wasn’t the tree used as a medium and how is the Speech heard by the creation?

Q4a. Deviant: “You have totally missed the point. Allah Ta’ala does not speak, rather he creates speech.

Reply: Allah Ta’ala indeed Spoke DIRECTLY to Hadhrat Moosa (Alayhis salaam). However one is incapacitated to understand “the how” … questioning it is innovation … it is beyond human grasp!

Deviant: “He can create speech through anything. Why a tree and why not a being. Are you likening the tree to him when u say that He spoke through the tree. A medium is a medium – albeit any creation.”

—

Please reply ASAP

Jazakallah Khair

Answer:

It is the belief of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaat that Allah Himself as well as his attributes are even existing. One of His attributes is “Speech”. The Qur’an is the Book of Allah therefore it is asserted that “the Qur’an is the speech of Allah, not a creation.”

“Speech of Allah” over here means “Kalaam-e-Nafsi” (Speech with Allah). A man when he speaks, then before speaking of before expressing the words, the speech exists in his mind in an unorderly manner that cannot even be indicated to, although those thoughts are preserved in the mind. Hence that is what we call Kalaam-e-Nafsi. When the person then utters this speech in word form it will be known as “Kalaam-e-Lafzi” (expressed speech).

After a thought occurs in a person i.e. Kalaam-e-Nafsi, sometimes it is expressed immediately in words, hence becoming Kalaam-e-Lafzi, and sometimes it is expressed at a later stage as per need. Thus we conclude that Kalaam-e-Nafsi does exist without Kalaam-e-Lafzi, which is an obvious fact.

Likewise all the information and knowledge that is with Allah is ever-existing as Allah himself is Ever-Existing and free from being a creation. Then according to expedience, when Allah expressed His knowledge to the creation, such as through the voice that Moosa heard and the gradual revelation of the Qur’an upon Rasoolullah, this speech which is now heard and available in print form on paper is now known as Kalaam-e-Lafzi. The Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaat maintain that Kalaam-e-Nafsi (speech with Allah) is ever-existing and non-creation but Kalaam-e-Lafzi (expressed speech) i.e. the voice and print form has come into existence freshly thus falls into the category of creation. (Sharhul Aqaaid An-Nasafiyyah, Page 58-59)

The speech of Allah with Moosa and Rasoolullah is Qadeem (ever existing) but the voice and print form is Haadith and a creation. To claim that Allah does not speak is the belief of the Mu’tazilah sect. The true belief is that the attribute of speech in Allah is an established fact, besides it is also Qadeem, but the voice and words through which the speech is declared to the creation is Haadith and creation in essence.

The voice Moosa heard was from a tree. Allah had created the voice therein for it to denote on His actual speech. This voice was Haadith and part of His creation. It was not His personal voice. (Sharhul Aqaaid An-Nasafiyyah, Page 62)

This may be compared to music to which a person tunes his voice to. That tune is not the voice of the man, it is not him that is speaking, rather it is a tune that denotes on some meaningful speech.

In conclusion we may suggest that you avoid discussing this topic in depth. Such topics were not prevalent during the age of the Sahabah. It is the creation of the Mu’tazilah sect. They misinterpreted this issue in the light of philosophy of their age. Initially the Muhadditheen went only this far to assert that “The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, not creation.” They added nothing more, then when people started claiming that “the pages of the Qur’an and the ink is not creation”, which the Mu’tazilah made a mockery of, then the Mutakallimeen crystallised this issue in light of authentic beliefs and philosophical principles. They declared that “Allah is Mutakallim.” Speech is an attribute of His, which is Kalaam-e-Nafsi, non-creation and Qadeem. The words and voices that denote Kalaam-e-Nafsi are Haadith and creation.

And Allah knows best

Mufti Muhammad Ashraf

Darul Iftaa

Jameah Mahmoodiyah

Springs

10 December 2004

27 Shawwal 1425 (IslamQA.org, Hanafi Fiqh, Aqeedah on Speech of Allah; emphasis mine)

as-salamu ‘alaikum shaikh,

could you please explain if Allah’s actions are created or uncreated and could you tie this in with His speech. Does His speech consist of letters and sounds or are the letters and sounds of the revealed books part of His creation? If they are from His creation then who said, for example, Alif Laam Meem? Is it really the letters and sounds of Jibreel as an expression of Allah’s eternal Kalam or did Allah literally say them?

Answer  

According to the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah belief, the pre-eternal attributes (essential and active) are essentially eight. They are the attributes of life (Hayah), power (Qudrah), knowledge (‘Ilm), speech (Kalam), hearing (Sam’), sight (Basar), will (Iradah), and bringing into being (Takween). All the *active attributes (or actions) are a subset of the eighth attribute, Takween. All these are not created.  

(*Note: They are giving life (Ihya), causing death (Imata), causing growth (Inbat), developing (Inma), shaping (Taswir), Takhliq (creating), Tarziq (sustaining) and others.)

In Fiqhul Akbar it is mention that:  

“He has eternally existed, and will everlastingly exist, with His names and attributes, both relating to Him and His actions.”  

“As for the attributes relating to Him, they are: Life, Power, Knowledge, kalam, Hearing, Sight, and Will. As for those relating to His actions, they are: Creating, Sustenance, Originating, Making, Fashioning, and other attributes of actions.” (Fiqhul Akbar, Chapter: The basics of Monotheism (Tawheed)) “And all of His attributes are unlike the attributes of the creation.”  

“He is attributed with knowledge, which is unlike our knowledge.”  

“He is attributed with Power, which is unlike our power.”  

“He is attributed with Sight, which is unlike our sight.”  

“He is attributed with Hearing, which is unlike our hearing.”  

“Allah Ta’ala is attributed with Kalam which is unlike our speech, as it is neither by means of organs, parts, limbs, sounds, nor letters (alphabets).”  

“Letters (alphabets or Sounds) are a creation. Yet Allah’s Kalam is not created.” (Fiqhul Akbar, Chapter: Dissimilar from every creation in every respect)  

“The Qur’an is the Kalam of Allah Ta’ala, written on books (Masahif), preserved in the hearts, recited on the tongues, and revealed to the Prophet. Our utterance of the Qur’an is created, and our recitation of the Qur’an is created, but the Qur’an (as the attribute of Kalam of Allah) is not created.”  

“And what Allah mentioned in the Qur’an about Musa and other of the prophets and also about the Pharaoh and Satan, all of it is Allah’s Kalam, informing us about them. Allah’s Kalam is not created, but the speech of Musa and other creation is created. The Qur’an is the Kalam of Allah, hence, it is not created, unlike the creation.”  

“Musa received the Kalam of Allah, as Allah mentioned (which means) : “and Allah addressed Musa in speech.” Therefore, Allah was always attributed with Kalam in eternity, before willing to reveal anything to Musa. Just as Alla, was The Creator in eternity, even without having created anything.: “Nothing is like Him, and He is attributed with Hearing and Sight.” When Allah addressed Musa He did so with His Kalam that is an eternal attribute.” (Fiqhul Akbar, Chapter: The Quran, the speech of Allah Ta’ala)  

In ‘Aqeedatut Tahawiyah it is mentioned that:  

“The Qur’an is the word of Allaah. It came from Him as speech without it being possible to say how. He sent it down on His Messenger as revelation. The believers accept it, as absolute truth. They are certain that it is, in truth, the word of Allaah. It is not created, as is the speech of human beings, and anyone who hears it and claims that it is human speech has become an unbeliever. Allaah warns him and censures him and threatens him with Fire when He says, Exalted is He: ‘I will burn him in the Fire.’ (al-Muddaththir 74: 26) When Allaah threatens with the Fire those who say ‘This is just human speech’ (al-Muddaththir 74: 25) we know for certain that it is the speech of the Creator of mankind and that it is totally unlike the speech of mankind.”  

“Anyone who describes Allaah as being in any way the same as a human being has become an unbeliever. All those who grasp this will take heed and refrain from saying things such as the unbelievers say, and they will know that He, in His attributes, is not like human beings.” (Al ‘Aqeedatut Tahawiyah)  

“His attributes existed in eternity; they did not exist after being non-existent, nor were they created. Whoever says that they are created, existed after being non-existent, or is uncertain about the attributes and doubts them, is a disbeliever in Allah Ta’ala.” (Fiqhul Akbar, Chapter: The basics of Monotheism (Tawheed))   (Imam Abu Hanifa’s Al Fiqh Al Akbar Explained)   ————————————–

Moulana Qamruz Zaman

London, UK (IslamQA.org, Hanafi Fiqh, Is Allah’s speech created and do the letters and sounds of revealed books belong to His creation?; emphasis mine)