The Difference Between Expression and Narration in the Speech of Allah

Question:
The Shaykh Abu Hamd Allah said: It was reported to us in some of the disputed matters that the Qur'an is an expression of the speech of Allah. At another time, it is said to be a narration of the majesty of Allah. What is the difference between expression and narration regarding His majesty?

Answer:
The meaning is the same, but the Maturidiyyah say that it is a narration of the speech of Allah, not an expression. The Asha'irah say, "No, it is an expression of the speech of Allah." Both the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah say that what is in the mushafs is not the speech of Allah, because the speech of Allah is the meaning that subsists in His own Self (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for this Qur'an, they say it is from the speech of Jibril or from the speech of Muhammad, who expressed the speech of Allah through it. So it is an expression, and they do not want it to be a narration, because they say that an expression is more precise than a narration; a narration is lighter. If it is called an expression, it means it is a copy of the original of the internal speech of Allah, and it is not so in their view. Rather, it is a narration, because a narration may contain some breadth, being broader than an expression. All of this is misguidance, may Allah protect us from it. They agreed with the Jahmiyyah in one aspect, which is that this Qur'an that is in our hands is not His speech. This is the same as the statement of the Jahmiyyah. Yes.