Why did they claim that the Qur'an is created in the era of Imam Ahmad, and what was the sect that existed in his time?
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The questioner : Why did they claim that the Qur'an is created in the era of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and what was the sect that existed in his time (may Allah have mercy on him)?
The Shaykh : The sect that existed in the era of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and before him was the Mu'tazilah. They say that the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is a created thing among the created things, and is not an attribute of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It does not subsist in Allah, but is a created thing separate from Allah. They do not distinguish between the sky and the speech of Allah, nor between the earth and the speech of Allah. They say: everything is created. They do not distinguish between the livestock and the speech of Allah, nor between the rain and the speech of Allah. Everything is sent down.
And there is no doubt that if they say that, it necessitates false implications from their statement. Among them is that we would say that the speech of people is valid to be called the speech of Allah, because the speech of people is created. So if you say that all speech is created, then it is the speech of Allah; or if you say that the speech of Allah is created, we say that the speech of created things is considered the speech of Allah because it is created.
And this necessitates the invalidation of the distinction in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-A'raf 7:54]. For the command is only through speech. So if the command is invalidated and speech becomes created, then everything becomes created. There is no longer a distinction between creation and command, but only creation. This also leads to the invalidation of the indication of the Noble Qur'an.
It has many implications that the scholars mentioned in the lengthy books.
And it was ... Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and others from the scholars because he claimed leadership of this safe statement and called people to it. You know that if a ruler commits to a specific thing, the way out of it becomes difficult for people. For this reason, he did not endure before this current, which is the statement that the Qur'an is created, except a few rare men in the era of Imam Ahmad and others. The one who stood firm completely and fully, and who had, as they say today, popularity, was Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). For this reason, the punishment and imprisonment fell upon him, and he became famous for this (may Allah have mercy on him). And Allah protected the creed of the people of the Sunnah through him from the statement that the Qur'an is created. So it remained, and praise be to Allah, the people continued to say that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah, sent down and not created.
The Shaykh : The sect that existed in the era of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and before him was the Mu'tazilah. They say that the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is a created thing among the created things, and is not an attribute of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It does not subsist in Allah, but is a created thing separate from Allah. They do not distinguish between the sky and the speech of Allah, nor between the earth and the speech of Allah. They say: everything is created. They do not distinguish between the livestock and the speech of Allah, nor between the rain and the speech of Allah. Everything is sent down.
And there is no doubt that if they say that, it necessitates false implications from their statement. Among them is that we would say that the speech of people is valid to be called the speech of Allah, because the speech of people is created. So if you say that all speech is created, then it is the speech of Allah; or if you say that the speech of Allah is created, we say that the speech of created things is considered the speech of Allah because it is created.
And this necessitates the invalidation of the distinction in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command
ألا له الخلق والأمرIt has many implications that the scholars mentioned in the lengthy books.
And it was ... Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) and others from the scholars because he claimed leadership of this safe statement and called people to it. You know that if a ruler commits to a specific thing, the way out of it becomes difficult for people. For this reason, he did not endure before this current, which is the statement that the Qur'an is created, except a few rare men in the era of Imam Ahmad and others. The one who stood firm completely and fully, and who had, as they say today, popularity, was Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). For this reason, the punishment and imprisonment fell upon him, and he became famous for this (may Allah have mercy on him). And Allah protected the creed of the people of the Sunnah through him from the statement that the Qur'an is created. So it remained, and praise be to Allah, the people continued to say that the Qur'an is the speech of Allah, sent down and not created.