Explanation of the author's statement: "Chapter on the Utterance and the Uttered."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Yes. If you say it is not created, you are wrong. If you say it is created, you are wrong. Therefore, we must remain silent. And what else?
Listen to the detail. He says: "The answer is that it is not correct to make a general statement, either negating or affirming"
Meaning: Do not say it is created, and do not say it is not created. A general statement is not correct. For this reason, it is reported from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created' is a Jahmi, and whoever says 'it is not created' is an innovator" So what is obligatory? It is obligatory to remain silent. We do not make a general statement. That is, it is obligatory not to generalize. We do not say generally that it is created, and we do not say that it is not created. Is that clear? Because if you say it is created, the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah will drum and dance for it. They will say: "Praise be to Allah, this is a man from our group who has favored us."
And if you say it is not created, the Qadariyyah will drum for it. Yes, the Qadariyyah. They will say: "Praise be to Allah, this man says that the action of Allah is not created." It has been established for us that the Qadariyyah hold that man is independent in his actions.
So now, if you generalize and say it is created, the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah will be pleased with you. If you generalize and say it is not created, the Qadariyyah will be pleased with you.
Therefore, do not generalize. It is obligatory to detail the matter. For this reason, the author said: "As for when detailing the matter, it is said: If by 'utterance' one means the act of reciting, and if by 'utterance' one means what is uttered".
The author has informed us that "utterance" (al-lafz) is a verbal noun (masdar). A verbal noun can be intended to mean the action, which is the meaning of the verbal noun, and it can also be intended to mean the object affected by the action resulting from the verbal noun.
For example, if I say "my utterance in the Qur'an" or "my utterance of the Qur'an," if I mean by it the act of reciting, which is your action, is this created or not created? This is created. And if I mean by it what is uttered, the passive participle, then it is not created. The fact that a verbal noun is intended to mean its meaning is very common in the Arabic language, and it is the original usage.
And the fact that a verbal noun is intended to mean the passive participle occurs in the Arabic language, although it is not very common. Among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1718b meaning "rejected."
So "utterance" is suitable for both meanings. If it is intended to mean the act of reciting, which is the action of the servant, then it is created. What is the reasoning? Because the servant and his action are created. Is that clear? Good. When I say "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds," the sound and the movements of the mouth and tongue, are they created? Yes, they are created, because this is among my attributes, and I am created, and my attributes are created. But what is recited is not created. It is what is uttered, because it is the speech of Allah.
He says: "And if by 'utterance' one means what is uttered, then it is the speech of Allah and is not created, because the speech of Allah is among His attributes, and His attributes are not created".
All of the attributes of Allah are not created, even the active attributes. Even the active attributes, such as rising above the Throne and descending to the lowest heaven, and the like, we do not say they are created, because they are among His attributes. All of His attributes are not created.
"This detail is indicated by the statement of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him): 'Whoever says: My utterance of the Qur'an is created, meaning the Qur'an itself, is a Jahmi'".
So his statement: "meaning the Qur'an itself" indicates that if he means something other than the Qur'an, namely the act of reciting which is the action of the human being, then he is not a Jahmi.
And this narration from Ahmad clarifies the general statement in his speech, because it is reported from him (may Allah have mercy on him) in this issue two narrations. One narration says: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created' is a Jahmi, and whoever says 'it is not created' is an innovator".
This is a general statement. But the narration with us is: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created, meaning' what? Imam Ahmad says: "meaning the Qur'an" is a Jahmi. Because the Jahmiyyah say that the Qur'an is created. So the general statement reported from Imam Ahmad must be understood in light of the specific one, which is that the one who says "my utterance of the Qur'an" means by that what? The Qur'an. In this case, he is a Jahmi. He is a Jahmi.
Good. If someone says: Is the research into this matter, the original research into this, among the matters that are sought, or among the matters that one should turn away from?
We say: It is not among the matters that are sought. Rather, it is among the matters about which one should remain silent and turn away.
What is the evidence? The evidence is that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who were more eager for knowledge than we are, especially regarding the names and attributes of Allah, did they research this? No, absolutely not. But what obligated the Salaf to research it was the speech of the people of innovation. The people of innovation spoke about this thing. Is it permissible for us, when they speak about this matter, to remain silent, tie our mouths, and let these people roam and speak as they please? Or should we enter the arena and engage in the struggle?
The student: We should enter the arena.
The Shaykh : This is what is obligatory. It is obligatory that we enter the arena, clarify the truth, and refute the falsehood. As for remaining silent while these people say what they say and do what they do, and we do not speak to them about anything, this is contrary to what Allah has obligated upon us, we who are the people of knowledge. Therefore, Imam Ahmad, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli, al-Bukhari, and others among the people of knowledge spoke about this issue, because they were afflicted with it. As we mentioned previously regarding the issue of body, space, and direction, and the like, all of which are matters in which speech was innovated. But the Salaf saw that it was necessary to speak and not leave the field for these people to speak as they please.
Listen to the detail. He says: "The answer is that it is not correct to make a general statement, either negating or affirming"
Meaning: Do not say it is created, and do not say it is not created. A general statement is not correct. For this reason, it is reported from Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created' is a Jahmi, and whoever says 'it is not created' is an innovator" So what is obligatory? It is obligatory to remain silent. We do not make a general statement. That is, it is obligatory not to generalize. We do not say generally that it is created, and we do not say that it is not created. Is that clear? Because if you say it is created, the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah will drum and dance for it. They will say: "Praise be to Allah, this is a man from our group who has favored us."
And if you say it is not created, the Qadariyyah will drum for it. Yes, the Qadariyyah. They will say: "Praise be to Allah, this man says that the action of Allah is not created." It has been established for us that the Qadariyyah hold that man is independent in his actions.
So now, if you generalize and say it is created, the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah will be pleased with you. If you generalize and say it is not created, the Qadariyyah will be pleased with you.
Therefore, do not generalize. It is obligatory to detail the matter. For this reason, the author said: "As for when detailing the matter, it is said: If by 'utterance' one means the act of reciting, and if by 'utterance' one means what is uttered".
The author has informed us that "utterance" (al-lafz) is a verbal noun (masdar). A verbal noun can be intended to mean the action, which is the meaning of the verbal noun, and it can also be intended to mean the object affected by the action resulting from the verbal noun.
For example, if I say "my utterance in the Qur'an" or "my utterance of the Qur'an," if I mean by it the act of reciting, which is your action, is this created or not created? This is created. And if I mean by it what is uttered, the passive participle, then it is not created. The fact that a verbal noun is intended to mean its meaning is very common in the Arabic language, and it is the original usage.
And the fact that a verbal noun is intended to mean the passive participle occurs in the Arabic language, although it is not very common. Among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردSo "utterance" is suitable for both meanings. If it is intended to mean the act of reciting, which is the action of the servant, then it is created. What is the reasoning? Because the servant and his action are created. Is that clear? Good. When I say "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds," the sound and the movements of the mouth and tongue, are they created? Yes, they are created, because this is among my attributes, and I am created, and my attributes are created. But what is recited is not created. It is what is uttered, because it is the speech of Allah.
He says: "And if by 'utterance' one means what is uttered, then it is the speech of Allah and is not created, because the speech of Allah is among His attributes, and His attributes are not created".
All of the attributes of Allah are not created, even the active attributes. Even the active attributes, such as rising above the Throne and descending to the lowest heaven, and the like, we do not say they are created, because they are among His attributes. All of His attributes are not created.
"This detail is indicated by the statement of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him): 'Whoever says: My utterance of the Qur'an is created, meaning the Qur'an itself, is a Jahmi'".
So his statement: "meaning the Qur'an itself" indicates that if he means something other than the Qur'an, namely the act of reciting which is the action of the human being, then he is not a Jahmi.
And this narration from Ahmad clarifies the general statement in his speech, because it is reported from him (may Allah have mercy on him) in this issue two narrations. One narration says: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created' is a Jahmi, and whoever says 'it is not created' is an innovator".
This is a general statement. But the narration with us is: "Whoever says 'My utterance of the Qur'an is created, meaning' what? Imam Ahmad says: "meaning the Qur'an" is a Jahmi. Because the Jahmiyyah say that the Qur'an is created. So the general statement reported from Imam Ahmad must be understood in light of the specific one, which is that the one who says "my utterance of the Qur'an" means by that what? The Qur'an. In this case, he is a Jahmi. He is a Jahmi.
Good. If someone says: Is the research into this matter, the original research into this, among the matters that are sought, or among the matters that one should turn away from?
We say: It is not among the matters that are sought. Rather, it is among the matters about which one should remain silent and turn away.
What is the evidence? The evidence is that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who were more eager for knowledge than we are, especially regarding the names and attributes of Allah, did they research this? No, absolutely not. But what obligated the Salaf to research it was the speech of the people of innovation. The people of innovation spoke about this thing. Is it permissible for us, when they speak about this matter, to remain silent, tie our mouths, and let these people roam and speak as they please? Or should we enter the arena and engage in the struggle?
The student: We should enter the arena.
The Shaykh : This is what is obligatory. It is obligatory that we enter the arena, clarify the truth, and refute the falsehood. As for remaining silent while these people say what they say and do what they do, and we do not speak to them about anything, this is contrary to what Allah has obligated upon us, we who are the people of knowledge. Therefore, Imam Ahmad, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli, al-Bukhari, and others among the people of knowledge spoke about this issue, because they were afflicted with it. As we mentioned previously regarding the issue of body, space, and direction, and the like, all of which are matters in which speech was innovated. But the Salaf saw that it was necessary to speak and not leave the field for these people to speak as they please.