Beyond Creation: Understanding the Uncreated Essence of the Qur'an

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 19 October 2024 Exploring Theological Perspectives and Historical Contexts Surrounding the Nature of the Holy Qur'an Main Points: 1. Historical Controversy: The debate over the createdness and uncreatedness of the Qur'an began during the time of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, leading to severe repercussions for scholars who upheld the view that the Qur'an is uncreated. 2. Types of Divine Speech: The article distinguishes between Nafsī (internal) and Lafzi (articulated) speech of Allah, addressing how these concepts relate to the Qur'an’s nature as an eternal attribute of God. 3. Theological Consensus: Prominent scholars, including Imam Ahmad Raza, emphasize that the Qur'an exists as an eternal attribute of Allah and is neither identical to nor separate from His essence, rejecting the notion of createdness. 4. Manifestations of the Qur'an: The article discusses the various forms through which the Qur'an manifests in written, recited, and memorized forms, affirming that these expressions are consistent with the eternal nature of the Qur'an. ----- This is an English translation of an Urdu article written by Maulana Mufti Aale Mustafa Misbahi (may Allah have mercy upon him), a former Teacher and Mufti at Jamia Amjadia Razaviya Ghusi, Mau, U.P., and published in Salnama Yadgar-e-Raza 1428 AH / 2007 CE. I am presenting this article as the subject of the createdness and uncreatedness of the Qur'an often comes up in our studies. The Qur'an: A Divine Attribute or Created Text? A Theological Exploration By Mufti Aale Mustafa Misbahi The issue of whether the Holy Quran is created or uncreated is considered a key topic under the attribute of Speech (Kalam) of Allah, the Exalted. During the time of the absolute jurist, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with him), the controversy of the Quran being created arose. He made every possible effort to suppress this fitna (trial) and issued a ruling declaring the Quran to be uncreated. Meanwhile, the caliph of the time and his supporters regarded the Quran as created, which necessarily implied attributing characteristics of creation to the Holy Quran. Caliph Al-Ma'mun strongly opposed Imam Ahmad's ruling, forcing him to retract it. When Imam Ahmad refused to withdraw his ruling, he was subjected to lashes, and other scholars also faced severe hardships for declaring the Quran to be uncreated. Some even lost their lives due to this issue. In "Sharh al-Sudur," Allama Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti mentions, citing Imam al-Dhahabi, that Ahmad ibn Nasr al-Khuzai, a master of the science of hadith, was compelled by Caliph Al-Wathiq to affirm the notion of a created Quran. When he refused, he was brutally hanged. However, despite these horrific circumstances, the truth prevailed with its dignity and authority. Due to the erroneous beliefs and thoughts of misguided sects like the Mu'tazila, theologians have deemed this issue to be a pivotal one. This is why this topic is discussed in detail in all books of theology, and it is clearly stated in bold letters that "the Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah." To establish the divine nature and uncreated status of the Quran, it is essential to clarify several points that will aid in understanding the issue. For instance: 1. What is the nature of the speech that Allah, the Exalted, had with Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)? 2. What is the essence of the divine speech that Angel Gabriel brought? 3. Is the written and recited Quran in the manuscripts an attribute of Allah and is it eternal? To illuminate such points and to provide a satisfactory understanding of the issue, theologians and earlier scholars have delineated two types of speech: 1. Nafsī Speech (کلام نفسی): The internal, unuttered speech of Allah. 2. Lafzi Speech (کلام لفظی): The articulated, verbal expression of that speech. To address certain objections regarding the issue and to clarify it, later theologians introduced the terms "eternal" (قدیم) and "created" (حادث) within the framework of "Nafsī" (نفسی) and "Lafzi" (لفظی) speech. This development further complicated the issue, leading to confusion for average intellects. Imam Ahmad Raza (may Allah be pleased with him) utilized his divinely bestowed abilities to resolve various complex problems in different fields of knowledge. He also provided such profound insights into the intricate issues of theology that one could not help but feel joy, with eyes shedding tears of delight and hearts repeatedly acknowledging his exceptional brilliance and capability. This brings to mind the couplet: "It is not inconceivable for Allah, To gather the world into one." At this time, the writer presents the treatise "Anwar al-Manan fi Tawhid al-Quran," which was authored by Imam Ahmad Raza known as Aala Hazrat in 1330 AH. This treatise is in Arabic, and here we are providing a summary of some discussions as needed: Scholars have established four levels of the existence of an entity. 1. Existence in the Realms (وجود فی الاعیان): Existence found externally. 2. Existence in the Minds (وجود فی الاذھان): Existence found in the mind, such as the mental image of Zaid that serves as a reference for the essence of Zaid. 3. Existence in Expression (وجود فی العبارۃ): Existence in verbal expression, as when one says "Zaid." 4. Existence in Writing (وجود فی الکتابت): Existence in written form, as when the word "Zaid" is written. The belief of our predecessors is that all four of these forms genuinely apply to the existence of the Holy Quran. The Quran, which is an eternal attribute of Allah, exists with His essence from eternity to eternity. This is neither identical to the Divine Essence nor separate from it, neither a creator nor a creation. It is precisely the same Quran that is recited by our tongues, heard by our ears, written in our lines, and preserved in our hearts. It is not something other than the Quran; rather, all these manifestations are truly manifestations of the Quran. The Quran is indeed manifested in them, neither separate from the Divine Essence nor connected to any created phenomenon. Thus, to believe in the indwelling of the Quran within the Divine essence is invalid, as it is impossible for any form of creation to reach the realm of its eternity. 1. The great reviver, Imam Ahmad Raza, provided an excellent clarification of this issue by referencing several narrations. He cited a narration from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) as reported by Ibn Ishaq, Abu Nu'aim, and Al-Bayhaqi: Abu Jahl saw Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) in the form of a bull with large horns, attacking him. Abu Jahl had never seen such a terrifying sight before and fell back in fear. The esteemed reviver remarked: Is there any room for someone to claim that this was not Gabriel but something else indicating him? God forbid! It was undoubtedly Gabriel. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "That was Gabriel; if he had come close to me, I would have surely taken him in my hands." We know for certain that the beautiful form of Angel Gabriel is not like that of a bull or a camel; rather, he has six hundred magnificent wings that envelop the horizon. (Anwar al-Manan, translated and summarized) 2. The Companions found Dihyah ibn Khalifah riding a white mule during their journey to Banu Quraiza. They reported this to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "That is Gabriel, sent to Banu Quraiza to cause tremors in their fortifications and instill fear in their hearts." 3. In the Hadith of Gabriel, it is mentioned that a man came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked about faith (Iman), Islam, righteousness (Ihsaan), the Day of Judgment, and its signs. The Companions did not recognize him, nor did he show any signs of travel. He was dressed in pure white garments, and his hair was very black. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: "This is Gabriel; he has come to teach you your religion." 4. In the narrations of Nasai and Al-Tabarani, it is explicitly stated that Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) multiple times in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi. In the narration from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in Nasai, it is mentioned: "Gabriel would come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi." The wording in the narration from Al-Tabarani states: "Gabriel would come to me in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi." The essence of all these narrations is that Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) takes on different forms. However, can any Muslim claim that his identity changes when he appears in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi, as a camel, or in the form of a man? Absolutely not. In all these forms, he remains the trustworthy Gabriel (Amin). It is also certain that Gabriel is neither an Arab nor a Kalbi; therefore, these various forms are manifestations of the trustworthy Gabriel. Their multiplicity does not imply that Gabriel himself has become multiple, nor can it be said that these are other entities indicating Gabriel. Allah, the Exalted, has stated in the Holy Quran: "And when the Quran is recited, listen to it attentively and be silent, that you may receive mercy." (Surah Al-A'raf: 204) "So recite what is easy for you of the Quran." (Surah Al-Muzzammil: 20) "Indeed, it is a Glorious Quran, in a protected tablet [Lauh-e-Mahfooz]." (Surah Al-Burooj: 21-22) In these noble verses, the Quran is referred to as the recited (مقرو) word, the heard (مسموع) message, the preserved (محفوظ) scripture, and the written (مکتوب) text. It is declared that this is the Quran, the speech of the Most Merciful. Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah be pleased with him) stated in "Al-Fiqh al-Akbar": "The Quran is written in the manuscripts, preserved in the hearts, recited on the tongues, and revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Our words regarding the Quran are created, our writing and recitation of it are created, while the Quran itself is uncreated." Similarly, esteemed scholars like the Gnostic Abdul Ghani al-Nabulsi (Hanafi), the venerable Gnostic Abdul Wahab al-Sharani (Shafi'i), Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, and Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari have made similar declarations. Imam Ahmad Raza (may Allah be pleased with him) summarized this discussion by stating that there are three essential aspects to consider: 1. Allah, the Exalted, has an eternal speech that exists with His essence; it is neither identical to Him nor separate from Him. He has been and will always be speaking through this eternal speech. If anyone asks us about the nature of this attribute of speech, we will respond that we do not have knowledge of its nature, and we will not say more than that, nor do we seek any other meaning. This is a truth that can only be denied by misguided sects such as the Mu'tazila, the Karamiyyah, and the Rafidah. 2. Our essence, our attributes, our actions, our voice, our letters, and our words are all created (حادث or Hadith, a term in Islamic theology, refers to something that is created, contingent, or temporal—meaning it came into existence after not existing before and is not eternal. It contrasts with "قَدِيم" (Qadim), which refers to something eternal and uncreated, such as the nature of God in Islamic belief). There is not the slightest trace of eternity in them. This is a truth that no one disputes, except for a few uninformed late Hanbalis. 3. "The words that we recited with our tongues, heard with our ears, memorized in our hearts, and wrote in our lines are the same eternal Qur'an that is established with our Lord and was revealed to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." This is a reality in which there is no room for metaphor, nor is there multiplicity, variety, or any sharing. This is the belief of our pious predecessors (Salaf al-Salih), and none opposed it except the later theologians. These people divided speech into two parts to refute the Mu'tazilah’s arguments on the createdness of God's speech — one part as eternal (Qadim) and the other as created (Hadith). However, it is not acceptable to consider God's speech as created, like that of the creation. These individuals could not distinguish between the manifestation and the one who manifests. Nor did they reflect on the fact that the declaration of disbelief (Takfir) against those who believed in the createdness of the Qur'an has been passed down consistently from the time of the Companions and the Tabi'un. Imam Ahmad Raza (may Allah sanctify his soul) stated this in his Malfuzat (sayings): "We do not accept any distinction between the verbal (Lafzi) and intrinsic (Nafsī) aspects of God's speech; for us, both are the same. This is the error of the later theologians." (Al-Malfuz, 4/20) The belief and doctrine of the Qur'an being the speech of Allah and eternal is the only truth, as briefly explained above. This is derived from the discussions of Imam Ahmad Raza (may Allah sanctify his soul). If his statements on this subject were to be collected, a lengthy article could be compiled. For now, we suffice with this much. Related Article: Is it Darwin’s or Muslim Theory of Evolution? Let History Answer It Ibn Khaldun And The Creative Evolution Of Life The Creation/Evolution Of Human Species The Quran and the Creation/Evolution of Human Beings Contrasting The Quranic and Genesis Account of Creation Science Converges In Stages With The Quranic Description Of The Creation Of The Universe The Creation of the Universe In Six Stages ------ A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a Classical Islamic scholar with a rich Sufi Madrasa background and expertise in English-Arabic-Urdu translation. 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