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Aqeedah on Speech of Allah

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Mahmoodiyah

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 Ta’ala

I understand the following 4 points to be the Speech of Allah Ta’ala (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 Ta’ala!

1. Qur’an
2. The Previous Kitaabs (Taurah, Injeel) etc
3. Whatsoever Allah Ta’ala Says (i.e. the incident of Moosa (Alayhis salaam), the Me’raaj [ and all other commands that Allah Ta’ala issues to the Angels such as Jibreel (Alayhis salaam))]
4. In other words everything that Allah Ta’ala Speaks is uncreated Speech, and unlike the speech of Mankind. We only don’t know the ‘how’ but we know Allah Ta’ala Speaks!

Now my queries:-

Q1. Please explain the objection that the Qur’an (Speech of Allah Ta’ala) 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 (Alayhis salaam) came into existence at a particular time when Allah Ta’ala willed .. and it was only applicable then .. that was also Speech of Allah Ta’ala so how is it eternal?

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

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

Q4. Below is an objection from a deviant, please address them and in particularly the event of Speaking of Allah Ta’ala with Hadhrat Moosa (Alayhis salaam). 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 (A.S.) heard and the gradual revelation of the Qur’an upon Rasoolullah (S.A.W.), 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 (A.S.) and Rasoolullah (S.A.W.) 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 (A.S.) 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 (R.A.).  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 Ta’ala knows best

Mufti Muhammad Ashraf

Darul Iftaa

Jameah Mahmoodiyah

Springs

10 December 2004

27 Shawwal 1425

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