Ahmad ibn Zanjūyah said, “I heard Ahmad declare, ‘The Lafziyyah —the people who say, “My utterance of the Qur’an is created” —are worse than the Jahmiyyah.’
Ṣāliḥ related, “I heard my father say, ‘The Jahmiyyah fall into three factions: one faction says, “The Qur’an is created”; a second says, “It is the speech of Allah,” and then remains silent; and a third says, “Our utterance of it is created.”’ He then added, ‘One must not pray behind a Waqifi (someone who suspends judgment about the Qur’an) or a Lafzi (someone who says, “My utterance is created”).’
Al-Marwazī said, “I informed Abū ʿAbd Allah that Abū Shuʿayb al-Sūsī al-Raqqī had annulled the marriage of his daughter to her husband after the husband adopted waqf regarding the Qur’an. Ahmad remarked, ‘He has done well—may Allah grant him well-being,’ and he began to pray for him.
Al-Marwazī continued, ‘When Yaʿqūb ibn Shaybah publicly espoused waqf, Abū ʿAbd Allah warned the people against him and ordered that he be shunned.’
He added, ‘Abū ʿAbd Allah has several statements about the “utterance” issue (masʾalat al-lafẓ). The first to publicise it was Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī al-Karābīsī, a man widely regarded for his learning. He wrote a book on the mudallisin (transmitters who conceal their sources) in which he disparaged a number of scholars, even alleging that Ibn al-Zubayr was a Kharijite.
‘That book also contained reports that bolstered the Rāfiḍah. When Ahmad was informed of it, he cautioned people against al-Karābīsī. News of this reached al-Karābīsī, who bristled and said, “I will utter a statement that will make Ibn Ḥanbal speak against it and thus become a disbeliever.” He then proclaimed, “My utterance of the Qur’an is created.”
‘In my book al-Qaṣaṣ I reported that I conveyed this to Abū ʿAbd Allah: al-Karābīsī had said, “My utterance of the Qur’an is created,” and that he further claimed, “I affirm that the Qur’an is the uncreated speech of Allah from every perspective; nevertheless, my utterance of it is created, and whoever does not say, ‘My utterance of the Qur’an is created,’ is a disbeliever.”
‘Abū ʿAbd Allah replied, “Rather, he is the disbeliever—may Allah fight him! What have the Jahmiyyah said except this very thing? Of what benefit is his statement when his last words overturn his first?”
‘He then asked, “What about Abū Thawr—does he agree with him in this?” I answered, “He has cut ties with him.” Ahmad said, “Excellent. The people of speculative theology will never prosper.”’