The Qur’an is the speech of Allah and is not created, while the acts of human beings are created; putting people to the test over this issue is an innovation. The man then caused an uproar, the crowd joined in, and they dispersed. Thereafter al-Bukhari stayed in his house (1).

Musallam ibn Muhammad al-Qaysi and others reported to us: Zayd ibn al-Hasan narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad narrated to us; Ahmad ibn ʿAli al-Khatib narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ghalib, Abu Bakr al-Barqani, narrated to us; Abu Bakr al-Ismaʿili narrated to us; ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Muslim Khashnam related to me, saying: “Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil was asked in Nishapur about articulation (al-lafẓ). He replied: ‘ʿUbayd Allah ibn Saʿid—meaning Abu Qudamah—narrated to me from Yahya ibn Saʿid, al-Qattan, who said: The deeds of the servants are all created.’”

They then turned on him and said to him afterwards, “Will you retract this statement so that we may return to your gatherings?” He answered, “I will not, unless you bring forth an argument for what you say that is stronger than my argument.” What most impressed me about Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil was his steadfastness (2).

Al-Hakim said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abi Haytham al-Muttaweʿi of Bukhara narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firabri narrated to us; I heard Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil say, “As for the deeds of the servants, they are created.

“Indeed, ʿAli ibn ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Marwan ibn Muʿawiyah narrated to us; Abu Malik narrated to us, from Ribʿi, from Hudhayfah, who said: The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Allah fashions every craftsman and his craft.’ (3)

“And with this same chain he said: I heard ʿUbayd Allah ibn Saʿid say, ‘I heard Yahya ibn Saʿid…’”