Cling to the Book of Allah and to the Sunnahs that have come from the Messenger of Allah—you will be safe and prosper.
Say as well: “The speech of our Sovereign is uncreated.” The devout have professed this and stated it plainly.
Do not adopt the stance of suspension concerning the Quran, as the followers of Jahm once did to ingratiate themselves. (1)
And never say, “The Quran I recite is a created thing,” for the speech of Allah is made manifest through its very wording. (2)
Affirm that Allah will reveal Himself to the creation openly, as unmistakably as the full moon—indeed, your Lord is even clearer.
He neither begets nor is begotten, nor has He any equal; exalted is the One who is glorified.
A Jahmi may deny this, but we possess an explicit hadith that confirms what we have asserted. (3)
It was transmitted by Jarir from the words of Muhammad, so say what he said on the matter and you will succeed. (4)
The Jahmi may also reject His right hand—yet both His hands bestow abundant favors. (5)
Proclaim: “The Almighty descends each night,” without inquiring how; sublime is the One worthy of all praise—
to the heaven nearest this world, showering His grace; the gates of the heavens are flung wide open.
He calls out: “Is there anyone seeking forgiveness who will find a Forgiver? Anyone asking for goodness or provision, that he may be granted it?” (6)
(1) In Tabaqat al-Hanabila: “And do not go to extremes concerning the Quran by declaring a pause.”
(2) In Tabaqat al-Hanabila the reading is khulqan (moral character) instead of khalaq (creation).
(3) The discussion of the Jahmiyya has already been given on p. 100, note 5.
(4) Jarir is Jarir b. Abd Allah al-Bajali, a distinguished Companion. His report about the believers’ vision of their Lord on the Day of Resurrection is recorded by al-Bukhari, 2/27 (Times of Prayer, “The merit of the afternoon prayer”); 8/458 (Tafsir of surah Qaf); 13/356 (Book of Tawhid, “On the verse: ‘Faces that Day will be radiant’”); Muslim, no. 633 (Mosques, “The superiority of the dawn and afternoon prayers”); Abu Dawud, no. 4729; and al-Tirmidhi, no. 2754.
(5) Ahmad, 2/160; Muslim, no. 7127 (Governance, “The virtue of a just ruler”); and al-Nasa i, 8/221, transmit—on the authority of Abd Allah b. Amr—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Those who act with equity will be, with Allah, upon pulpits of light at the right hand of the All-Merciful—and both of His hands are right—namely those who are just in their judgments, toward their families, and in all that they oversee.”
(6) Tabaqat al-Hanabila reads fa-amnah (“I grant”) instead. The hadith of the Lord’s descent to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains is transmitted from Abu Hurayra by Malik, 1/214, and by al-Bukhari …