Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (3/279)

is intrinsic to His very being, and the same holds true for every other attribute ascribed to Him—life, power, and all else besides.

After the Companions and the leading successors had passed away—more than a hundred years after the Prophet’s death, peace and blessings be upon him—a group arose who claimed that His speech is a created thing brought into existence outside of Him. Many Jews and Christians shared in this innovation.

This doctrine appeared after the second century AH, and some governors and others lent it their support. Allah, however, extinguished it through the imams of Islam and the Sunnah whom He raised up; they exposed its corruption and reaffirmed the consensus of the early generations that Allah’s speech is revealed from Him, uncreated. It originates from Him alone; it did not originate from any created being.

Despite all this, no Muslim has ever said that Allah’s speech could be a god or a lord.

The same applies to His life: none of them has ever said that His life could be a god or a lord, or that it is co-equal with the Lord—exalted is He—in essence.

وَكَذَلِكَ سَائِرُ مَا يُوصَفُ بِهِ مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ. وَأَحْدَثَ قَوْمٌ مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَ انْقِرَاضِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَأَكَابِرِ التَّابِعِينَ، بَعْدَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مِنْ مَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ مَخْلُوقٌ خَلَقَهُ فِي غَيْرِهِ، وَشَارَكَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الْبِدْعَةِ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى. وَظَهَرَتْ هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةُ بَعْدَ الْمِائَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ، وَانْتَصَرَ لَهَا قَوْمٌ مِنَ الْوُلَاةِ، وَغَيْرِهِم، ثُمَّ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ بِمَنْ أَقَامَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالسُّنَّةِ الَّذِينَ بَيَّنُوا فَسَادَهَا وَبَيَّنُوا مَا اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَفُ مِنْ أَنَّ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْهُ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ، بَلْ مِنْهُ بَدَأَ، لَمْ يَبْتَدِئْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ، وَمَعَ هَذَا فَلَمْ يَقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ: إِنَّ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ يَكُونُ إِلَهًا وَلَا رَبًّا. وَكَذَلِكَ حَيَاتُهُ لَمْ يَقُلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُم: إِنَّ حَيَاتَهُ تَكُونُ إِلَهًا وَلَا رَبًّا، وَلَا أَنَّهُ مُسَاوٍ لِلرَّبِّ تَعَالَى فِي الْجَوْهَرِ.