16
nor did He mention his mother here. Concerning His — exalted is He — words, “and His word that He cast to Mary and a spirit from Him” (4:171): Maʿmar narrated from Qatādah that “His word that He cast to Mary” refers to His command kun (Be!), and he was. Qatādah likewise said: the word itself did not turn into Jesus; rather, by means of the word Jesus came to be. The same was affirmed by Imām Aḥmad in the treatise he authored to refute the Jahmiyyah, as transmitted from him by al-Khallāl and by the judge Abū Yaʿlā. Aḥmad said:
لَمْ يَذْكُرْ هُنَا أُمَّهُ. وَقَوْلُهُ - تَعَالَى -:
{وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ}
[النساء: ١٧١]
قَالَ: مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ هُوَ قَوْلُهُ: كُنْ فَكَانَ.
وَكَذَلِكَ قَالَ:
قَتَادَةُ لَيْسَ الْكَلِمَةَ صَارَ عِيسَى، وَلَكِنْ بِالْكَلِمَةِ صَارَ عِيسَى.
وَكَذَلِكَ قَالَ:
الْإِمَامُ أَحْمَدُ فِي مُصَنَّفِهِ الَّذِي صَنَّفَهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى الْجَهْمِيَّةِ وَذَكَرَهُ عَنْهُ الْخَلَّالُ وَالْقَاضِي أَبُو يَعْلَى قَالَ: أَحْمَدُ