al-Muʿtaṣim (1), who summoned people to the Jahmite creed and required them to say that the Qur’an is created, coercing them (2) through punishment, ordering the dismissal of anyone who refused him and cutting off his stipend—together with other measures he undertook in his well-known ordeal (3)—
Imam Ahmad said to him during their debate, when the caliph demanded that he concur that the Qur’an is created:
“Bring me something from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger so that I may answer you with it.” Ibn Abi Duʿād retorted, “Will you speak only on the basis of the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger?” (4)
Imam Ahmad replied, “Granted that you have construed some passage according to your own interpretation—you know best what you have interpreted—yet how can you deem it permissible to force people to accept it through imprisonment and beating (5)?”
Thus he clarified that punishment is warranted only for abandoning what Allah has made obligatory or for committing what He has forbidden.
He is Abu ʿAbdallah Ahmad ibn Duwad Farj ibn Jarir ibn Malik al-Iyadi, one of the renowned Muʿtazilite judges (qadis) and the central figure in the controversy over the createdness of the Quran. He served as chief judge under Caliphs al-Muʿtasim and al-Wathiq, and he encouraged the caliphs to test people on the doctrine of the Quran’s createdness. Al-Dhahabi describes him as “a repugnant Jahmite,” noting that he was born in 160 AH and died of a stroke in 240 AH. See: Tarikh Baghdad by al-Baghdadi, vol. 4, pp. 141–156; Wafayat al-Aʿyan by Ibn Khallikan, vol. 1, pp. 81–91; and the chapter “Mention of the Muʿtazilites” in Maqalat al-Islamiyyin by Abu al-Qasim al-Balkhi, p. 101.
(1) He is the Amir al-Muʾminin (Commander of the Faithful) Abu Ishaq Muhammad al-Muʿtasim ibn Harun al-Rashid ibn al-Mahdi ibn al-Mansur al-ʿAbbasi, one of the Abbasid caliphs. He acceded to the caliphate in 218 AH, was born in 179 AH, and died in 227 AH. See: Tarikh Baghdad by al-Baghdadi, vol. 3, pp. 342–347; al-Kamil by Ibn al-Athir, vol. 6, pp. 523–524; al-Bidaya wa-l-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir, vol. 1, p. 334.
(2) In some editions: “and I despised them.”
(3) Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 397 et seq.
(4) Text between brackets is a later addition in some editions.
(5) Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 401.