and whatever else there is of their names and of the reports concerning their deeds (1).
He (2) said: These people claimed that Speech is unoriginated, that Allah—majestic and exalted—has never ceased to be speaking by means of it; yet, in their view, it is nonetheless made up of letters and sounds, and that Allah has eternally been speaking with these many letters (3).
It was related from Ibn al-Mājishūn that half of the Qur’an is created and the other half uncreated.
One of those who record doctrinal views reported that a man from among the ḥadith-scholars said: “Whatever constitutes knowledge from Allah’s own knowledge in the Qur’an—we do not say it is created, nor do we say it is other than Allah; and whatever in it consists of command and prohibition is created (4).”
That same reporter (5) attributed this opinion to Sulaymān ibn Jarīr (6).
He (7) said: In my estimation, that is a mistake (8).
(1) In al-Maqalat it reads “afa’ilahum.”
(2) It states “an addition from the Shaykh, may God have mercy on him,” and the text continues without interruption from the preceding passage in al-Maqalat.
(3) In manuscripts S and T and in al-Maqalat: “Allah mutakalliman bi-hā” (Allah speaking through it).
(4) The words between the brackets are an addition in S and T. In al-Maqalat it reads: “wa mā kāna fīhi min amr wa nahy…” (“and whatever in it pertains to command and prohibition…”).
(5) In all copies it reads “wa ḥakka.” The same reading is confirmed in al-Maqalat.
(6) He is Sulayman ibn Jarir al-Zaydi, after whom the Sulaymani (or Jariri) sect of the Zaydis is named. This group rejected Uthman, Aisha, Zubayr and Talha (may God be pleased with them), claiming that the Companions abandoned the most entitled candidate by refusing to pledge allegiance to Ali (may God be pleased with him), and holding other errors ascribed to him by the authors of al-Maqalat. For his life and doctrine, see: al-Furuq bayna al-Firaq by al-Baghdadi, pp. 32–33; al-Milal wa al-Nihal by al-Shahrastani, vol. 1, pp. 159–160; Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, vol. 3, pp. 79–80.
(7) That is, Abu al-Hasan al-Ashari, and the text continues from the previous passage.
(8) In the original it reads “thiqah” (trustworthy). In manuscripts S and T it reads “ma‘ahu” (with him). The reading confirmed in al-Maqalat is the same.