as for his associates, they are merely followers of Qadi Abu Yaʿla in this matter; it is, in fact, the Qadi’s own position—may Allah forgive him.

Ibn Hamid used to say, as is related (1) from him, “My utterance of the Qur’an is uncreated.” The Qadi rejected this, just as Imam Ahmad’s rejection of it is well attested, and in doing so he took the same course as al-Ashʿari (2), Ibn al-Baqillani (3), and others. They all disapproved of saying, “I uttered the Qur’an,” insisting that the Qur’an itself is not something that can be “uttered,” for the eternal is not subject to utterance—lafdh in Arabic literally means casting or throwing out. Rather, the Qur’an is recited and read (4).

Thus, when al-Ashʿari stated, in setting forth the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah, that they forbade anyone to say, “My utterance of the Qur’an is created or uncreated” (5), he and the leading scholars among his disciples were claiming special affiliation to Imam Ahmad and, more broadly, to the other scholars of hadith in their stance on the Sunnah and their censure of both camps, as is well known from Imam Ahmad. A group of the eminent scholars (6) of his own time concurred with him (7) in this and explained it as a dislike for the very expression “utterance of the Qur’an,” and Qadi Abu Yaʿla agreed with them in that regard (8).

Later, the Qadi and his followers advanced a statement even more emphatic than saying, “My utterance of the Qur’an is uncreated,” while the others advanced wording more emphatic than saying, “My utterance of the Qur’an is created,” all the while maintaining