Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (525)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

It can also mean being distinct from the Essence when considered apart from it. Thus, if someone says, “Allah’s knowledge and speech are other than Him,” meaning that they are other than the Essence considered apart from knowledge and speech, the meaning is sound, but the unqualified wording is invalid. If, however, the claim is that knowledge and speech are distinct from His unique reality, by which He is distinguished from all others, then both the wording and the meaning are false.

This is how Ahl al-Sunnah answered the Muʿtazilah, who maintain that the Quran is created. They said that His speech, Exalted is He, is included in what His name denotes. “Allah” is the name of the Essence characterized by the attributes of perfection. Among these is the attribute of speech, just as His knowledge, power, life, hearing, and sight are uncreated. Since the Quran is His speech, and speech is one of His attributes, and since it contains His most beautiful names, then, if the Quran is uncreated and is not said to be other than Allah, how can some of what it contains—namely, His names—be said to be created and other than Him?

The truth has thus become manifest, praise be to Allah, and the difficulty has been resolved. It is now clear that His most beautiful names found in the Quran are part of His speech. His speech is uncreated, and it is not to be said that it is other than Him or that it is He Himself.

This position differs both from that of the Muʿtazilah, who say that His names, Exalted is He, are other than Him and are created, and from that of those who refuted them by saying that His name is His very Essence, not other than Him.

By making these distinctions, doubts are dispelled and the correct position becomes clear. Praise be to Allah.

Their second argument: They say that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, says:

55:78 “Blessed is the name of your Lord”; 73:8 “Remember the name of your Lord”; and 87:1 “Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.”

In reality, this argument counts against them, not in their favour. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fulfilled this command by saying:

“Glory be to my Lord, the Most High; glory be to my Lord, the Most Great.”

Had the matter been as they claimed, he would have said: “Glory be to the name of my Lord, the Most Great.”

ويراد بها: مغايرة الذات إذا خرجت عنها. فإذا قيل: علم الله، وكلام الله غيره: وعنى أنه غير الذات المجردة عن العلم، والكلام: كان المعنى صحيحا. ولكن الإطلاق باطل. وإذا العلم والكلام مغاير لحقيقته المختصة التي امتاز بها عن غيره: كان باطلا لفظا ومعنى. وبهذا أجاب أهل السنة المعتزلة القائلين بخلق القرآن، وقالوا: كلامه تعالى داخل في مسمى اسمه. ف «الله» اسم للذات الموصوفة بصفات الكمال. ومن تلك الصفات: صفة الكلام، كما أن علمه وقدرته وحياته، وسمعه وبصره: غير مخلوقة. وإذا كان القرآن كلامه، وهو صفة من صفاته. فهو متضمن لأسمائه الحسنى. فإذا كان القرآن غير مخلوق، ولا يقال: إنه غير الله، فكيف يقال: إن بعض ما تضمنه- وهو أسماؤه- مخلوقة، وهي غيره؟ فقد حصحص الحق بحمد الله وانحسم الإشكال، وبان أسماءه الحسنى التي في القرآن من كلامه. وكلامه غير مخلوق. ولا يقال: هو غيره، ولا هو هو. وهذا المذهب مخالف لمذهب المعتزلة الذين يقولون: أسماؤه تعالى غيره. وهي مخلوقة، ولمذهب من رد عليهم ممن يقول: اسمه نفس ذاته، لا غيره. وبالتفصيل تزول الشبه ويتبين الصواب والحمد الله. حجة ثانية لهم: قالوا: قال ﵎: ٥٥: ٧٨ تَبارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ و ٧٣: ٨ اذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ و ٨٧: ١ سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى. وهذه الحجة عليهم في لا لهم الحقيقة. لأن النبي ﷺ امتثل هذا الأمر، وقال: «سبحان ربي الأعلى، سبحان ربي العظيم» ولو كان الأمر كما زعموا لقال: سبحان اسم ربي العظيم.