Refutation of Those Who Claim the Qur’an Is Created

They argue that the Divine Speech is created, citing the verse, “Indeed We have made it an Arabic Qur’an” (Q 43:3), insisting that the verb “made” (jaʿala) here means “created.” They also invoke His words, “No reminder ever comes to them from their Lord but it is newly revealed” (Q 21:2), maintaining that whatever is “newly revealed” must be created. In the same vein they contend that the phrases “Allah spoke” and “Allah spoke to Moses with direct speech” mean: He merely brought speech into existence, and Moses only heard a created utterance.

By this interpretation they have departed both from the Arabic language and from sound reason. In Arabic, “Allah spoke” means that He Himself brought forth speech from His own Self, just as “Allah showed mercy” means He Himself bestowed mercy from His own Self. Likewise one says: “So-and-so humbled himself”—he produced humility from within himself; “he showed courage”—he produced courage from himself; “he devoted himself to worship”—he produced devotion from himself; “he acted with forbearance”—he produced forbearance from himself.

Had the intended meaning been merely that He caused speech to exist, it would not be permissible to say “He speaks”; one would have to say instead “He causes to speak” (aklama). In the same pattern we say: aqbaḥa (he produced ugliness), aṭāba (he produced goodness), akhassa (he produced baseness). One would then have to say, “Allah aklama Moses an act of causing speech,” just as we say: “Allah aqbara the deceased”—that is, He made a grave for him; or: “Allah arʿā the livestock,” meaning He made them graze. Examples of this kind are numerous and well known to those versed in Arabic.

Moreover, the Arabs call speech “a tongue,” for speech is articulated upon the tongue.