Imam Ahmad said in the section containing “The Refutation of the Jahmiyyah and the Heretics”: “Likewise, Allah spoke as He willed, without our speaking of an internal cavity, a mouth, or lips.”

He said further on: “Rather, we say that Allah has always spoken whenever He wills. We do not say that He existed without speaking until [speech] was created.” His discussion of this is lengthy.

He said:

“Chapter: The Jahmiyyah’s Denial That Allah Spoke to Moses

We asked: ‘Why do you deny this?’ They replied: ‘Allah has not spoken and does not speak. He merely brought something into being which spoke on His behalf, and created a sound which He caused Moses to hear.’ They claimed that speech can only come from an internal cavity, a tongue, and lips.

We asked: ‘Can anything brought into being, other than Allah, say: “O Moses, indeed I am your Lord”? Or say:

“Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance”?’

Whoever claims that this was someone other than Allah has attributed lordship to that being. If, as the Jahmī claims, Allah had brought something into being, that created thing would have said: ‘O Moses, Allah is the Lord of all worlds.’ It could not rightly say:

‘Indeed, I am Allah, the Lord of all worlds.’

Allah—exalted be His praise—has said:

‘And Allah spoke to Moses directly.’

He also said:

‘When Moses came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him.’

And He said:

‘I have chosen you above the people through My messages and My speaking to you.’

This is the explicit wording of the Quran. As for their claim that Allah has not spoken and is not spoken to, what will they do with the hadith narrated by al-A‘mash from