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The judge said:

“Ahmad said in Hanbal’s report: ‘Allah has always been speaking, knowing, and forgiving.’ In ‘Abd Allāh’s report, he said: ‘Allah has always spoken whenever He wills.’

I found this in al-Mihnah (The Ordeal), as narrated by Hanbal, when ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Ishāq, al-Mu‘tasim’s judge, questioned and reproached him, saying: ‘What do you say about the Quran?’

He said: ‘I replied, “What do you say about knowledge?” He fell silent. I then said to ‘Abd al-Rahmān, “The Quran is part of Allah’s knowledge. Whoever claims that Allah’s knowledge is created has disbelieved in Allah.”’

He said: ‘I questioned ‘Abd al-Rahmān, but he gave me no answer. ‘Abd al-Rahmān said to me, “Allah existed when there was no Quran.” I replied, “Did Allah exist without knowledge?” He refrained from answering. Had he claimed that Allah existed without knowledge, he would have disbelieved in Allah.’

Then Abū ‘Abd Allāh said: ‘Allah has always been knowing and speaking. Allah is worshipped through His attributes, which are neither delimited nor known except as He has described Himself. We refer the Quran to the One who knows it—to Allah, for He knows it best. From Him it began, and to Him it will return.’

In another passage, he said: ‘I heard Abū ‘Abd Allāh say, “Allah has always been speaking. The Quran is Allah’s speech, uncreated in every respect. Allah is not to be described with anything beyond that with which He has described Himself.”’”