on this matter were transmitted by his son ʿAbd Allāh, Sālih, al-Marwadhī, Fawrān, Abū Tālib, Abū Bakr ibn Sadaqah, and a great many of his companions and followers. After his death, his closest follower, Abū Bakr al-Marwadhī, took up this matter and compiled his statements alongside those of leading scholars among his companions and others, including ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Warrāq, al-Athram, Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī, al-Fadl ibn Ziyād, Muthannā ibn Jāmiʿ al-Anbārī, Muhammad ibn Ishāq al-Sanʿānī, Muhammad ibn Sahl ibn ʿAskar, and other scholars of Islam. He explained the innovation of those who say that people’s recitation and utterances of the Quran are uncreated. Al-Khallāl mentioned this in The Book of the Sunnah and discussed it at length.
Al-Khallāl said:
Abū Bakr al-Marwadhī told me: Word reached Abū ʿAbd Allāh that Abū Tālib had written to the people of Nisibis, saying, “My utterance of the Quran is uncreated.” Abū Bakr said: Sālih ibn Ahmad came to us and said, “Come with me to my father.” We went and entered upon Abū ʿAbd Allāh, finding him intensely angry, with anger plainly visible on his face. He said, “Go and bring me Abū Tālib.” I brought him, and he sat trembling before Abū ʿAbd Allāh, who said, “Did you write to the people of Nisibis, telling them on my authority that I said, ‘My utterance of the Quran is uncreated’?”
He replied, “I was only speaking for myself.”
He said, “This is not permissible, whether as your own statement or mine. I have never heard any scholar say this.”
Abū ʿAbd Allāh said, “The Quran is Allah’s speech, uncreated, however it is conveyed.” Then Abū Tālib was told, “Go out and announce