And among the well-known statements in Muhammad ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī’s The Clear Exposition of the Sunnah—transmitted from him through numerous independent chains—is the following. After discussing the various topics of the Sunnah, he said:

“As for people’s utterances of the Quran, we know of no report concerning this from any Companion who passed away or any Successor who followed, except from one whose words offer healing and abundance, whose example brings sound direction and guidance, and whom we regard as holding the standing of the earliest imams: Abū ‘Abd Allāh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal. Abū Ismā‘īl al-Tirmidhī related to me that he heard Abū ‘Abd Allāh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal say: ‘The Lafziyyah are Jahmiyyah. Allah says, “until he hears the words of Allah.” From whom does he hear them?’”

Ibn Jarīr said:

“I also heard a number of our companions—whose names I do not recall—report that he used to say: ‘Whoever says, “My utterance of the Quran is created,” is a Jahmī; and whoever says, “It is uncreated,” is an innovator.’”

Ibn Jarīr said:

“We consider no statement on this matter permissible for us to make other than his, since we have no imam to follow in it besides him. His position is sufficient and convincing, and he is the imam to be followed.”

Abū al-Fadl Sālih ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said in The Book of the Ordeal:

“Word reached me that Abū Tālib had reported my father as saying, ‘My utterance of the Quran is uncreated.’ I informed my father of this, and he asked, ‘Who told you?’ I replied, ‘So-and-so.’ He said, ‘Send for Abū Tālib.’ So I sent for him, and he came; Fawrān also came. My father said to him, ‘Did I tell you that my utterance of the Quran is uncreated?’ And he became angry