16
Refutation of the Jahmites Who Describe the Qur’an as “Newly Originated”
He therefore alleged that Allah was saying:
“The Qur’an is muḥdath (newly originated), and every muḥdath is created.”1
By my life, he has certainly managed to confuse people with this claim. It is one of the ambiguous passages, so we addressed the matter, seeking Allah’s help and examining the Book of Allah—there is no power nor strength except through Allah.2
(1) Ibn Kathir states in his Tafsir, 3/182: “muhdath means ‘newly sent down.’ Ibn Abbas said: ‘Why do you ask the People of the Scripture about what they possess when they have distorted, altered, added to and deleted from it, while your Book is the latest of the books to come from Allah, which you recite in its pure, unadulterated form?’
(2) Ibn Batta says in al-Ibana, 2/183-185: When the Jahmi sees his first proof collapse, he advances another claim, saying, ‘I have found a verse in the Book that proves the Quran is created.’ He is asked, ‘Which verse is that?’ He quotes the Almighty’s words: ma yatihim min dhikrin min rabbihim muhdath (No reminder comes to them from their Lord but that it is newly revealed) [al-Anbiya, 2] and argues: ‘Do you not see that everything muhdath is created?’ In this way he misleads the weak, the inexperienced and the simple-minded. The reply is: What Allah has always known cannot be called muhdath, for His knowledge is eternal just as He is eternal, and His act is encompassed within His knowledge. Only that of which He had no prior knowledge and then came to know would be muhdath. We say: Allah—exalted be He—has never ceased knowing all that is in the Quran before it was sent down, before Gabriel brought it, and before it was revealed to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He said, inni jaʿilun fi l-ardi khalifah (I am going to place a vice-regent on earth) [al-Baqarah, 30] before He created Adam, and He said, illa ibleesa aba wa-stakbara wa-kana mina l-kafirin (except Iblis; he refused, was arrogant, and became one of the unbelievers) [al-Baqarah, 34], meaning that Iblis was, in Allah’s knowledge, an unbeliever before He created him. He then revealed what He already knew about all things.
Allah has informed us about the Quran, saying, in huwa illa wahyun yuha (it is nothing but a revelation sent down) [al-Najm, 4], negating that it is anything other than revelation. Thus the meaning of ma yatihim min dhikrin min rabbihim muhdath is that its knowledge, information, warning and admonition become new—at the moment of Muhammad’s reception of it. O Muhammad, your knowledge and awareness are renewed through what is revealed to you of the Quran; its descent grants you and those who hear it a knowledge and reminder you did not previously possess. Have you not heard His words, wa ʿallamaka ma lam takun taʿlam (He taught you that which you did not know) [al-Nisa, 113]? And the Exalted said:
[الرد على الجهمية بتسمية القرآن محدثا]
...
فزعم أن الله قال:
القرآن محدث. وكل محدث مخلوق١.
فلعمري، لقد شبه على الناس بهذا. وهي آية من المتشابه فقلنا في ذلك قولاً واستعنا بالله، ونظرنا في كتاب الله، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله٢.
١ قال ابن كثير في تفسيره "١٨٢/٣": محدث أي جديد إنزاله، كما قال ابن عباس: ما لكم تسألون أهل الكتاب عمّا بأيديهم وقد حرفوه وبدلوه وزادوا فيه ونقصوا منه، وكتابكم أحدث الكتب بالله تقرءونه محضًا لم يشب؟!.
٢ قال ابن بطة في "الإبانة" "١٨٣/٢-١٨٥": ثم إن الجهمي إذا بطلت حجته فيما ادعاه ادعى أمرًا آخر، فقال: أنا أجد في الكتاب آية تدل على أن القرآن مخلوق، فقثيل: أية آية هي؟
قال: قول الله عز وجل: {مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ مُحْدَثٍ} [الأنبياء: ٢] .
أفلا ترون أن كل محدث مخلوق؟
فوهم على الضعفاء والأحداث وأهل الغباوة وموّه عليهم، فيقال له: إن الذي لم يزل به عالما لا يكون محدثًا، فعلمه أزلي كما أنه هو أزلي، وفعله مضمر في علمه، وإنما يكون محدثًا ما لم يكن به عالِمًا حتى علمه فيقول: إن الله -عز وجل- لم يزل عالِمًا بجميع ما في القرآن قبل أن ينزل القرآن، وقبل أن يأتي به جبريل وينزل به على محمد -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وقد قال: {إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً} [البقرة: ٣٠] قبل أن يخلق آدم.
وقال: {إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ} [البقرة: ٣٤] .
يقول: كان إبليس في علم الله كافرًا قبل أن يخلقه، ثم أوحى بما قد كان علمه من جميع الأشياء.
وقد أخبرنا عز وجل عن القرآن، فقال: {إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ وَحْيٌ يُوحَى} [النجم: ٤] فنفى عنه أن يكون غير الوحي، وإنما معنى قوله: {مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ ذِكْرٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ مُحْدَثٍ} أراد: محدثًا علمه وخبره وزجره وموعظته عند محمد -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وإنما أراد: أن علمك يا محمد ومعرفتك محدث بما أوحى إليك من القرآن، وإنما أراد: أن نزول القرآن عليك يحدث لك ولمن سمعه علم وذكر لم تكونوا تعلمونه.
ألم تسمع إلى قوله: {وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ} [النساء: ١١٣] وقال تعالى: =