Al-Rad 'ala al-Jahmiya - Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - (126)

Al-Rad 'ala al-JahmiyaAhmad Ibn Hanbal

Jesus himself is not the kun (“Be”); rather, he came into existence by the kun. The kun is a word spoken by Allah, and that word is not created.1

Both the Christians and the Jahmites have lied against Allah concerning Jesus. The Jahmites assert, “Jesus is the Spirit of Allah and His word, for the word is created.” The Christians maintain, “Jesus is the Spirit of Allah, proceeding from Allah’s very essence, and His word issues from His essence,” just as one might say, “This patch comes from this cloth.” We, however, say: Jesus came to be through the word, but Jesus is not the word itself.

With respect to Allah’s words, “and a spirit from Him” (al-Nisa 4:171), the meaning is that the spirit in him was by Allah’s command, just as He says, “and He has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and on the earth, altogether, from Him” (al-Jathiyah 45:13)—meaning: from His command. Therefore, the phrase “Spirit of Allah” simply means a spirit that Allah created by His word, just as one says, “servant of Allah,” “heaven of Allah,” or “earth…"

(1) Al-Darimi, Refutation of al-Marisi the Obstinate Jahmi, vol. 2, pp. 674-685, writes: “One answers this opponent as follows: does the matter really need further interpretation or escape-clause? Every believer understands that when God wills something He says to it kun (Be!) and it comes to be; if He does not say kun, it does not exist. Thus the thing exists by His will and by His word, without being identical with the very word that issued from Him. The divine word kun is uncreated, whereas the entity produced by it is created. As for God’s statement about Jesus—‘a spirit from God and His word’—there is a clear difference between ‘spirit’ and ‘word’. The spirit that was breathed into him is created and blended with his created nature, whereas the word that comes from God is uncreated and did not mix with Jesus; rather, he came into existence through it. Whether you like it or not, it is a divine command. This is the interpretation we hold, not the lies and fabrications you attribute to us.”

وليس عيسى هو الكُنُّ، ولَكِنْ بالكُنِّ كَانَ، فالكُنُّ من الله قول، وليس الكن مخلوقًا١. وكذبت النصارى والجهمية على الله في أمر عيسى، وذلك أن الجهمية قالوا: عيسى روح الله وكلمته، لأن الكلمة مخلوقة، وقالت النصارى: عيسى روح الله من ذات الله. وكلمته من ذات الله. كما يقال: إن هذه الخرقة من هذا الثوب، وقلنا نحن: إن عيسى بالكلمة كان، وليس عيسى هو الكلمة. وأما قول الله: {وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ} [النساء: ١٧١] يقول: من أمره كان الروح فيه كقوله: {وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِنْهُ} [الجاثية: ١٣] . يقول من أمره وتفسير روح الله إنما معناها أنها روح بكلمة الله خلقها الله، كما يقال: عبد الله وسماء الله وأرض

١ قال الدارمي في "رده على المريسي الجهمي العنيد" "٦٧٤/٢-٦٨٥": فيقال لهذا المعارض: أو يحتاج في هذا إلى تفسير ومخرج؟ قد عقل تفسيره عامة من آمن بالله: أنه إذا أراد شيئًا قال له: {كن فيكون} ومتى لا يقول له: كن لا يكون. فإذا قال: "كن" كان، فهذا المخرج من أنه كان بإرادته وبكلمته، لا أنه نفس الكلمة التي خرجت منه، ولكن بالكلمة كان، فالكلمة من الله "كن" غير مخلوقة، والكائن بها مخلوق. وقول الله في عيسى: {روح الله وكلمته} فبين الروح والكلمة فرق في المعنى، لأن الروح الذي نفخ فيها مخلوق امتزج بخلقه، والكلمة من الله غير مخلوقة لم تمتزج بعيسى، ولكن كان بها، وإن كره لأنها من الله أمر، فعلى هذا التأويل قلنا، لا على ما ادعيت علينا من الكذب والأباطيل.