Harun ibn Abi ‘Alqamah al-Farawi narrated from the people of Medina: “I heard ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Majishun and others among our scholars ⦗358⦘ say: Whoever suspends judgment concerning the Quran out of doubt is a disbeliever.” He said: “And I heard ‘Abd al-Malik in particular say: Whoever suspends judgment concerning the Quran out of doubt is like one who says that it is created.”

521 — Abu Mus‘ab Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr said: “Whoever suspends judgment concerning the Quran is a disbeliever.”

522 — Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Warah said: Abu Mus‘ab said to me, “Whoever says, ‘The Quran is created,’ is a disbeliever; and whoever says, ‘I do not know’—meaning, whether it is created or uncreated—is the same.” Then he said, “Rather, he is worse than him.” I mentioned to him a man who outwardly professed adherence to Malik’s school, and said, “He has openly adopted the stance of suspending judgment.” He replied, “May Allah curse him! He claims adherence to our school, though it is free of him.” I mentioned this to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and he was pleased and delighted by it.

523 — It is related on the authority of Abu Hatim al-Razi that Abu Mus‘ab said: “Those who say concerning the Quran, ‘We do not know whether it is created or uncreated,’ are, in our view, worse than those who say, ‘It is created.’ They are to be called upon to repent; if they repent, then so be it, and otherwise their heads are to be struck off.”

524 — ‘Ali ibn al-Furat al-Isfahani likewise narrated this from him. It is also reported from Mus‘ab al-Zubayri that he was asked about the Quran and about those who do not say that it is uncreated. He replied, “These people are ignorant”—and he declared them mistaken—“and I suspect them of being heretics.”

526 — Abu Hatim said: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami was asked, “What do you say about a slave who is purchased and then turns out to be a Jahmi?” ⦗359⦘ He replied, “It is a defect warranting his return.” He was asked, “And if he turns out to be one who suspends judgment?” He replied, “It is a worse defect warranting his return.”

527 — It is reported from ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Salamah al-‘Umari al-Madani, a resident of Baghdad, that he was asked about one who says, “The Quran is uncreated.” He replied, “Whoever does not say that it is uncreated is thereby saying that it is created, except that he has made this a cover behind which to conceal himself.”

528 — Harun ibn Musa al-Farawi was asked about one who suspends judgment concerning the Quran. He replied, “He is like one who says that it is created.”

529 — It is also reported from him: “Whoever suspends judgment concerning the Quran out of doubt is a disbeliever, while whoever suspends judgment without doubt is an innovator.”

530 — It is reported from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Abi ‘Umar al-‘Adani: “Whoever says that the Quran is created is a disbeliever, and whoever suspends judgment is worse than one who says that it is created. Prayer is not to be performed behind them; they are not to be married into; they are not to be spoken to; their funerals are not to be attended; and their sick are not to be visited.”

531 — Abu Zur‘ah al-Razi said: Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Hulwani was told, “We have been informed that you have openly adopted the stance of suspending judgment.” He vehemently denied this and said, “The Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah. Can it be anything other than this, or could anyone say anything other than this? We have never doubted this.” ⦗360⦘ He continued, “A man in Syria, who was among those who suspend judgment, questioned me and wished for me to grant a concession regarding suspending judgment, but I refused.”

532 — It is reported from Abu al-Walid ibn Abi al-Jarud, Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Muqri’, al-Hasan ibn Ibrahim al-Bayadi, and Ibn Yunus al-Madani that they said: “They are disbelievers.”

533 — It is reported from Yahya ibn Sulaym al-Ta’ifi: “Whoever suspends judgment concerning the Quran is a Jahmi.” This was narrated from him by Ibn Abi ‘Umar al-‘Adani.