In the last section, certain characteristics of the kalaam of Allaah were discussed. In this section, it shall be proven that the Qur`aan is a part of the kalaam of Allaah. It therefore has the same characteristics that the kalaam of Allaah has. Some narrations of the earlier scholars have already been mentioned concerning the fact that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah. However, in this section, this topic will be discussed in greater detail, along with a brief history of the deviations that have occurred with regards to this belief.

The proof that the Qur`aan in particular is the kalaam of Allaah is that Allaah Himself has referred to it as His kalaam. For example, Allaah says, "And if any of the idolaters seeks your protection, then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word (kalaam) of Allaah..."(9:6), meaning until they hear the Qur`aan. The Prophet (e) also said, "Verily, the Quraysh have prevented me from spreading the Word (kalaam) of my Lord," meaning that they prevented him from spreading the Qur`aan. The Prophet (e) also said in reference to the Qur`aan,

"The superiority of the kalaam of Allaah over all other kalaam is (like) the superiority of Allaah over His Creation."

The belief that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah was the belief of all of the Companions, and the belief of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa'ah after them. Hundreds of statements from the scholars of the first three generations exist concerning the fact that the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and is characterised by the same characteristics as the kalaam of Allaah. In fact, no group amongst Muslims actually denied that the Qur`aan was the kalaam of Allaah; they only differed concerning the characteristics of this kalaam.

As was proven in the last section, the kalaam of Allaah is not created. This, of course, implies that the Qur`aan is not created either. Ibn Abbaas, in explaining the verse, "A Qur`aan without any crookedness" (39:27), said, "This means that the Qur`aan is not created." 'Amr ibn Deenar (d. 126 A.H.) stated, "I have met the Companions of the Prophet (e), and those that came after them for seventy years, all of them said, 'Allaah is the Creator, and everything besides Him is created, and the Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, from Him it came, and to Him it will return." Imaam Aboo Haneefah (d. 150 A.H.) wrote in his Fiqh al-Akbar, "The Qur`aan is the speech (kalaam) of Allaah, written in the mushafs, preserved in the hearts, recited by the tongues, and revealed to the Prophet (e)," and in another place he mentions that, "...the Qur`aan is not created." Imaam Maalik (d. 179 A.H.) was asked concerning one who says that the Qur`aan is created, what should be done to him? He replied, "He should be forced to repent, and if he refuses, then his head should be cut off!" Imaam as-Shaafi'ee (d. 204 A.H.) stated, "Whoever states that the Qur`aan is created is a disbeliever." Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 A.H.) stated, "It has been narrated from many of our salaf that they used to say, 'The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and it is not created.' This is also what I believe, and I am not a person of philosophy, nor do I think that philosophy plays a part in any (of our beliefs). The only (source) is the Qur`aan, or the hadeeth of the Prophet (e), or a statement of the Companions or Successors. As for anything besides these (sources), then all of it is not praiseworthy." Imaam at-Tahaawee, in his famous Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, wrote:

The Qur`aan is the Speech (kalaam) of Allaah. It originated from Him as an articulated speech in a manner that is not questioned and was revealed to His Prophet (e) by inspiration. The Believers testify to its revelation. They are certain that it is the actual kalaam of Allaah, not created, unlike the speech of humans. Whoever hears it and thinks it is the speech of a man is a disbeliever whom Allaah has condemned and threatened with the Fire of Hell, for Allaah says, "I will burn him in the Hell-Fire" (74:26) to him who said, "This (the Qur`aan) is nothing but the words of a mortal" (74:25). (By these verses) we know and are certain that this (the Qur`aan) is the kalaam of the Creator of humans, and it does not resemble the speech of mankind.

The narrations from the salaf concerning the fact that the Qur`aan is not created has reached and far exceeded the level of muttawaatir, and this is a fact that no one can deny. To give one example alone, the great scholar of the sunnah, Aboo al-Qaasim Hibatullaah ibn Hassan al-Lalikaa`ee (d. 418 A.H.) transmitted reports from over five-hundred and fifty scholars of the salaf, all of whom stated the same fact: "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, not created, and whoever states that it is created is a disbeliever." After naming all of these scholars, Imaam al-Lalikaa`ee wrote,

So these are five-hundred and fifty scholars or more, from the Successors, and the generation after them, and the scholars whom the ummah has accepted and are well-pleased with, not including the Companions, from all different places and generations. And of these are over a hundred who were Imaams, those whom the people used to follow their opinions and madh-habs. And were I to busy myself with compiling the names of the modern scholars (on top of these names), then the number of names would have reached the thousands... instead, I restricted myself to transmissions from these (named scholars); from generation to generation, no one refuted or contradicted them, and whoever did so, they were forced to repent, or they were commanded to be killed or banished... The first person to claim that the Qur`aan was created was a person by the name of Ja'ad ibn Dirham (d. 124 A.H.). Ja'ad was one of the leaders of innovation of his time, denying most of the attributes of Allaah, including that of kalaam. He was executed by the governor of his time for holding this and other heretical beliefs. However, his student, Jahm ibn Safwaan (d. 128 A.H.), was able to spread his ideas to a much greater extent, and it is after him the group known as the Jahmiyyah emerged. This group was considered by the scholars of Islaam to be outside the fold of Islaam for their heretical beliefs. The Jahmiyyah claimed, amongst other things, that the kalaam of Allaah (and thus the Qur`aan) was created.

Less than a century later, Ahmad ibn Abee Du`aad (d. 240), one of the callers to the belief of the Jahmiyyah, succeeded in converting the Abbaasid Caliph Ma`moon (during the year 218 A.H.) to this ideology. Ma`moon then used his power as the Khaleefah to begin a relentless persecution of the scholars of his time, forcing many of them to renounce the belief of the salaf, and claim that the Qur`aan was created. The most prominent scholars from all over the Muslim lands were ordered to publicly proclaim this ideology. Those that refused were brutally tortured. Only a few brave scholars, led by Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 A.H.), managed to last through this torture without relenting. Imaam Ahmad was jailed for a number of years, and beaten and whipped so severely that doctors pronounced him on the verge of death. This was one of the greatest trials to ever inflict the Muslim ummah, and it was only during the Caliphate of Muttawakil ( during the year 247 A.H.) when orthodoxy was finally redeemed.

During this period, due to the great controversy that was generated over this issue, three different groups - besides the Ahl as-Sunnah - evolved with regards to the belief of the eternal nature of the Qur`aan.

The first group, comprised of the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazilah claimed that the Qur`aan was created. It was this group that temporarily gained popularity among the people, and due to the power of the Caliph Ma`moon, many scholars were forced to verbally agree with them.

The second group were known as the Waaqifiyyah. This group did not give an explicit opinion on this issue, and said, "We do not say it is created, nor do we say that it is not created." It should be pointed out that the Waaqifiyyah were not ignorant of the status of the Qur`aan, but rather had studied the evidences, and had come to the conclusion that it was unclear whether the Qur`aan was created or not. Since the proofs of the eternal nature of the kalaam of Allaah were so clear, and the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah united on this issue, the innovation of the Waaqifiyyah was a new innovation, and thus the scholars of their time were very severe in the refutation of this group. One of the salaf was asked concerning this group, and he replied, "The Qur`aan is the kalaam of Allaah, and it is not created. And can it be other than this? Or can anyone say other than this? We can never have any doubts about it, ever!!" And Imaam Ahmad (d. 241 A.H.) said, "As for the Waaqifiyyah, then be in no doubt of their disbelief!"

The last group that formed during this time were the Lafdhiyyah. They claimed that the Qur`aan was the kalaam of Allaah, and that it was not created, but the recitation of the reciter of the Qur`aan was created. The scholars of Islaam declared that the investigation into this matter was not praiseworthy, since the statement, "My recitation of the Qur`aan is created," can have two meanings, one of which is correct, and the other incorrect. The incorrect meaning, which is what most of the Lafdhiyyah intended, is that the actual recitation, meaning the Qur`aan, is created, and thus the Lafdhiyyah agreed with the Jahmiyyah. However, if the person intended that the sound expelled by the reciter of the Qur`aan was created, then this is a correct meaning, since the voice is created, but the actual recitation (i.e., what is recited) is not. Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 A.H.) said, concerning the above three groups, "The Jahmiyyah are of three types: One group of them says that the Qur`aan is created; another says that it is the kalaam of Allaah, and stop at that; and the third say, 'Our recitation of the Qur`aan is created.' For me, these three groups have the same status (in another narration, he added:) and all of them are of the Jahmiyyah, disbelievers. They should be forced to repent, and if they do not do so, then they should be killed!"

After this period, different groups evolved, the most prominent amongst them that of the Ash'arees. Since this group is still present to this day, it will be discussed in greater detail than the other groups.