1804 - Muhammad ibn Ali informed us, saying: Abu Bakr al-Athram narrated to us, saying: I, along with al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Azim, came to Abu Abd Allah (Ahmad ibn Hanbal), and al-Abbas spoke to us. Musa ibn Sahl informed me, saying: Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Asadi narrated to us, saying: Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Abbadi narrated to me, saying: I rose from the presence of Abu Abd Allah and went to Abbas al-Anbari and informed him of what Abu Abd Allah had said regarding the matter of Ibn Ma'dhal. He was pleased with it, put on his clothes, and accompanied by Abu Bakr ibn Hani, he entered upon Abu Abd Allah. Abbas began, saying: 'O Abu Abd Allah, there are people here who have spoken, saying: "We do not say it is created, nor do we say it is not created."' He (Ahmad) said: 'These are more harmful to the people than the Jahmiyyah. Woe to you, if you do not say it is not created, then say it is created.' Abu Abd Allah then said: 'That is an evil statement.' Abbas asked: 'What do you say, O Abu Abd Allah?' He replied: 'What I believe and what I hold, and I have no doubt about it, is that the Qur'an is not created.' Then he said: 'Subhan Allah! Who could doubt this?' Then Abu Abd Allah spoke, expressing his sense of gravity regarding the doubt in this, and said: 'Subhan Allah! Is there doubt in this? Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, says: {Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command} [Al-A'raf: 54], so He distinguished between the creation and the command.' Abu Abd Allah said: 'The Qur'an is from the knowledge of Allah; do you not see Him saying: {He taught the Qur'an} [Ar-Rahman: 2]? And in the Qur'an are the names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic. What are you saying? Do you not say that the names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, are not created? Whoever claims that the names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, are created has committed disbelief. Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, has always been Powerful, Knowing, Exalted, Wise, All-Hearing, All-Seeing. We do not doubt that the names of Allah are not created, and we do not doubt that the knowledge of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, is not created. It is the speech of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, and Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, has always been Wise.' Then Abu Abd Allah said: 'And what disbelief is more manifest than this, and what disbelief is more disbelieving than this? If they claim that the Qur'an is created, they have claimed that the names of Allah are created and that the knowledge of Allah is created. But people take this lightly and say: "They only say the Qur'an is created," so they take it lightly and think it is insignificant, not knowing the disbelief contained within it. He said: "I dislike divulging this to everyone, and when they ask me, I say: 'I dislike speaking about this,' so it reached me that they allege against me that I am withholding [the truth]."' I said to Abu Abd Allah: 'So if someone says the Qur'an is created, and says: "I do not say the names of Allah are created, nor His knowledge," and does not add anything to this, do I say he is a disbeliever?' He replied: 'That is how it is according to us.' Abu Abd Allah said: 'Do we need to doubt in this? The Qur'an, according to us, contains the names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, and it is from the knowledge of Allah; whoever says it is created is, according to us, a disbeliever.' Then Abu Abd Allah said: 'It has reached me that Abu Khalid, Musa ibn Mansur, and others sit on that side, criticizing our position, calling to this view—that one should not say "created" nor "not created"—and they criticize anyone who declares [the denier] a disbeliever, and they claim that we hold the view of the Khawarij.' Then Abu Abd Allah smiled as if vexed, then said: 'These are evil people.' Then Abu Abd Allah said to al-Abbas: 'And that Sijistani who is with you in Basra, he is a wicked man. It has reached me that he has put forward [a stance] on this one day, saying: "I do not say it is created nor do I say it is not created." That is a wicked man, that squint-eyed one.' Abbas said: 'He used to say at one time the view of Jahm, then he transitioned to saying this view.' Abu Abd Allah said: 'He only means by saying he held the view of Jahm, the intercession [of the Prophet].'
١٨٠٤ - وَأَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ: ثنا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْأَثْرَمُ، قَالَ: أَتَيْنَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَا وَالْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ، فَقَالَ لَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ. وَأَخْبَرَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ ⦗١٣٨⦘ سَهْلٍ، قَالَ: ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْأَسَدِيُّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ الْعَبَّادِيُّ، قَالَ: قُمْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَأَتَيْتُ عَبَّاسًا الْعَنْبَرِيَّ، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا تَكَلَّمَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي أَمْرِ ابْنِ مَعْذَلٍ، فَسُرَّ بِهِ وَلَبِسَ ثِيَابَهُ، وَمَعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ هَانِي، فَدَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، فَابْتَدَأَ عَبَّاسٌ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَوْمٌ هَاهُنَا حَدَّثُوا، يَقُولُونَ: لَا نَقُولُ مَخْلُوقٌ وَلَا غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ. قَالَ: «هَؤُلَاءِ أَضَرُّ مِنَ الْجَهْمِيَّةِ عَلَى النَّاسِ، وَيْلَكُمْ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَقُولُوا لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ، فَقُولُوا مَخْلُوقٌ» ، فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: كَلَامُ سُوءٍ. فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ؟ فَقَالَ: " الَّذِي أَعْتَقِدُهُ وَأَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَا أَشُكُّ فِيهِ، أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ يَشُكُّ فِي هَذَا؟ "، ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ اسْتِعْظَامًا لِلشَّكِّ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: " سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، فِي هَذَا شَكٌّ؟ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: {أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ} [الأعراف: ٥٤] ، فَفَرَّقَ بَيْنَ الْخَلْقِ وَالْأَمْرِ. قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: فَالْقُرْآنُ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ، أَلَا تَرَاهُ يَقُولُ: {عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ} [الرحمن: ٢] ، وَالْقُرْآنُ فِيهِ أَسْمَاءُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، أَيَّ شَيْءٍ تَقُولُونَ؟ أَلَا تَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقَةٍ؟ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَخْلُوقَةٌ، فَقَدْ كَفَرَ، لَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدِيرًا، عَلِيمًا، عَزِيزًا، حَكِيمًا، سَمِيعًا، بَصِيرًا، لَسْنَا نَشُكُّ أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ لَيْسَتْ بِمَخْلُوقَةٍ، وَلَسْنَا نَشُكُّ أَنَّ عِلْمَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ، وَهُوَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَلَمْ يَزَلِ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَكِيمًا. ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: وَأَيُّ كُفْرٍ أَبْيَنُ مِنْ هَذَا وَأَيُّ كُفْرٍ أَكْفَرُ مِنْ هَذَا؟ إِذَا ⦗١٣٩⦘ زَعَمُوا أَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ مَخْلُوقٌ، فَقَدْ زَعَمُوا أَنَّ أَسْمَاءَ اللَّهِ مَخْلُوقَةٌ، وَأَنَّ عِلْمَ اللَّهِ مَخْلُوقٌ، وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ يَتَهَاوَنُونَ بِهَذَا وَيَقُولُونَ: إِنَّمَا يَقُولُونَ الْقُرْآنُ مَخْلُوقٌ، فَيَتَهَاوَنُونَ وَيَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُ هَيِّنٌ وَلَا يَدْرُونَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ. قَالَ: فَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَبُوحَ بِهَذَا لِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ، وَهُمْ يَسْأَلُونِي، فَأَقُولُ: إِنِّي أَكْرَهُ الْكَلَامَ فِي هَذَا، فَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُمْ يَدَّعُونَ عَلَيَّ أَنِّي أَمْسِكُ ". قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: فَمَنْ قَالَ الْقُرْآنُ مَخْلُوقٌ، فَقَالَ: «لَا أَقُولُ أَسْمَاءُ اللَّهِ مَخْلُوقَةٌ، وَلَا عِلْمُهُ» ، وَلَمْ يَزِدْ عَلَى هَذَا، أَقُولُ: هُوَ كَافِرٌ؟ فَقَالَ: «هَكَذَا هُوَ عِنْدَنَا» . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: «نَحْنُ نَحْتَاجُ أَنْ نَشُكَّ فِي هَذَا؟ الْقُرْآنُ عِنْدَنَا فِيهِ أَسْمَاءُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَهُوَ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ، مَنْ قَالَ مَخْلُوقٌ، فَهُوَ عِنْدَنَا كَافِرٌ» . ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ أَبَا خَالِدٍ، وَمُوسَى بْنَ مَنْصُورٍ وَغَيْرَهُمْ، يَجْلِسُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْجَانِبِ، فَيَعِيبُونَ قَوْلَنَا، وَيَدْعُونَ إِلَى هَذَا الْقَوْلِ، أَنْ لَا يُقَالَ: مَخْلُوقٌ وَلَا غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ، وَيَعِيبُونَ مَنْ يَكْفُرْ، وَيَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّا نَقُولُ بِقَوْلِ الْخَوَارِجُ ". ثُمَّ تَبَسَّمَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ كَالْمُغْتَاظِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «هَؤُلَاءِ قَوْمُ سُوءٍ» ، ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لِلْعَبَّاسِ: " وَذَاكَ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ الَّذِي عِنْدَكُمْ بِالْبَصْرَةِ، ذَاكَ خَبِيثٌ، بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ قَدْ وَضَعَ فِي هَذَا يَوْمًا، يَقُولُ: لَا أَقُولُ مَخْلُوقٌ وَلَا غَيْرُ مَخْلُوقٍ، وَذَاكَ خَبِيثٌ، ذَاكَ الْأَحْوَلُ ". فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ: كَانَ يَقُولُ مَرَّةً بِقَوْلِ جَهْمٍ، ثُمَّ صَارَ إِلَى أَنْ يَقُولَ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ. فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: «مَا يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ بِقَوْلِ جَهْمٍ إِلَّا الشَّفَاعَةَ»
