reality is neither Arabic, nor Hebrew, nor Syriac, nor in any of the languages, and it cannot be chapters or verses, nor possess parts or numbers. It cannot truly descend upon any of the prophets, nor exist in any location—neither in a heart, nor on a tongue, nor on a page.
Ibn Fūrak mentioned in his book Mujarrad Qawl al-Ashʿarī that he used to say: The Book of God is other than His speech, and numbers and parts are in the Book, not in the speech. The Torah, the Gospel, and the Psalms are names for the various revealed expressions, whereas the speech of God does not merit any of these names. All of them claimed to be refuting the Mu'tazilites regarding the creation of the Qur'an. Let the observer reflect upon this section of their speech, and the manipulation of these people and the frailty of their religion will become clear to him. The disagreement with the Mu'tazilites and others only occurred concerning the Qur'an that is in the world, memorized in the chests, recited by the tongues, and written in the physical copies (maṣāḥif); the entirety of creation knows no other Qur'an. End quote.
Ibn Qudāma, May Allah have mercy on him, said in Ḥikāyat al-Munāẓara fī al-Qurʾān (p. 17):
The point of disagreement is: We believe that the Qur'an is the speech of God, and it is these 114 chapters... and that it is chapters, verses, letters, and words, recited, heard, and written.
According to them [meaning the Ash'arites]: These chapters and verses are not a Qur'an; rather, they are an expression and a quotation, and they are created. The Qur'an is a meaning within the Self of the Creator, and it is one single thing that does not divide, does not partition, and does not multiply. It is not something that descends, nor is it recited, heard, or written, and there is nothing in the physical copies except paper and ink...
He also said (p. 32): This Qur'an upon which the Muslims have formed a consensus, which the disbelievers have rejected, and which the Mu'tazilites claimed is created—al-Ashʿarī acknowledged that they are mistaken, but then he returned and said: It is created, and it is not a Qur'an, thus going further than them.
There is no disagreement among all Muslims that whoever denies an agreed-upon verse, word, or letter is a disbeliever... yet al-Ashʿarī denies all of it, saying: Not a single thing of it is a Qur'an; rather, it is the speech of Gabriel... The core of these people's stance revolves around the doctrine of the creation of the Qur'an and agreeing with the Mu'tazilites; however,
