بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

There is a consensus amongst the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah that the Qur’an is uncreated, but what does this mean? Does this mean that the physical book we have in our hands is uncreated? This article seeks clarify what is meant.

The Qur’an has four realities

a) The actual sounds and letters that are recited

b) The written words/letters

c) The book

d) The meanings that are indicated through the words.

The Qur’an is Allah’s attribute of Speech. His attributes are uncreated and neither separate from nor identical to His Essence, rather they subsist within it. As Allah سبحانه و تعالى‎ is eternal, so are His Attributes.

The meanings that are indicated through the words are uncreated. This is what is known as Allah’s Kalam Nafsi. This Kalam Nafsi is uncreated, eternal, and does not consist of letters and physical sounds. The Ash’airah affirm this Speech can be heard while the Maturidis do not.

That which we recite and consists of letters and physical sounds is the Kalam Lafdhi. It’s a perfect expression of the Kalam Nafsi and is created. It does not subsist within the Essence of Allah as He is not a locus of contingencies, for that would render him contingent as well, and His Existence is Necessary.

جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا