From the most apparent of differences between Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah (the Righteous Salaf) and the Qur'an Creationists (Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah, Kullaabiyyah, Ash'ariyyah, Maturidiyyah) is that the former (Ahl us-Sunnah) affirm that Allaah speaks with a voice (sawt) that is unlike those of the creation, and that the attribute of voice (sawt) is affirmed in the same way as all the other affirmed attributes such as hearing, seeing, life, will, power, face, hands, eyes and so on, in that likeness (tamtheel) and resemblance (tashbeeh) is negated from it. And they affirm this attribute because the revealed texts establish it for Allaah and they work upon the principle of affirming for Allaah whatever He affirmed for Himself - for He is most-knowledgeable of His own self, and most eloquent in words in informing His servants of that - without tashbeeh and tamtheel in such an affirmation.

The Qur'an creationists are those who claim - working upon the Tawheed of al-Jawhar wal-'Arad (visit our support group here) - that this Qur'an in our presence, in letter and word, was not spoken by Allaah such that it was heard by Jibreel, in letter and word, just as we have it with us now, and subsequently conveyed to Muhammad (alayhis salaam), who then conveyed it to the Ummah. Rather, they hold this Qur'an, in letter and word, to be something created and not the actual spoken word of Allaah that was heard by Jibreel (alayhis salaam). See here and here (thanks al-Bayjuri), here (thanks ar-Razi), here (thanks al-Juwaynee) and here (thanks al-Buti) for being frank and honest - and as a direct result of holding onto this legacy of the Jahmiyyah and Mu'tazilah, they (the Ash'arites) have to, by necessity, deny that Allaah speaks with a voice, and all of their arguments in this regard are based entirely upon the necessities of the Tawheed of al-Jawhar wal-'Arad that they are upon, and which they seek to abide by, and all of this is not the Tawheed that the Messengers came with, and which the Books were revealed with.

And what becomes apparent is that their deen is not based primarily upon the revealed texts but upon that intellectual proof of "hudooth ul-ajsaam" whose necessities forced them to deny Allaah has actions tied to His will and power (which they consider hawaadith, events), and it forced them to innovate and fabricate doctrines never heard of or spoken of by the Salaf. And this proof they devised through the language of al-jawhar wal-'arad, and about which Ibn Suraij ash-Shaafi'ee (d. 306H) said:

The Tawheed of the people of knowledge and the jamaa'ah of the Muslims is "I testify none is worthy of worship except Allaah (alone) and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah". And the Tawheed of the people of falsehood is disputing about al-a'raad (incidental attributes) and al-ajsaam (bodies) and the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) was sent with the rejection of that.

As narrated from him by Abu Ismaa'eel al-Harawi in "Dhamm ul-Kalaam" and as mentioned by Ibn Taymiyyah in "Bayaan Talbees al-Jahmiyyah" - then this Tawheed of al-jawhar wal-'arad is what the bulk of their creed is based upon and it serves as a criterion for the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and they made this intellectual proof and its necessities to be decisive and definitive over the revealed texts which became nothing to them except presumptions of tashbeeh and Tajseem that were useful for convincing the dumb commoners into accepting faith (thanks al-Ghazali for being up front!)

The Imaam of Hadeeth, al-Bukhaaree on Allaah's Voice (Sawt)

Imaam al-Bukhaaree said in "Khalq Af'aal il-Ibaad", (Mu'assasit ur-Risaalah, Beirut, 3rd edition pp. 91-92):

This translates as:

And it is mentioned from the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) that he used to love that a man be of a soft, subdued voice, and he disliked that [a man] should be of raised voice.

And indeed, Allaah will call out with a voice, whoever is distant will hear it just like one who is near. And this is not [the case] for [those] besides Allaah, lofty is His mention. [Abu Abdullaah, al-Bukharee] said: And in this is an evidence that the voice of Allaah does not resemble the voices of the creation, because the voice of Allaah, lofty is His mention, is heard by the one who is distant just like it is heard by one who is near, and that the Angels will swoon (lose consciousness) [upon hearing] His voice, yet when the Angels call out [with their voices], they do not swoon [as a result], and Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, "So do not set up rivals for Allaah..."(al-Baqarah 2:22).

And there is no rival (equal) for Allaah's attribute, and no likeness (mithl) and nothing [of the reality] of His attributes is found in the creatures.

Dawud bin Shaybah narrated it to us: Narrated Hammaam: Narrated al-Qaasim bin Abdul-Waahid: Narrated Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Aqeel narrated to us: that Jaabir bin Abdullaah narrated to them: That he heard Abdullaah bin Anees (radiallaahu anhu) saying: I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) saying:

The servants will be [resurrected and] gathered together, and He will call them with a voice, the one who is distant will hear it just like the one who is near, [saying], "I am al-Malik, ad-Dayyaan. No person of Paradise will enter Paradise whilst a person [destined for] the Fire seeks him for an injustice.

Narrated Umar bin Hafs bin Ghiyaath to us: Narrated al-A'mash from Abu Salih from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree (radiallaahu anhu) [who] said: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:

On the day of Resurrection Allah will say, "O Adam!" Adam will reply, "Labbaik our Lord, and Sa'daik." It will be called out with a voice, "Allah orders you to take from among your offspring a portion [destined] for the (Hell) Fire." Adam will say, "O Lord! Who are the portion for the (Hell) Fire?" Allah will say, "Out of each thousand - or he said nine hundred and ninety-nine." At that time every pregnant female shall drop her load (have a miscarriage). "And you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet not drunk, but severe will be the torment of Allah." (al-Hajj 22:2)

Notes and Comments

Point 1: Evidences for the Attribute of Voice (Sawt) The evidences that Allaah speaks with a voice that is heard are numerous and abundant in the Book and the Sunnah, and perhaps this can be covered in a separate article. However briefly, Allaah in the Qur'an affirms for Himself "qawl" and "Kalaam" and "munaadaah" and "munaajaah" and "hadeeth", and He ordered Moses to "istami'" (listen) to what was to be revealed to him (Taha 20:13), and this collectively cannot be dismissed as being just "Kalaam Nafsee" (inward silent speech) as is claimed by the Heretical Innovators, who are disgraced just by merely being bold enough to make such a claim in opposition to the ijmaa' of the Salaf. Then there are many proofs in the Sunnah likewise, and al-Bukhaaree has brought some ahaadeeth in what has been quoted above. Further, it was the ijmaa of the Salaf, and there was no dispute concerning this until Ibn Kullaab (d. 240H) came along and innovated this "Kalaam Nafsee" doctrine that was later taken up by the Ash'arites.

Point 2: The Two Hadeeths Mentioned by al-Bukhaaree As for the two hadeeths, then the first is explicit in affirming a voice for Allaah who says, "I am al-Malik, ad-Dayyaan", and it is not possible to explain away that hadeeth with the ta'weels innovated by the Mutakallimoon in order to reject Allaah speaks with a voice. As for the second hadeeth it is explicit in affirming that Allaah will call out Adam on the Day of Resurrection and as for the latter part of the hadeeth wherein it states "It will be called out with a voice...", then it has been claimed that this is not referring to Allaah, but to an Angel. Accepting this is true, this avails them nothing because at the beginning of the hadeeth it explicitly states Allaah will say "O Adam" and Adam will hear it and respond, and this is in addition to what is in the first hadeeth of explicit affirmation of voice for Allaah. But these are only two of the many texts affirming voice (sawt) for Allaah. And this is leaving aside the fact that the Imaams of the Salaf are unanimously agreed that Allaah speaks with a voice (sawt) based upon the evidences in the Book and the Sunnah, so why do the Innovators detract from the view of the Salaf regarding the sum of these textual evidences and explanation of these narrations, whilst fraudulently claiming to follow them?

Point 3: Attachment of the Contemporary Lafdhiyyah to Imaam al-Bukhaaree The Jahmiyyah Lafdhiyyah present in our times (identifying themselves as "Asha'ris") claim attachment to Imaam al-Bukhaaree on the issue of the Qur'an and its pronunciation. And their attachment to Imaam al-Bukhaaree is a fraudulent one because whilst al-Bukhaaree affirms that in reciting the Qur'an, the servants actions are created - and he affirmed this to refute those whose viewpoint implied that the actions of the servants in performing deeds such as reciting the Qur'an are uncreated, and that their voices are uncreated - he also affirms that Allaah spoke the Qur'an in letter and word, with a voice, that was heard by Jibreel and conveyed by him to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), and that there is only one Qur'an, the same Qur'an that Allaah spoke, and it is this Qur'an present with us, in letter and word. However, their attachment to al-Bukhaaree is an opportune one, because their real sympathies lie with the likes of al-Karaabeesee and al-Muhaasibee and Ibn Kullaab, and the doctrine of "Kalaam Nafsee", and al-Bukhaaree's angle of clarification on the issue of the Qur'an (which augments Imaam Ahmad's angle of clarification of the Qur'an) is a convenient vessel for them to incorporate their deviant belief. Their deviant belief being that this Qur'an, in letter and word, was not spoken by Allaah, that Allaah does not speak with letter and voice, and that Allaah does not speak as and when He wills, and that this Qur'an we have present with us, consisting of letter and word, is created, and that Allaah did not speak to Moses when he came to the mountain, such that Moses heard Allaah saying,

Verily I am your Lord, so remove your shoes" (20:12) and "I have chosen you (as My messenger) so listen (fastami') to what is revealed (to you)" (20:13) and "Verily, I am Allaah, there is none worthy of worship but Me, so worship Me (alone)" (20:14)

- and it was on account of these deviant beliefs that the Salaf declared the Jahmites kafirs, and there is little difference between the Mu'tazilah and the Kullaabiyyah Ash'ariyyah in all of this, except that the latter innovated a doctrine called "Kalaam Nafsee" that concealed their agreement with the Jahmites and Mu'tazilites in reality.