In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, the Ever Merciful…
A phrase of disbelief and one of the slogans that identify the Laf-thiyyah Cult from the offshoots of the disbelieving Jahmiyyah Sect was attributed to the greatest scholar of Hadeeth in the history of Islaam, al-Imaam Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaaree (d.256), may Allaah have Mercy on him. This short phrase was attributed to him:
لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق
“My recitation of the Quran is created.”
According to the scholars of Islam, anyone who held this belief was considered a disbeliever, speaking with one of the distinguishing traits of the Laf-thiyyah Cult, who were considered far more dangerous than the original Jahmiyyah disbelievers.
The great imaam, Abul-Qaasim al-Laalakaa’ee (d.418), listed the names of the scholars who were reported to have declared those who say “My recitation of the Quran is created” to be disbelievers. He listed over 50 scholars, including:
- Ash-Shaafi’ee
- Ahmad ibn Hanbal
- Is-haaq ibn Raahawayh
- Aboo ‘Ubayd al-Qaasim ibn Sallaam
- Aboo Thowr Ibraaheem ibn Khaalid al-Kalbee
- Muhammad ibn Bash-shaar
- Muhammad ibn Yahyaa ath-Thuhlee
- Ahmad ibn Sa’eed ad-Daarimee
- Aboo Zur’ah ar-Raazee
- Aboo Haatim ar-Raazee
Source: Sharh Usool Ali’tiqaad (2/385-390) of al-Laalakaa’ee.
This accusation spread far and wide in the lifetime of al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree, leading the governors of various lands to banish him or deny him entry! Some great scholars of that time even declared al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree to be an innovator based on that statement. So we need to know: Did al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree actually say it?
The answer is quite simple:
NO
It began as a false accusation based on assumptions, originating from a contemporary of Imaam al-Bukhaaree who had become jealous. Al-Bukhaaree was actually asked about the phrase “My recitation of the Quran is created” directly, and he masterfully dissected the loaded phrase into its two components, the Quran being the Speech of Allaah, and the human action of recitation. (Refer to this video for the correct methodology of handling issues like this.)
People misunderstood this and claimed that al-Bukhaaree agreed with the Laf-thiyyah Cult, after which great turmoil ensued. In the midst of this turmoil, Imaam al-Bukhaaree began to face further accusations based on even more incorrect assumptions about his answer. People began to attribute to him that he said that what is in the mus-haf is not Quran, and that what is memorized in the people’s chests is not the actual Quran, to which he replied:
استغفر الله أن تشهد علي ما لم تسمعه مني! إني أقول كما قال الله والطور وكتاب مسطور، أقول في المصاحف قرآن، وفي صدور الرجال قرآن، فمن قال غير هذا يستتاب، فإن تاب، وإلا فسبيله سبيل الكفر.
“Seek Allaah’s Forgiveness from testifying against me with what you have not heard from me! I say as Allaah has said: “By at-Toor (Mountain), and by a written book (the Quran).” I say that what is in the mus-hafs is the Quran and what is in the people’s chests is the Quran. Whoever says other than this must be made to repent. If he repents (then leave him), otherwise he is to be dealt with as someone who has disbelieved.”
Source: Sharh Usool Ali’tiqaad (2/395-396) of al-Laalakaa’ee.
Scholars came to him to verify the statements being spread about him. He would say:
من زعم من أهل نيسابور _ وذكر بلادًا _ أني قلت لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق فهو كذاب فإني لم أقل هذه المقالة، إلا أني قلت أفعال العباد مخلوقة.
“Whoever from Naysaaboor (and he named many cities) assumes that I have said that my recitation of the Quran is created is a liar, as I have not said that. I merely said: The people’s actions are created.”
Source: Sharh Usool Ali’tiqaad (2/396-397) of al-Laalakaa’ee.
The great modern scholar and critic, Shaykh Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee (may Allaah preserve him), was asked about the accusations against al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree. He said:
قذفوه بأنه يقول : لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق وهو بريء من ذلك غاية البراءة، وقال: من قال عني هذا فقد كذب كائنا من كان ومن أي بلد كان من الحجاز أو من غيرها فقد كذب علي أنا ما قلته، بل نقل عنه أنه يقول: من يقول: (لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق فهو كافر). فبهتوا هذا الإمام رحمه الله.
They accused him of saying “My recitation of the Quran is created” while he was innocent of that, as innocent as can be! He said: “Whoever said that about me, no matter who or where he may be, from the Hijaaz (Makkah, Madeenah) or anywhere else, has lied upon me. I did not say it.” It is even reported that he said: “Whoever says that the recitation of the Quran is created is a disbeliever!” They slandered this imaam (may Allaah have Mercy on him).
Source: Q&A About ‘Aqeedah and Manhaj (Part 3), available here (in Arabic).
So as you can see from the mouth of the great imaam himself, he simply did not say what he was accused of saying. It was only the false accusation of a contemporary overtaken by jealousy. Even though it had some impact in its time, it died out, because the scholars of Islam recognized it for what it was. Today, the name of al-Bukhaaree is a household name, and the name of the scholar who accused him is one that most people have never heard of (may Allaah forgive him).
It is important to note that – even today – some people with agendas may try to revive this 1000+ year old falsehood against Imaam al-Bukhaaree.
The enemies of Islaam revive this accusation to nullify, weaken, or question the solid academic foundations of Islaam, the Quran and the Hadeeth. To consider al-Bukhaaree astray would lead to people doubting and abandoning his staple hadeeth collection.
The enemies of the Sunnah, even while they may claim to be Muslims, also seek to revive this accusation. This includes those called the “Qur’aaniyyoon” who claim to follow only the Quran, as well as those who follow the Shiite Religion.
The enemies of the correct beliefs of Ahlus-Sunnah also try to revive this ancient slander, like the Jahmiyyah, the Ash’arees, the Mu’tazilah, and others. If they can lead some of the Muslims into doubting the correctness of the beliefs of the greatest imaams of the righteous Salaf, like Imaam al-Bukhaaree, then this would open the door for lenience and even acceptability for their innovated beliefs.
One example of the modern day Ash’arees doing this would be the footnotes of Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot and his team of researchers who commented on Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa’ (12/458-459) of ath-Thahabee. While the text of the book explicitly rejects this accusation against al-Bukhaaree and discredits it, the researchers actually try to justify and affirm it in their commentary!
Fanatic followers of today’s “Islamic” personalities may also attempt to revive this accusation against al-Bukhaaree. More than one instance of this has appeared in the responses of the followers of Yusuf Estes to the public corrections of the ancient Jahmiyyah that he has been spreading. The extreme ghuluw (fanatacism) for him and those like him will allow some people to try and throw the imaams of Islaam under the bus, so long as Yusuf Estes does not come out looking that bad! This is why this issue is extremely relevant to our times, and not an issue of the past being dug up for no reason.
Furthermore, a mistranslation (or omission) in a recent publication, “The Biography of Imam Bukhaaree” (Darussalam, 2005), may lead some readers to think that perhaps al-Bukhaaree did actually say “My recitation of the Quran is created”. At the top of p.175 where it says that he denied ever saying, “The Quran is created,” it should read, “My recitation of the Quran is created.” This correction is based on the quoted sources in the footnotes, and it clarifies that al-Bukhaaree specifically negated this accusation. Without this correction, readers of the book may be left to some unbefitting conclusions about the beliefs of Imaam al-Bukhaaree.
In conclusion, if you find people today still trying to accuse the great imaam of the Muslims, Imaam Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaaree (may Allaah have Mercy on him), of having a major mistake in his creed like this, then stand up for him confidently, saying what al-Bukhaaree said himself:
Whoever claims such a thing is a liar!
And Allaah knows best.
Written by: Moosaa Richardson
Subhan Allah i’ve heard this story many times when people try to defend the people of innovation. They believe their innovator was like al-Bukhari and the scholar who criticizes is like Dhuhlee.
I’ve encountered this slander all too often here in the states. It is used by the people of innovation to cast doubt into the hearts of young salafis. When confronted, they even admit that they know it is false, they “only wanted to see what the salafi had to say about it”. I specifically heard this from the Ash3aris in the north, and the Ghulaat As-Sufiyyah in the south.
May Allah reward the author for his efforts and strengthen his sincerity and attachment to the the sunnah.
I think the part about the Sheik Estes and others should be removed from this article, it just dosen’t bring anything good to this page. Surely the writer here can see that.
Thanks for visiting, Aristo. The writer tries to link correct creed and methodology to real life situations. The issues of Yusuf Estes are modern issues that many Muslims are struggling with as we speak. Sadly, some of his followers would rather slander the imams of Islam with accusations like this one over admitting that Yusuf Estes has serious contradictions to correct beliefs in Islam and dealing with that reality.
could admin please shed some light on who Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot is? ive heard him as a muhaddith.
Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot is a hadeeth researcher and muhaqqiq (manuscript editor) who mainly works on preparing Arabic books for publication from manuscript form. While he seems reliable with regards to the basic integrity of his work and his hadeeth references, he follows the deviant ash’ari creed and some of his innovation leaks out into his footnotes in the books he prepares for publication.
What advise would you give to students with regards to reading his work? Or rather, reading manuscripts with his Tahqeeq or his research on a particular hadeeth?
That they keenly observe their shuyookh and watch how they interact with his work.
السلام عليكم
dear shaikh Moosaa, can you provide a document having a complete list or compilation of reliable islamic publishers , books and prints (in various subjects like hadeeth, fiqh, aqidah , tareekh , books of olden scholars etc.) as many as you can which you yourself use and refer to,
so anyone one can then use it as guide and refer to it and be aided when they are willing to purchase reliable books especially when they don’t know who to ask?
May Allah make this service a sadqah jaariyah and a heavy deed on your scales on the day of judgement. Aameen.
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
Your request is important, but I’m afraid that I am not well acquainted with Islamic books in the English language. If you mean Arabic books, then my knowledge is very limited, and I am sure that other students could do a better job of this. May Allah forgive me and you.
جزاكم الله خير
yes I was referring to Arabic Books. I heard you have a public library of islamic arabic books so do you think you could perhaps make a list of all of the books with their edition, muhaqiq and publishers details which you use and refer to in your library ? And perhaps from threre later on other students of knowledge can also include into this list their recommendations and altogether put forth a collective contribution that will imensely benefit many of us InShaaAllaah ?
https://1mmlibrary.com/
On this website of your Library, do you think that requested catalog service could be made available when it is ready ?
What’s the ruling on calling Allah “Author of the Quran”?
The Quran is not an authored work, it is the Speech of Allaah, one of His Attributes, and not created. As it is the Speech of Allaah, it is not befitting to describe it with other than what Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) have described it with. And Allaah knows best.
Is it correct to say the Quran began to exist when Allah spoke it and prior to that there was no Quran?
No, the Salaf used to use the expression, منه بدا وإليه يعود, which means: From him it (the Quran) appeared, or “began” (its revelation), and unto Him it returns. They meant: The Quran is His Speech, which was revealed from Him, and it will be raised up in the last days, back to Him. They did not include any meanings of this Attribute (the Speech of Allah) being created. Scholars did, however, distinguish between كلامه وآحاد كلامه , His Speech in general and His specific speech to specific individuals. Meaning: We always describe Allah with Speech in general, yet we do not say that He is always speaking to Moosaa, telling him to go to Pharaoh, for example. So the specific incidents of His Speech are أفعال اختيارية actions done at a specific time in accordance with His Wisdom, yet Speech as an attribute in general is a صفة ذاتية, an Attribute he is always described with, and He is not described with silence. And Allah knows best.
As salaam ‘alaykum. Nice article. The sunnah is clear without being crooked. Please like to have your mail br. Moosa. JazaakaLlaahu khayran.
Are the verses pertaining to the attributes of Allah from the mutashabihat verses?
A well-known imam said this about those who wanted to burn the Quran: “As for burning the Qur’an – well, kind of hard to do that because the original is not even on this planet and what is on this planet is in the hearts of millions of Muslims. So it will take a lot of burning and nothing will burn except some paper.” It sounds kind of like what Yusuf Estes said about the “Quran not being on this planet”. But the difference is this guy used the word “original”. So what is the ruling on what he said?
“What is on this planet” is:
The Quran written on paper.
The Quran memorized by heart.
The Quran recited orally.
By total ijmaa’ of Ahlus-Sunnah. Read the PDF “The Written Mushaf is the Actual Quran” for detailed refutations of those who would make a distinction between the Quran we have in our mushafs and the Quran written in al-Lowh al-Mahfooth. And Allaah knows best.
So, what do we believe about our recitation? How do we believe that it isn’t created. Very worried… [Question abridged by admin]
The Quran is the speech of Allaah (uncreated).
And your recitation is your action (created).
They are two separate issues, which must be separated. For a more thorough explanation about this distinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MHrjB6gdUg
Can you please give the birth years for al-Bukhari and al-Dhuhly?
256 and 258 respectively
Asalamu Alaykum Ustaadh i believe 256H is actually the date of Imām Al Bukhāree death; not his birth date. Wa alaykum Us Salam Jazakallahu Khayran for benefitting the Ummah.
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Yes, you are right! Jazaak Allahu khayran.
aselamu aleik ustadh jezak allah kheir. Does the word recitation fit for arabic word lafdh
Assalaamu’alaykum
Regarding this issue, a brother recently told me that YaHyaa ibn ma’een spread this allegation about Imaam Bukhaari out of jealousy. How true is this statement?
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah. Ask him for his source please. It seems unlikely, as Yahyaa ibn Ma’een was a senior scholar when al-Bukhaaree was still young, he died in 233 before al-Bukhaaree had even reached the age of 40. And I believe the accusations against al-Bukhaaree were closer to his later years, and Allaah knows best. Maybe you mean instead: Muhammad ibn Yahyaa ath-Thuhlee?
AlHamdulillaah..upon sharing your response, he said during our conversation that he is perhaps mistaken and is making tawbah on this. JazaakAllaahu khayran for the response..
As-salaamu ‘alaykum
Moosaa, why do we call those who explain away Allaah’s Names & Attributes “Ash’ari” when it’s on record that Abul-Hasan Al-Ash’ari separated himself from those beliefs? Are we still attributing these beliefs to him? Jazaak Allaahu khayraa.
Wa ‘alayk as-salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. It is a term that has become known, and the scholars use it. It is an ascription to the middle stage of Abul-Hasan al-Ash’aree’s life. Ascriptions are sometimes not as they would seem. A “Qadaree” actually rejects Qadr, the thing he is ascribed to. So sometimes an ascription is just a general relationship to something connected to the word being used in the ascription, not necessarily that the ascribed person accurately represents the thing he is being ascribed to, and Allaah knows best.
So for the one reciting the Quran, his action of reciting using his tongue and voice box is created, however the actual words being recited are the uncreated speech of Allah.
Is this a correct understanding?
Yes, this is how the righteous early Salaf spoke, in opposition to the Mu’tazilah and Jahmiyyah Cults.
Assalaamu ‘Alaikum Moosaa Richardson,
I always have a doubt when even I recite the Quran as to whether I receive the rewards mentioned in the Hadeeth about the one who recites the Quran is rewarded for every letter he recites. My doubt is: Does “recite” in the Hadeeth refer to only reciting out loud in melodious tone? If I read Quran but in whisper, does this count as “recite” as mentioned in the Hadeeth?
Wa ‘alayk as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. Recitation refers to the movement of the lips, whether it is aloud or as quiet as a whisper, as the scholars explain. Just reading with one’s heart, nothing on the lips, is considered contemplation, not recitation. Both are rewardable in different ways, wal-hamdu lillaah.
asalamualikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu ,
A couple of questions :
1) is moving only tongue without moving lips considered recitation ?
2) making dua (i.e dua al-masalah) and dhikr (i.e. dua al ibadah) in only the mind like contemplation or by only moving tongue and not lips, is it considered same as dua and dhikr like that done through the actual movement of both tongue and lips ?
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah.
1) Moving your lips and tongue, as you would if you were reciting out loud, is how one recites silently.
2) Remembrance in one’s heart only without moving one’s lips is called reflection and contemplation. It is rewardable. Supplication needs to be upon one’s lips when one is capable of that. The distinction between what is thought about and what is articulated is understood from the hadeeth found in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from the report of Aboo Hurayrah:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِأُمَّتِي عَمَّا وَسْوَسَتْ، أَوْ حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا، مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ بِهِ أَوْ تَكَلَّمْ»
“Verily Allah excuses my Ummah for what it whispers or speaks about inwardly, so long as they do not act by it or speak with it.”
So, du’aa’ is what is spoken upon the tongue, and then it is rewardable. So long as it remains internal and unspoken, it is only tamannee (hopes, wishes). Everyone has tamannee, but the worshippers of Allah worship Him with du’aa’, articulated supplications. And Allah knows best.
Assalamu ‘alaykum, someone asked me a question regarding the Speech of Allāh and I hope to get an answer in shā Allāh. They asked: does Allāh speak Arabic? Because we say Allāh says in the Quran…
JazākAllāhu khayr
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah. The whole Ummah knows the Quran is the Speech of Allah, and that it is in clear Arabic. STOP and don’t philosophize beyond that. And don’t go into HOW and exactly what does it mean, etc. Stop where the great early generations of Muslims before you stopped.
http://alrahmaniyyah.com/inheriting-falsehood-the-true-account-and-correct-understanding-of-what-occurred-between-the-two-imams-al-bukhari-and-al-dhuhli/
Here in this article by Shaykh Malik Akdar , it is mentioned that Imam dhuhli warned against imam al Bukhari due to misinformation reaching him arising from people of fitnah regarding Imam Bukhari and his saying regarding the Quran. The only place where jealously explicitly has been mentioned is in the words of Imam Bukhari in the part (second last paragraph on page 4) where he says ” This man pursued me out of jealously because of what Allah granted me, nothing else .”
So was it in fact Imaam Al Bukhari (and perhaps his students Muslim and Ahmad Salamah) who perceived the warnings and critcism of Imam Dhuhli as something of jealously and narrated it as such, which was however in reality, not something Imam Dhuhli should have been really blamed for and attributed with since he did what had to be done due to the (mis)information that had reached him regarding Imam Bukhari ?
May Allah forgive and have mercy on them All and grant all of them al-firdous.
May Allah bless and reward Shaykh Abul-Hasan Maalik! And may Allah reward you for sharing that.
Here are some quotes that might help understand how the scholars have summarized the events as being based on jealousy:
al-Imaam ath-Thahabee in Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa’ (12/453) said:
ذكر قصته مع محمد بن يحيى الذهلي – رحمهما الله –
قال الحاكم أبو عبد الله: سمعت محمد بن حامد البزاز قال: سمعت الحسن بن محمد بن جابر يقول: سمعت محمد بن يحيى قال لنا لما ورد محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري نيسابور: اذهبوا إلى هذا الرجل الصالح فاسمعوا منه.
فذهب الناس إليه، وأقبلوا على السماع منه، حتى ظهر الخلل في مجلس محمد بن يحيى، فحسده بعد ذلك، وتكلم فيه .
وقال أبو أحمد بن عدي: ذكر لي جماعة من المشايخ أن محمد بن إسماعيل لما ورد نيسابور اجتمع الناس عليه، حسده بعض من كان في ذلك الوقت من مشايخ نيسابور لما رأوا إقبال الناس إليه، واجتماعهم عليه…
The Mention of His Story (i.e. al-Bukhaaree’s) with Muhammad ibn Yahyaa ath-Thuhlee, may Allah have Mercy on them both: Al-Haakim Aboo ‘Abdillaah said: I heard Muhammad ibn Haamid al-Bazzaaz saying: I heard al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Jaabir saying: I heard Muhammad ibn Yahyaa [ath-Thuhlee] say to us when Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel [al-Bukhaaree] arrived in Naysaaboor: “Go to this righteous man and hear [hadeeth] from him.” So the people went to him, committing to hearing [hadeeth] from him, until there became an obvious gap (i.e. many absent students) in the sittings of Muhammad ibn Yahyaa. So he became jealous of him after that and spoke against him. Aboo Ahmad Ibn ‘Adiyy said: A number of mashaayikh mentioned to me: That when Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel came to Naysaaboor and the people gathered around him, some of (or: one of) the mashaayikh of Naysaaboor of that time became jealous of him when he saw all the people turning to him and gathering around him…
Furthermore, as-Subkee said in Tabaqaat ash-Shaafi’iyyah (2/230):
إن موقف الذهلي من البخاري آت من حسده له.
“The stance of ath-Thuhlee taken against al-Bukhaaree came from his jealousy that he had.”
so there was no misinformation to Imam Dhuhlee as deduced in the article on page 5 (last paragraph) and we should take it as something incorrect by the article’s author (may Allah preserve him) ?
There is no clash here, and Allah knows best. There is no problem in understanding that his jealousy led him to accept things that should have been verified. Haven’t we seen this behavior in people in our time?
Why wasn’t Ad Dhulee ruled and treated as a Liar / Kadhaab for his false accustaions on Imam Bukhari but rather his scholarship and honour was still maintained and even hadeeth narrated from him afterwards by the other scholars in his time ?
Because it was an isolated personal error, not representative at all of his [upstanding] character overall or any underlying allegiance with innovators or hatred for Ahlus-Sunnah, and Allah knows best. May Allah have Mercy on him.
The people of Sunnah did not accept his unjust criticism in this isolated case, nor did they drop him for it, according to their methodology of justice when weighing errors and preserving the honor of mistaken Ahlus-Sunnah when they err.
Assalamualaikum Shaykh Moosaa,
What is are the main differences between the original (9 volumes) and summarised (one volume) versions of Sahih Bukhari, referring to the English-Arabic prints published by Darussalam, specifically how the original version got condensed from 9 volumes spanning over 4000 pages and 7500+ hadith into a single 1000-page book with just 2602 hadith? What has been omitted and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each one? Of course the summarised version is far cheaper (£17.50 or $24 instead of £125 or $170) and thus, much more affordable for most people and certainly more suitable for beginners, but it would be nice to know what advantages there would be of owning the full 9-volume set in order to justify spending that much extra on it. Jazakallahukhairan.