A Shi'ite Creed

The Belief Concerning The Qur'an

Says the Shaykh Abu Ja'far: Our belief Concerning the Qur'an[^1] is that it is the Word (kalam[^2]) of Allah, and His revelation, sent down by Him, His speech and His Book. And

“Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it. A revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy” (Qur'an 41:42).

And “Lo! This verily is the true narrative” (Qur'an 3:62).

“And Verily this (Qur'an) is a conclusive word; it is no pleasantry” (Qur'an 86:13-14).

Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He above all, is its Creator[^3] and Revealer and Master and Protector and Utterer.

[^1]: General discussion on the Qur'an, Allah's speech and Allah's speaking to Moses, MC, 149 - 15]. The Ash'arites generally believed in the Qur'in being uncreated; whilst the Mu'tazilites asserted that the Qur'in was created, Macdonald, 146 et seq., 295. BHA, nos. 72 -80. These paragraphs show the identity of the Shiite and Mu'tazilite views. See also Miller's note to arts. 76 and 79 (pp.93-94). How the Qur'an is created and has nothing to do with Allah's attribute of speech is also clearly explained in the last portion of the article on كلم in MB.

[^2]: Kalam (speech) of Allah must be distinguished from kalam or ilmu'l-kalam, the scholastic philosophy of Islam, Macdonald in EI, ii. 270 -275, MC, 78, 79; 127 (Was. AM Hanifa, art. 9); 266 ( Figh Akbar III, art. 16).

[^3]: Therefore the Qur'in is clearly created and not uncreated.