7. The confirmation of this is of this is what our Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (RA) has mentioned in his Jami`; and said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn alHasan al-Saffar, on the authority of al-‘Abbas ibn Ma`rub that `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Najran related to me, on the authority of Hammad ibn `Uthman, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahim alQasir that I wrote to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) and sent it with `Abd al-Malik ibn A``yun: May I be your ransom! I write to you regarding matters in which people have differed. If you seem it appropriate, may Allah take me as your ransom, then please answer me. The people of Iraq have differed regarding recognition and denial. May I be your ransom, are they created? They have also differed regarding the Qur’an. One group claims that the Qur’an is the uncreated Word of Allah, and the other group claims that it is the created Word of Allah. As regards ability, does it take place before the action or does it occur simultaneously along with the action? Our Companions have differed about it, all quoting traditions to support their views. As regards Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, can He be described by means of an image? If you deem it fitting, please respond to me in writing with the correct position regarding Divine Unity, whether motion is created or uncreated, and with the definition of faith. Hence, he (AS) wrote and sent it back with `Abd al-Malik ibn A`yun: You asked about the nature of recognition. Then know, may Allay have mercy on you, that recognition was created by Allah, the Mighty and High, and placed in the heart of the created, and denial was created by Allah, and placed in the hearts of the created. The only control that servants have over these two is choice. Hence, if they yearn for faith, they recognize Allah, and become believers. However, if they yearn for infidelity, they deny Allah and become unbelievers who are led astray. Whoever embraces faith, Allah grants him success. And whoever rejects faith is forsaken by Allah. If Allah punishes or rewards them it is due to the choices they made. You asked, may Allah have mercy on you, about the dispute that people have concerning the Qur’an. They say that the Qur’an, is the Word of Allah, that it is accidental, that it is uncreated, and that it is not eternal alongside Allah, may His Remembrance be Exalted. Exalted is Allah, the Elevated, and the Great, from such things! Allah, the Mighty and high, existed when nothing other than Him was known or unknown. The Mighty and High existed when there was no speaker, no intender, no mover, and no doer. High and Mighty is our Lord. The Qur’an is the Word of Allah, and is not created. It contains information of those who came before you and those who will come after you. It was revealed by Allah to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and salutations be upon him and his progeny. You also asked, may Allah have mercy on you, about the ability to act. Allah the Mighty and High, created the servant. He places in the servant the ability, the health, and the strength to act. Nothing moves without action. Movement and desire are qualities which Allah created and placed in human beings. Hence, when a human being desires something, he wishes it. It is for this reason that the human being is called “the intender.” If a human being intends to complete an action, he does so by means of ability and motion. It is for this reason that the servant is called “the one with ability” and “the one who moves.” Therefore, even when the human being is still, and does not wish to complete an action, he possesses the ability to act due to health, strength, and motion. Hence, stillness is an action: the action of refraining to act. Hence, it is said: “the one that is still,” is attributed with “stillness.” Therefore, when a human being desires to act, he does so by means of the strength which he posses. Hence, it is said that he is: “the doer,” “the mover,” “the acquirer” and “the one who is able.” Do you not see that these are all human attributes? You also asked, may Allah have mercy on you, about divine Unity and the views of your companions on that subject. Exalted is Allah, who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Exalted is Allah from the descriptions of the anthropomorphist who compare Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, with His Creatures, attributing lies to Allah, the Mighty and High. Point out, may Allah have mercy on you, that the correct position regarding Divine Unity is to be found in the Attributes of Allah, the Mighty and High, which were revealed in the Qur’an. Do not apply annulment or anthropomorphism to Allah. He cannot be described by means of negation or anthropomorphism. Allah is the Firm, the Existent. Exalted is Allah from the descriptions of the describers. Do not stray from the Qur’an otherwise you will stray after clarity has reached you. You also asked, may Allah have mercy on you, about faith. Faith is confirmation with the tongue, agreement with the heart, and action with the limbs. Some parts of the faith are interconnected with the others. Sometimes a servant can be a Muslim before being faithful [mu’min], but he is never faithful until he is a Muslim. Therefore, Islam is before faith and it combines with the faith. Hence, when a servant commits a major or minor sin, which Allah the Mighty and High, has forbidden, then he leaves the circle of faith. He loses the title of faithful, while the tile of Islam remains with him. If he repents and seeks forgiveness, he returns to the status of faith, and if he does not return to disbelief and denial. If he says that the permissible is forbidden or that the forbidden is permissible, he leaves both the circle of faith and Islam, and enters into disbelief. He has the same rank as a man who enters the Holy Mosque in Mecca, enters the Ka’bah and the Holy Mosque. He is then killed, and goes straight to Hell. The Compiler of this Book explains: the purpose of this tradition is to prove that the words of the Qur’an have not been created or made-up. It does not mean that the Qur’an is not accidental, because he who (AS) said: “accidental, not created, and not sempiternal with Allah, may His Remembrance be Exalted.”
Notre maître Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (qu'Allah soit satisfait de lui) a rapporté dans son recueil, de la part de Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, de al-Abbas ibn Ma'ruf, qui a dit: Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Najran m'a informé, de la part de Hammad ibn Uthman, de Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir, qui a dit: J'ai écrit de la main de Abd al-Malik ibn A'in à Abi Abdullah (paix soit sur lui) en disant: "Je me sacrifie pour toi. Les gens divergent sur des questions que j'ai écrites pour toi. Si tu vois bon, que Dieu me sacrifie pour toi, de m'expliquer tout ce que j'ai écrit pour toi. Les gens divergent, que Dieu me sacrifie pour toi, en Irak, sur la connaissance et le rejet. Ils m'ont demandé, que Dieu me sacrifie pour toi, sont-ils deux créatures? Et ils divergent sur le Coran. Certains prétendent que le Coran est la parole de Dieu non créée, tandis que d'autres disent que la parole de Dieu est créée. Et sur la capacité, est-ce avant l'action ou avec l'action? Nos compagnons divergent et ont rapporté à ce sujet. Et concernant Dieu, le Très-Haut, est-Il décrit par une image ou par un plan? Si tu vois bon, que Dieu me sacrifie pour toi, d'écrire pour moi la bonne doctrine de l'unicité. Et sur les mouvements, sont-ils créés ou non créés? Et sur la foi, qu'est-ce que c'est?" Il (paix soit sur lui) a écrit de la main de Abd al-Malik ibn A'in: "J'ai demandé ce qu'était la connaissance: sache, que Dieu te fasse miséricorde, que la connaissance est une création de Dieu Tout-Puissant dans le cœur, et le rejet est une création de Dieu dans le cœur. Il n'y a pas d'œuvre pour les serviteurs dans ces deux choses, mais ils ont le choix dans l'acquisition. Par leurs désirs, ils ont choisi la connaissance et sont ainsi devenus croyants savants, et par leurs désirs, ils ont choisi le rejet et sont ainsi devenus mécréants niant la vérité. Cela, par la grâce de Dieu envers eux et par Son abandon de ceux qu'Il abandonne. Par le choix et l'acquisition, Dieu les a récompensés et punis. J'ai demandé, que Dieu te fasse miséricorde, sur le Coran et les divergences des gens avant vous. Le Coran est la parole de Dieu, révélée, non créée et non éternelle avec Dieu, béni soit-Il, mentionné. Et Il est bien au-dessus de ce que les décrivants, qui assimilent Dieu, disent à Son sujet. Que Dieu soit exalté au-dessus de ce qu'attribuent les menteurs à Dieu, le Tout-Puissant. Sache, que Dieu te fasse miséricorde, que la bonne doctrine dans l'unicité est ce qui a été révélé dans le Coran concernant les attributs de Dieu, béni soit-Il. Rejette toute invalidité et toute assimilation de Dieu, il n'y a ni négation ni assimilation, Il est Dieu, l'Établi, l'Existant. Que Dieu soit exalté au-dessus de ce que les décrivants disent à Son sujet, et ne contredis pas le Coran pour échapper à l'égarement après l'explication. J'ai demandé, que Dieu te fasse miséricorde, sur la foi. La foi est l'attestation par la langue, la conviction dans le cœur et l'action par les piliers. La foi est liée les uns aux autres, et un serviteur peut être musulman avant d'être croyant, et il ne sera pas croyant tant qu'il n'est pas musulman. L'Islam précède la foi et participe à la foi. Si un serviteur commet un grand péché parmi les grands péch