Surah Az-Zukhruf (43) — Ayah 4

(Ayah 4) ➊ The meaning of {وَ اِنَّهٗ فِيْۤ اُمِّ الْكِتٰبِ: ’’ اُمِّ الْكِتٰبِ ‘‘} is "the origin of the Book." Most commentators have taken this to mean the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), from where all heavenly books have been revealed, as He said: « بَلْ هُوَ قُرْاٰنٌ مَّجِيْدٌ (21) فِيْ لَوْحٍ مَّحْفُوْظٍ» [البروج : ۲۱، ۲۲ ] "Rather, it is a glorious Qur'an. In a tablet that is protected (written)." And He said: «اِنَّهٗ لَقُرْاٰنٌ كَرِيْمٌ (77) فِيْ كِتٰبٍ مَّكْنُوْنٍ (78) لَّا يَمَسُّهٗۤ اِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُوْنَ (79) تَنْزِيْلٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ » [ الواقعۃ : ۷۷ تا ۸۰ ] "That indeed, it is surely a noble recitation. In a book that is kept hidden. None touch it except those who are greatly purified. Sent down from the Lord of all the worlds."
Some commentators have said that by {’’ اُمِّ الْكِتٰبِ ‘‘} is meant the knowledge of Allah, which is the origin of every heavenly book. The origin of the Preserved Tablet is also that, as He said: «وَ اِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى الْقُرْاٰنَ مِنْ لَّدُنْ حَكِيْمٍ عَلِيْمٍ» [ النمل : ۶ ] "And indeed, you are being given this Qur'an from the presence of One who is full of wisdom, all-knowing."
➋ Both {لَدَيْنَا لَعَلِيٌّ حَكِيْمٌ: ’’لَدَيْ‘‘} and {’’عِنْدَ‘‘} mean "with someone," but {’’لَدَيْ‘‘} is for special nearness and {’’عِنْدَ‘‘} for general. Thus, {’’اَلْمَالُ عِنْدَ زَيْدٍ‘‘} (the wealth is with Zaid) is used for the wealth that is present with him and also for the wealth that is in his treasury, whereas {’’اَلْمَالُ لَدَيْ زَيْدٍ‘‘} is used only for the wealth that is present with him. (Tafsir Thanai) {’’ لَعَلِيٌّ ‘‘} That is, this Qur'an is in Our knowledge (or in the Preserved Tablet), with Us, meaning in Our special nearness, of very high rank; in the highest assembly, it has a very lofty status, superior and exalted above all books and all knowledge. {’’ حَكِيْمٌ ‘‘} That is, filled with perfect wisdom and words of insight; every statement of it is full of wisdom and exactly in accordance with sound reason. The meaning of {’’ حَكِيْمٌ ‘‘} is also "firm," that is, this Qur'an is so strong and firm that neither can falsehood be mixed into it in any way, nor can falsehood stand against it, as He said: « لَا يَاْتِيْهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِنْۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَ لَا مِنْ خَلْفِهٖ تَنْزِيْلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيْمٍ حَمِيْدٍ» [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۴۲ ] "Falsehood does not come to it from before it nor from behind it; sent down from One who is full of wisdom, worthy of all praise." See also Surah Hud (1). The purpose of this verse is to impress upon the mind the value and status of this Qur'an with Allah, so that no one, by considering it insignificant, is deprived of believing in it and benefiting from it. The same lofty status is expressed with the words {’’ اِنَّهٗ لَقُرْاٰنٌ كَرِيْمٌ ‘‘} and {’’ بَلْ هُوَ قُرْاٰنٌ مَّجِيْدٌ ‘‘}. See Surah Waqi'ah (77) and Surah Buruj (21).

4. 1. In this, the greatness and honor of the Noble Quran that it possesses in the Highest Assembly is mentioned, so that the people of the earth may also, keeping in view its honor and greatness, give it its due importance and attain the guidance for which it was sent down to the world. By اُمْ الْکِتَابِ is meant the Preserved Tablet.

4. Indeed, it is inscribed in the Mother of the Book (the Preserved Tablet) [3] with Us, exalted in dignity [4] and full of wisdom.

[3] That is, its subjects and the fundamentals of religion have always remained the same. And they are similar to the previous heavenly books. Therefore, all of this has already been written with Us in the original Book, which We have revealed in different eras to different prophets in their own languages. In the same way, We have revealed the Quran from the Preserved Tablet in the Arabic language to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
[4]
The Argument of the Mu'tazilah Regarding the Createdness of the Quran and Its Refutation:

By this, it can mean Umm al-Kitab, and also the Noble Quran. That is, if you do not value it, in reality, it does not make any difference. It should be clear that the rationalist sect, the Mu'tazilah, argued from ﴿إنَّا جَعَلْنَاه﴾ regarding the Quran that the Quran is created. This argument is wrong and false because the word "ja'ala" does not only mean to create or invent, but it also has many other meanings. For example, consider the following examples: ﴿وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلٰي﴾ [40:9] "And Allah made low the word of the disbelievers." ﴿جَعَلَ السِّقَايَةَ فِيْ رَحْلِ اَخِيْهِ﴾ [70:12] "And (Yusuf) placed the cup in his brother's bag." ﴿وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ اَجَلًا لَّا رَيْبَ فِيْهِ﴾ [99:17] "And He appointed for them a term in which there is no doubt."

The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah is that just as Allah is eternal, His attributes are also eternal. And the Quran is the speech of Allah and it is His attribute. In contrast, the argument of the Mu'tazilah is that if the attributes of Allah are also considered eternal along with Allah, then multiplicity of eternals becomes necessary, and this is shirk. That is why they called themselves Ahl al-Adl wa al-Tawhid and considered all other Muslims as polytheists. But they did not consider that anything created or originated must perish at some time, so can, God forbid, the attributes of Allah or, for example, this very Quran ever perish? Since some Abbasid caliphs were also influenced by this Mu'tazilite thought, and Ma'mun al-Rashid was a staunch Mu'tazilite, therefore, the debate about the createdness of the Quran, or in appropriate words, this fitnah, caused a storm for a whole century. Later, Allah guided the caliphs to the right path, and this fitnah died its own death. Our master Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal endured long periods of imprisonment and torture against this fitnah, and such matters also come under the topic of heretical deviation regarding the attributes of Allah. (For further details, see my book "Aina Parveziyat: From Mu'tazilah to Tulu-e-Islam.") And the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah is that Allah can speak in every language. As for the question of which language Umm al-Kitab or the Preserved Tablet is in, Allah knows best. We are unable to comprehend it, just as we are unable to comprehend the nature and reality of His other attributes.