❖ The Issue of the Qur’an’s Createdness and Imam Bukhārī’s View
A Research-Based Historical and Theological Analysis
Source: Fatāwā Shaykh al-Ḥadīth Mubārakpūrī, Vol. 1, p. 119
❖ The Question
Imam Bukhārī (رحمه الله) has been attributed with the statement:
“لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق“
This attribution has sparked significant scholarly debate and disagreement.
What is the correct stance of Imam Bukhārī regarding this issue?
✿ Imam Bukhārī’s True Position
The phrase “لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق“ is often linked to Imam Bukhārī. However, he never uttered these specific words.
Rather, what he did say was:
“أفعالنا مخلوقة وألفاظنا من أفعالنا“
“Our actions are created, and our utterances are from our actions.”
This means:
✔ Human actions, including verbal recitation of the Qur’an, are created.
✔ But the Qur’an itself — being the eternal speech of Allah — is uncreated.
✿ Cause of the Allegation
Two primary causes led to the misattribution of the phrase “لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق” to Imam Bukhārī:
➊ First Cause:
– While in Nīshāpūr, Imam Bukhārī was asked about “my expression with the Qur’an.”
– He responded:
“Our actions are created, and our expressions are among our actions.”
– This response was misunderstood, and some interpreted it as him saying:
“My expression with the Qur’an is created.”
➋ Second Cause:
– The Muʿtazilah and Jahmiyyah, who claimed the Qur’an is created, used the terms “maqruʾ” (recited Qur’an) and “qirāʾah” (act of recitation) interchangeably — blurring the distinction between the two.
– Due to this confusion, even some Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholars became strict and declared that anyone using the phrase “لفظي بالقرآن“ was inclined towards heresy, equating it with the createdness of the Qur’an itself.
✿ Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal’s Stance
– Imam Aḥmad (رحمه الله) firmly opposed the usage of the phrase “لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق“, to safeguard the belief in the uncreatedness of the Qur’an.
– He differentiated between:
✓ The Qur’an itself: Uncreated
✓ The recitation and utterance by humans: Created
– However, he avoided using even neutral expressions out of precaution, fearing that people might misunderstand or misuse the terminology.
✿ Agreement Between the Two Imams
In essence, Imam Bukhārī and Imam Aḥmad agreed on the theological core:
✔ The Qur’an is the uncreated speech of Allah.
✔ The act of reciting it, i.e., human action, is created.
Imam Bukhārī explicitly stated:
“القرآن كلام الله غير مخلوق وأفعال العباد مخلوقة“
“The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, uncreated. And the actions of the servants are created.”
✅ Summary and Conclusion
✔ Imam Bukhārī never used the expression “لفظي بالقرآن مخلوق“.
✔ His belief was:
- The Qur’an, as Allah’s attribute, is uncreated.
- The human act of reciting it, including sound, voice, and pronunciation, is created.
✔ The accusation against him stemmed from misunderstanding and suspicion, not reality.
✔ Therefore, it is incorrect to claim that Imam Bukhārī deviated from the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah. He was firmly upon orthodox belief in line with the early scholars.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
