The Qur’an: Divine Speech and the Principle of Bilā Kayf

1. The Qur’an is the speech of Allah

وَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ
The Qur’an is the speech of Allah.

Calling it the speech of Allah affirms that its true origin belongs to Allah. It is neither human invention nor a composition of creatures.

Its truth and religious authority rest on its being revelation sent by Allah.

2. “From Him it began”: the source of the speech

مِنْهُ بَدَأَ بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ قَوْلًا
It originated from Allah as speech, without assigning a modality.

From Him it began identifies Allah as the true source of the Qur’an, not a creature that fabricated it.

Without modality means that the manner of divine speech must not be compared with the manner of creaturely speech.

3. Revealed to the Messenger

وَأَنْزَلَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَحْيًا
He sent it down as revelation to His Messenger.

Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger who conveys the Qur’an, not its independent author. Revelation explains the means by which the divine message reaches human beings.

The source of revelation is Allah; the Messenger faithfully communicates it.

4. Believers affirm the Qur’an as truth

وَصَدَّقَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَقًّا
The believers truly affirmed it as such.

Affirmation is more than reciting words: it is inward acceptance that the Qur’an is Allah’s speech and true revelation.

Faith therefore includes certainty regarding its divine origin and truth.

5. Certainty that it is truly divine speech

وَأَيْقَنُوا أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْحَقِيقَةِ
They were certain that it is truly the speech of Allah Most High.

In reality clarifies that the attribution of the Qur’an to Allah is not merely a symbolic title.

Certainty entails affirming this true relation of divine speech and avoiding claims that deny it.

6. The Qur’an is not created speech

لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ كَكَلَامِ الْبَرِيَّةِ
It is not created like the speech of creatures.

Divine speech is not measured by the form or manner of creaturely speaking. Allah’s attribute of speech is affirmed in a way befitting Him.

The Qur’an is held to be truly Allah’s speech and not equivalent to the speech of created beings.

7. Distinguishing divine speech from human speech

كَكَلَامِ الْبَرِيَّةِ
Like the speech of created beings.

Humans rely upon limited bodily means and conditions to speak. Allah’s essence and attributes are free from creaturely dependence and bodily modality.

It is correct to affirm that Allah speaks, but incorrect to assign to that speech a human manner or mechanism.

8. Treating the Qur’an as human composition

وَمَنْ سَمِعَهُ فَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ الْبَشَرِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ
Whoever hears it and claims it to be the speech of a human has disbelieved.

The statement concerns a denial of the divine origin of the Qur’an. Calling Allah’s revealed speech a human composition rejects its true source.

Speech of Allah and human speech are not interchangeable descriptions.

9. The rejection of “only human speech”

إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
This is nothing but the speech of a human. (Al-Muddaththir 74:25)

The Qur’an sharply rejects this claim because it denies the divine source of revelation.

سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
I will make him enter Saqar. (Al-Muddaththir 74:26)

Correct belief affirms the Qur’an as truly Allah’s speech, not human invention.

10. No creaturely modality for divine attributes

Allah’s essence and attributes are unlike the essence and attributes of creation.

Affirming that the Qur’an is divine speech does not require explaining it through the manner of human speaking. Neither do other divine attributes imply creaturely mechanisms.

Affirming an attribute and likening it to creation are distinct matters.

11. The meaning of bilā kayf

بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ
Without imposing a creaturely manner or modality.

A divine attribute is affirmed, but it is not explained by comparing it with human bodily actions or mechanisms.

Kayf asks about the manner or modality of a thing. A creaturely manner is not the standard for Allah’s attributes.

12. The question concerning istiwāʾ

الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى
The Most Merciful established istiwāʾ over the Throne. (Ṭā Hā 20:5)

Questions arise concerning the modality of istiwāʾ. Since Allah is unlike creatures, this expression must not be treated as if it described a creature’s posture or physical location.

The distinction is between a divinely revealed attribute and a modality invented by human comparison.

13. The transmitted explanation of istiwāʾ

الِاسْتِوَاءُ مَعْلُومٌ وَالْكَيْفُ مَجْهُولٌ وَالْإِيمَانُ بِهِ وَاجِبٌ وَالسُّؤَالُ عَنْهُ بِدْعَةٌ
Istiwaʾ is known, its modality unknown, belief in it obligatory, and asking about it an innovation.

These words are widely attributed to Imam Mālik, but the attribution is not accepted here as authentically established.

The sound underlying principle is to affirm Allah’s attributes without assigning to them creaturely modalities.

14. Not assigning a modality to divine attributes

الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى كَمَا وَصَفَ نَفْسَهُ، لَا يُقَالُ كَيْفَ، وَكَيْفَ عَنْهُ مَرْفُوعٌ
The Most Merciful has istiwāʾ over the Throne as He described Himself; one does not ask “how,” for this “how” is not applied to Him.

The expression accepts what Allah has revealed concerning Himself but denies the assignment of modality by human imagination.

As He described Himself is the governing principle.

15. The shared principle in transmitted scholarly reports

Reports from various scholars addressing divine attributes share a central aim: affirm what is revealed while not imposing a modality.

أَمِرُّوهَا كَمَا جَاءَتْ بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ
Pass these descriptions on as they have come, without assigning a modality.

Attributes affirmed by revelation are accepted, without manufacturing a creaturely physical form or mechanism.

16. Divine speech together with incomparability

Speech of Allah affirms the true source of the Qur’an, while without modality rejects comparisons between divine attributes and creaturely mechanisms.

Allah is incomparable in essence and attributes. His speech is not treated as a created, dependent human act.

Both affirmations are maintained: Allah speaks, and the reality of His speech is unlike creaturely speaking.

17. Fundamental beliefs about the Qur’an

The Qur’an is Allah’s speech — its true source is divine.
It was revealed — Muhammad ﷺ conveyed the divine message.
Believers affirm it — its truth is accepted with conviction.
It is not human composition — it must not be described as creaturely speech.
Without modality — Allah’s attributes are not assigned creaturely mechanisms.