Is the Word of God Created?

God’s speech is not created; rather, it is originated by God. That is, it was not, and the Creator brought it into being, but its mode of coming into being is not of the kind called creation. God’s speech is an act of God, proceeding from His blessed name, “the Speaker”!
The Exalted God is “the Speaker,” and His speech is the act of His speaking.
In reality, God’s speech is one of His particular modes of being, just as God’s creation is another of His modes of being!
We are not entitled to call God’s speech anything other than God’s speech. It is for this reason that we may not call God’s speech something created by God.
“Creation” is only one kind of act among the acts of the incomparable Lord; His blessed speech is a distinct kind among His acts—exalted is He, high above all.

إن الکلام صفه محدثه لیست بأزلیه کان الله عز و جل و لا متکلم‏
التوحید (للصدوق)، ص: 139

عن الحسین بن خالد قال: قلت للرضا علی بن موسى ع یا ابن رسول الله أخبرنی عن القرآن أ خالق أو مخلوق فقال لیس بخالق و لا مخلوق و لکنه کلام الله عز و جل.
التوحید (للصدوق)، ص: 224

Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja‘far al-Hamadani (may God be pleased with him) narrated to us. He said: Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, from his father Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Ali ibn Ma‘bad, from Husayn ibn Khalid, who said: I said to Imam al-Rida (AS), “O son of the Messenger of God, tell me about the Quran: is it the Creator or created?” He replied, “It is neither the Creator nor created; rather, it is the speech of God, Mighty and Glorious.”

فإن القرآن کلام الله محدث غیر مخلوق و غیر أزلی مع الله تعالى ذکره و تعالى عن ذلک علوا کبیرا کان الله عز و جل و لا شی‏ء غیر الله معروف و لا مجهول کان عز و جل و لا متکلم و لا مرید و لا متحرک و لا فاعل «2» جل و عز ربنا فجمیع هذه الصفات محدثه عند حدوث الفعل منه جل و عز ربنا و القرآن کلام الله غیر مخلوق فیه خبر من کان قبلکم و خبر ما یکون بعدکم ...
التوحید (للصدوق)، ص: 227

The Quran is indeed the speech of God: originated, not created, and not eternal alongside God, exalted is His remembrance—God is far above that, exalted beyond measure. God, Mighty and Glorious, existed when there was nothing besides Him, known or unknown. He existed, but there was no speaker, no willing one, no mover, and no agent. Our Lord is exalted and mighty beyond all this. All these attributes are originated when His act comes into being; our Lord, exalted and mighty, is far beyond that. The Quran is the speech of God, not created; in it is news of those who came before you and of what will come after you, and it was sent down from God to Muhammad, the Messenger of God.

قال کتب علی بن محمد بن علی بن موسى الرضا ع إلى بعض شیعته ببغداد * عصمنا الله و إیاک من الفتنه فإن یفعل فقد أعظم بها نعمه «1» و إن لا یفعل فهی الهلکه نحن نرى أن الجدال فی القرآن بدعه اشترک فیها السائل و المجیب فیتعاطى السائل ما لیس له و یتکلف المجیب ما لیس علیه و لیس الخالق إلا الله عز و جل و ما سواه مخلوق و القرآن کلام الله لا تجعل له اسما من عندک فتکون من الضالین جعلنا الله و إیاک من الذین یخشون ربهم بالغیب و هم من الساعه مشفقون.
التوحید (للصدوق)، ص: 224