رأي الإيجي في صفة كلام الله وموقف العلماء منه

The attribute of divine speech (kalām) in the prevailing doctrine of the Ashʿarī and Māturīdī school is understood as an intrinsic speech (al-maʿnā al-nafsī), the meaning that is present in the speaker before it is spoken, written, or referred to, devoid of words. However, among some later scholars, the view emerged that God's speech encompasses both the intrinsic speech and eternal words. This view is notably attributed to ʿAḍud al-Dīn al-Ījī (d. 756/1355), who articulated it in a treatise on the divine attribute of speech. This view provoked reflection among later scholars because, according to the well-established position of the Ashʿarī school, words are created and thus cannot subsist in the divine essence. Affirming their eternity is considered rationally impossible. However, this view was not entirely rejected, as some scholars supported al-Ījī's position, while others from Ahl al-Sunnah objected. Therefore, this study will present al-Iji's view on the attribute of God's speech and will examine the stance of some later scholars regarding his position, distinguishing between those who supported and those who opposed it. Through this presentation, the research aims to determine whether the disagreement between al-Ījī and Ahl al-Sunnah on the attribute of divine speech constitutes a genuine disagreement (ikhtilāf ḥaqīqī). The researcher ultimately concludes that the disagreement between al-Ījī and Ahl al-Sunnah is genuine in one particular aspect: the eternality of the words (qidam al-Alfāz). In conclusion, by studying the attribute of divine speech according to al-Ījī and examining the stance of scholars on this matter, this research will shed light on whether the disagreement among later Sunni scholars regarding the attribute of divine speech is a genuine disagreement.