A lot of people that obviously have never opened the books of the Salaf and only look at the Muta-akhirin, have come with a serious lie about Imam Ahmad.They claim that he did not make Takfeer on the Jahmiyyah who said that the Quran is created (Makhluq). And that he excused the leader (al Ma-mun) who said that the Quran is created. And that he even made Du’aa for them. They bring a quote of Ibn Taymiyyah, where it is said that Ahmad ibn Hanbal has said this.
A critical question
Imam Ahmad died in 241H and Ibn Taymiyyah is born in 661H. So it is impossible that Ibn Taymiyyah has heard it directly from Imam Ahmad himself. This means that supposedly there are quotes of the Imam himself about what is being ascribed to him (that he did not made Takfeer on the Jahmiyyah). Where are these quotes then? We are not talking about an average person. We are talking about one of the greatest scholars from the Salaf. So needless to say these quotes (if there are any) should have been documented in a trustworthy way.
However, there are no such quotes from Imam Ahmad.
In contrast to this, there are indeed quotes of the Imam himself, where he made Takfeer on the Jahmiyyah. The books of the Salaf are filled with quotes of the Shaykh.
‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad [290H] (the son of Ahmad ibn Hanbal!) said:
‘’I heard my father (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) say: ‘’Whoever says: ‘’The Quran is created’’ he is to us a Kaafir, because the Quraan is from the Knowledge of Allah, and therein are the Names of Allah.’’ [Kitaab as Sunnah of ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad: #1]
al Kirmaani [280H] said:
‘’I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and the words of the people were mentioned to him, about that the Quran is created. So he said: ‘’Apparent Kufr’’ – he said this twice.” [Kitaab as Sunnah of Harb ibn Ismaa’il al Kirmaani: #358]
Al Khallaal [311H] said:
Muhammad bin Abi Harun and Muhammad bin Ja’far told me that Aba al Haarith narrated to them and said: ‘’I heard Abu ‘Abdillaah (Ahmad bin Hanbal) say: ‘’The Quran is the Word of Allah, it is not created. And whoever alleges that the Quran is created, has disbelieved. He alleges that the Knowledge of Allah is created and that He did not have Knowledge until He created it.’’ [As Sunnah of al Khallaal, #1865]
We also read in Ibanah al Kubrah from Ibn Battah [387H] that the following was being asked to Ahmad:
‘’Oh Aba ‘Abdillah what do you say about the one who says: ‘’The Quran is created’’? He said: ‘’Kafir Zindeeq, kill him.’’ [Al Ibanah: #2343]
Some ignorants agree with these quotes but they say that these quotes are general and that Imam Ahmad did not made Takfeer specifically.
In as Sunnah of Khallaal we read that he said:
‘’Al Hasan bin Thawaab al Makhrumi told me: ‘’I said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal (I asked him about): ‘’Ibn Abi Du-aad (Ahmad bin Abi Du-aad [240H] was ‘’the head of the heads of al Jahmiyyah’’ see; Ithbaatul Haddillaah, p. 64), he said: ‘’A disbeliever in Allah the Allmighty.’’ [As Sunnah of al Khallaal: #1757]
Isn’t it strange that Imam Ahmad made Takfeer on Abi Du-aad, but allegedly not on al Ma-mun, while al Ma-mun encouraged Abi Du-aad in his call to misguidance?!
But in as Sunnah of Khallaal we read the following about this Kafir al Ma-mun, the one about who is said that Ahmad did not made Takfeer on him:
Muhammad bin Matar told me, he said: ‘’I said to Abu ‘Abdillaah: ‘’They passed by a grave of a man in Tarsus [This is the grave of al Ma-mun, from whom is known that he is buried in Tarsus]. The people then said: ‘’The disbeliever, may Allah not have mercy on him.’’ Abu ‘Abdillaah said: ‘’Yes, May Allah not have mercy on him. He is the one that founded this and came with this (the Bid’ah of al Jahmiyyah).’’ [As Sunnah of al Khallaal: #1708]
Besides the quotes of Imam Ahmad, everyone who took a look in the books of the Salaf knows that there is an Ijmaa’ about the Kufr of the one who says that the Quran is created and that there is an Ijmaa’ about the one who doubts the Kufr of the one that says that the Quran is created.
The ‘Aqeedah of the defender of the Sunnah and this lion of the Salaf is open and clear wa Lilaahil Hamd. At the same time we want to make clear that al Haqq is not depending on individuals, however we find it important to break this lie in defence of the Imam.