Kitab al-Furqan bayna Nisbatay al-Qawl wa-al-Kalam fi al-Qur’an (كتاب الفرقان بين نسبتي القول والكلام في القرآن)

Overview of the Book

Title: Kitāb al-Furqān bayna Nisbatay al-Qawl wa-al-Kalām fī al-Qurʾān (كتاب الفرقان بين نسبتي القول والكلام في القرآن)
Author: Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Kattānī (محمد بن إبراهيم الكتاني)
Publisher: Dār al-Ḍiyāʾ (دار الضياء)

Core Subject and Theological Focus

Kitāb al-Furqān is a focused theological and analytical treatise addressing the classical Islamic discussion concerning the Divine Speech and the attribution of qawl (saying) and kalām (speech) to Allah Almighty in relation to the Qurʾān.

The work seeks to clarify the orthodox Sunni position that the Qurʾān is the uncreated Speech of Allah (Kalām Allāh), while examining the linguistic, theological, and interpretive issues surrounding Qurʾānic expressions that attribute qawl to Allah, the Prophet ﷺ, or the angels.

Key Themes

1. The distinction between Qawl and Kalām
The author examines the precise meanings and usages of qawl and kalām, explaining why the Qurʾān is fundamentally described as the Speech of Allah. Particular attention is given to verses such as Sūrat al-Ḥāqqah (69:40), which describes the Qurʾān as “the word of a noble messenger.” The book explains that this attribution refers to conveyance, delivery, and recitation (tablīgh wa-adāʾ), rather than origination.

2. Refutation of theological deviations
The work addresses the Muʿtazilite doctrine that the Qurʾān is created, while also examining distinctions developed within Sunni theology concerning Divine Speech, including discussions of al-kalām al-nafsī, wording (lafẓ), and meaning (maʿnā). The author demonstrates how careful attention to attribution (nisbah) helps resolve apparent theological difficulties.

3. Analysis of Qurʾānic usage
The author systematically examines Qurʾānic expressions derived from qawl and kalām, considering their linguistic and contextual meanings and distinguishing between Divine origination and the subsequent transmission or articulation of revelation by angels and prophets.

4. Affirmation of the Sunni doctrine of the Qurʾān
The book reaffirms the Sunni doctrine that the Qurʾān revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, recited by tongues, heard by ears, and written in the maṣāḥif, is truly the Speech of Allah. It carefully distinguishes the Divine origin of the Qurʾān from its conveyance and recitation by created beings.