المعنى الاصطلاحي

A meaning that exists within the Divine Essence. It is neither a letter nor a sound; and it is not related to the will or power of Allah.

الشرح المختصر

"Kalām Nafsi" (inner speech), according to the Ash‘aris, is a meaning that exists within the essence of Allah, the Almighty. It is timeless, just as the essence of Allah is, and it is a whole that is not subject to division. It involves no commands, prohibitions, reports, or inquiries. It includes the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur’an. It is not composed of letters or sounds, nor is it associated with the will or power of Allah. Words are merely representations of these meanings, as Allah’s actual speech is not audible, according to the Ash‘aris. This contradicts the creed of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah regarding the speech of Allah, the Almighty. They believe that speech is an affirmed attribute of Allah, the Almighty, in a way that befits His majesty. His speech is composed of audible letters and sounds. It is an attribute of essence in terms of the nature of speech, and an attribute of action in terms of the different instances of speech. It is related to Allah's will, as He speaks whenever He wishes and however He wishes. His speech is the best speech, with no resemblance to the speech of the creatures. Allah allows whomever He wills from the angels and messengers to hear His speech, and will allow His slaves to hear His speech with His actual voice in the Hereafter; exactly as He spoke to Mūsa and called him when he approached the tree with His voice. Mūsa heard His voice. His speech includes the Qur’an, the Torah, and the Bible.