Sh. Ibn ʿUthaymīn رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:

“The ʿaqīdah (creed) of the Salaf regarding the Noble Qurʾān is like their ʿaqīdah regarding the rest of Allāh’s Names and Attributes, which is an ʿaqīdah built on what is indicated by the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

All of us know, that Allāh سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ described the Qurʾān as being His Speech, and that it is revealed from Him. He تَعَالَىٰ said:

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ٱسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَـٰمَ ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُۥ

[التوبة (٩) : ٦]

{And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the Speech of Allāh, then escort him to his place of safety} [al-Tawbah (9): 6].

The intent of the Speech of Allāh here, without doubt, is the Noble Qurʾān, and He تَعَالَىٰ said:

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُۥ رُوحُ ٱلْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ

[النحل (١٦) : ١٠٢]

{Say, (O Muḥammad), “The Pure Spirit (i.e., Jibrīl) has brought it down from your Lord} [al-Naḥl (16): 102].

And Allāh عَزَّ وَجَلَّ said:

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ يَقُصُّ عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَكْثَرَ ٱلَّذِى هُمْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ۝١٠٢

[النمل (٢٧) : ٧٦]

{Indeed, this Qurʾān relates to the Children of Israel most of that over which they disagree} [al-Naml (27): 76].

So the Qurʾān is the Speech of Allāh تَعَالَىٰ in wording and meaning; Allāh spoke it in a real sense, and He spoke it to Jibrīl the trustworthy one. Then Jibrīl descended with it, upon the heart of the Prophet ﷺ, so that he could be from the warners in a clear Arabic tongue.

The Salaf believe that the Qurʾān is revealed [in the sense that] Allāh sent it down upon Muḥammad ﷺ in instalments, over 23 years, according to what Allāh’s wisdom necessitated. Furthermore, some of the revelation came down due to a particular cause necessitating its revelation (سَبَبِيًّا), and some of it came down without a particular cause (اِبْتِدَائِيًّا), and some of it would come down narrating a condition that had passed amongst the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, and some of it would descend regarding legal rulings unconnected to a particular cause, according to what the people of knowledge in this field mention.

Thereafter, the Salaf say that the Qurʾān initiated from Allāh, and to Him it will return at the end of time – this is the view of the Salaf regarding the Noble Qurʾān.

It is not hidden to us, that Allāh تَعَالَىٰ described the Noble Qurʾān with great descriptions: He described it as full of wisdom, as noble, as great, and as glorious. These descriptions with which Allāh described His Speech, are for those who grab hold onto this Book and act upon it externally and internally, for indeed Allāh will bring about for him glory, greatness, wisdom, honour, and authority, which those who do not hold onto the Book of Allāh will not have. This is why I call upon, from this minbar, all of the Muslims; both rulers and ruled, scholars and commonfolk, to grab hold onto the Book of Allāh externally and internally so that they may have honour, aid, glory, and domination all over the earth. And I ask Allāh to help us to achieve that.”

Source: Majmūʿ Fatāwá wa Rasāʾil Faḍīlat al-Shaykh Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, 1: 305, no. 120.