because the Quran is the speech of Allah, and the speech of Allah Most High is one of His attributes.

The author specifically mentioned the Quran because, according to the Jahmiyyah and the Ash‘aris, the Quran is one of the created things. The Ash‘aris advanced a statement that reason cannot accept: they said that the speech of Allah is an intrinsic meaning subsisting in Himself, while that which is heard consists of created letters and sounds, which Allah created to express what is within Himself. Thus, according to their claim, the Quran is created. This is the reason the author specifically mentioned the Quran. Otherwise, someone might say that there was no need to mention it explicitly, since it is one of Allah’s attributes. But we say: some of the people of religious innovation maintain that the Quran is created, whereas we say that the Quran is the speech of Allah and is not created.

His statement, “or by the muṣḥaf”: the muṣḥaf consists of pages and ink, but one who swears by the muṣḥaf does not intend those pages. Rather, he intends the speech contained in the muṣḥaf. Accordingly, someone may say: in that case, the phrase “or by the muṣḥaf” must be qualified by saying that he intends what it contains.

The answer is that there is no need for this qualification, because this is what is naturally understood. One who swears by the muṣḥaf does not intend the pages or the writing; rather, he intends what those pages contain, namely, the speech of Allah.

Question: Is it permissible to swear by the signs of Allah?

Answer: This requires further detail. If by the signs he means the universal signs, such as the sun, the moon, the night, the day, and the human being, then swearing by them is forbidden, because they are created. But if by the signs of Allah he means the revealed signs, which are His revelation sent down to His Messenger, then they are the speech of Allah Most High, and swearing by them