could be eternal. These sects have built their position on the principle that whatever is not devoid of contingent events is itself contingent, for they deem the existence of an infinite series impossible. If such an infinite regress is impossible, then the very genus of contingencies must have a starting point, just as each particular event has a beginning; and whatever neither precedes the events but rather accompanies them or comes after them is therefore originated. For that reason they denied that God’s words are endless from pre-eternity, even though some of them concede that those words will subsist forever in the future.

By contrast, the view that God’s words are without limit while yet subsisting in His very Essence is the opinion transmitted from the leading imams of the early generations; it is held by the majority of hadith scholars, by many theologians, and even by some philosophers. A full treatment of these opinions has been presented elsewhere.

The point here is that the Christian doctrine is false under each of these four views, just as its falsity has already been shown under the first two. For, according to the majority who maintain that God has many words, those words are either infinite and eternal, or they are words with a beginning. If He possesses numerous words, then the Messiah is neither those limitless words nor the sum of the many words.

Rather, he was created by a single word from among God’s words, as stated in the divine scriptures—the Quran and the Torah—which affirm that He creates things by His words.

The Exalted said, when giving Mary the glad tidings of the Messiah:

“She said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me?’ He said, ‘So it is; Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.’” ⦗Al ʿImran 3:47⦘