as the Exalted says: “The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah and His word which He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him” (Al-Nisāʾ 4:171).

In Christian doctrine, however, this “Word” is regarded as a substance and, indeed, as a lord; the Creator does not create through it—rather, it is, in their view, the creator of everything. They even write in their own book: “Indeed, the eternal, creative Word of God dwelt in Mary.”

Yet Allah, glorified and exalted, has told us that He Himself cast that word to Mary. The Lord—magnified be He—is the Creator, while the word He cast is not a creator; a creator is not something that is cast, but is the One who casts other things.

Allah’s words are of two kinds: (1) kawniyyah (creative-decretal), exemplified by His saying to a thing, “Be,” and it is; and (2) diniyyah (religious-prescriptive), namely His command and law conveyed by the messengers. In the same way, His command, will, permission, commissioning, and sending all subdivide into these two categories.

Allah, exalted be He, also speaks of “casting” speech in other contexts. He says, “Do not say to the one who offers you peace, ‘You are not a believer’” (Al-Nisāʾ 4:94); and He says, “When those who associated partners with Allah behold their partners, they will say, ‘Our Lord, these are our partners…’” (Al-Nahl 16:86).