they will reply, “Allah, who endowed every thing with speech, has made us speak.” (1) Do you imagine that they spoke (2) with an inner cavity, a mouth (3), lips (4), and a tongue? Rather, Allah caused them to speak however (5) He willed; in the same way, Allah speaks (6) however He wills, without our alleging that He possesses an inner cavity, a mouth, lips, or a tongue. (7)

When the proofs closed in on his throat (8), he said, “Allah did speak to Moses, but His speech is something other than Himself.” We asked, “Is this ‘other’ (9) created?” He answered, “Yes.” We said (10): “This is exactly the same as your original claim; you are only trying to fend off public censure (11) by the way you word it.”

As for the report narrated by al-Zuhri (12): When Moses heard the speech of his Lord, he said, “My Lord, is this speech (13) that I have just heard truly Your speech?” He said, “Yes, O Moses, it is My speech; indeed (14) I spoke to you with the strength of ten thousand tongues, and all tongues are within My power, and I am mightier than that. I spoke to you only in proportion to what your body could bear (15); had I spoken to you with more than that, (16) you would have died.” He continued: When Moses returned to his people