and the command.’ (1) Thus He has made a distinction between creation and command.

Abū ʿAbd Allāh said, “The Qur’an is from the knowledge of Allah. Do you not see that He says, ‘He taught the Qur’an’ (2)? The Qur’an also contains (3) the names of Allah, majestic and exalted. What will they say about that? They refuse to say, ‘The names (4) of Allah are uncreated,’ yet whoever maintains that the names of Allah are created has fallen into disbelief. Allah—Most High—has always been All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Mighty, All-Wise, All-Hearing, All-Seeing. We have no doubt that the names of Allah are not created, and we have no doubt that the knowledge of Allah is not created. It is the Speech of Allah, and Allah has never ceased to speak.

Abū ʿAbd Allāh then said, “What matter (5) could be clearer than this, and what unbelief could be graver than this? If (6) they claim that the Qur’an is created, they are claiming that the names of Allah are created [and that the knowledge of Allah is created] (7). Yet people make concessions about this and say, ‘They are only saying (8): the Qur’an is created,’ [so they take it lightly and imagine it insignificant, not realizing the disbelief it contains] (9).

He said, “I dislike disclosing this (10) to everyone. When they question me, I say that I would rather not speak about it, and then I am told that they accuse me of keeping silent.”