“And if you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would have no protector from Allah nor any defender” (1).

That which came to the Prophet (2) — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — is the Qur’an (3), and it is the knowledge that reached him. Knowledge (4) is uncreated, and the Qur’an is part of that knowledge; indeed, it is the speech of Allah. He, Exalted, also said:

“The Most Merciful (1) taught the Qur’an (2) created man” (5),

and He said:

“Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command” (6).

Thus He has informed us that creation is creation, and creation is not the command (7); rather, the command is distinct from creation, and it is His speech. Moreover, Allah — Mighty and Majestic — has never been devoid of knowledge. He also said:

“Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We shall surely preserve it” (8).

The Reminder is the Qur’an, and Allah has never been without either of them; Allah has always been speaking and all-knowing. Elsewhere he said: Verily Allah has never been without knowledge and speech, and they are not part of creation, for He has never been bereft of them; therefore the Qur’an is from the knowledge of Allah.

It is related from (9) al-Ḥasan ibn Thawāb (10) that he said to Abū ʿAbd Allāh: From where