and will is eternal power and beginningless will. There is no difference between what newly arises and what is brought into being insofar as each comes into existence anew. It requires a determining factor only because it comes into existence anew, and both are alike in this respect. If they were asked, ‘Why should I not consider eternal power and beginningless will sufficient to bring things into being, without the intermediary of speech and will, just as they are considered sufficient for speech and will?’ they would have no way of distinguishing between them.”

[Ibn Taymiyyah’s Commentary]

The reply is:

One could say that some attributes are established through revelation, and they may have affirmed this on that basis. Likewise, those who affirm the divine attributes among the early and later generations—such as Ibn Kullāb, al-Ashʿarī, Judge Abū Bakr, al-Qushayrī, and al-Bayhaqī—affirmed through revelation that Adam was created with His two Hands, although the creation of others did not require that.

Similarly, al-Ashʿarī and others affirmed, on the basis of revelation, creation through the command “Be,” although reason regards divine power as sufficient.

He reported this from the people of the Sunnah and hadith, stating that they held:

“Allah never created anything without saying to it, ‘Be.’”

He also stated that he adopted their position.

The Quran tells us that when He wills something, He says to it:

“Be,” and it is.

The particle an (“to”) makes the imperfect verb refer exclusively to the future. Likewise, idhā (“when”) is an adverb referring to future time and generally carries a conditional sense.