There is no doubt that most people disagree with them on this and do not hold that a particular newly arising event endures forever. Those who affirm His rising above, His descent, and other acts that subsist in His Essence and depend upon His will and power do not say that these endure forever.

Likewise, most of those who hold that Allah spoke to Moses by calling to him in a voice that Moses heard, and that this vocal call subsists in Allah’s Essence, do not say that this particular call lasts forever. There are many similar examples.

Accordingly, one may say: The continued existence of the newly arising event—namely, the letters and sounds—is either possible or impossible. If it is possible, the position of the Karrāmiyyah is correct. If it is impossible, the position of those who dispute their claim that a newly arising event endures forever, and maintain that it does not persist, is correct, with all parties agreeing that newly arising events subsist in Him. Thus, neither supposition establishes the correctness of the opponent’s denial that newly arising events subsist in Him.

Furthermore, one may say: The claim that letters cannot coexist is itself a disputed matter. Various groups have held that they can coexist, both among those who hold that letters are beginningless and among those who hold that they newly arise. This is the position of the Sālimiyyah and others who hold that letters coexist while being beginningless, as well as those who hold that they coexist while being newly arising, such as the Karrāmiyyah.