that letters can coexist. What, then, of someone who holds that the meanings constitute a single meaning?

The learned among the followers of A‘rī acknowledge the weakness of the implications of this position, even though they defend many of his weak positions.

[Digressions on al-Āmidī’s discussion of the question of Allah’s speech]

Even al-Āmidī, when discussing the question of speech, said:

“If it is said: Once it is established that He possesses the attribute of speech, that His speech is eternal, and that it consists of neither letters nor sound, it is one, with no multiplicity in itself; rather, multiplicity exists only in its relations and the things to which it relates.

“If it is said: No rational person doubts that speech is divided into commands, prohibitions, and other categories of speech; that these categories are different realities and distinct things; and that they are among the most specific characteristics of speech. The difference does not lie merely in the expressions, the relations, or the things to which speech relates. Thus, even if we disregarded the expressions, the relations, and the things to which speech relates, and mentally removed them, speech would still be divided into categories. Furthermore, what is reported concerning past narratives and bygone events