Nor may its attribution to Him be explained by its possessing a particular quality that He loves and is pleased with, as He attributed the House and the she-camel to Himself in His words, Most High:

“And purify My House for those who circumambulate it and those who stand in prayer,”

and His words:

“Allah’s she-camel and her turn to drink.”

For this would entail that every utterance Allah loves is His speech. Thus, when someone enjoins charity, goodness, or reconciliation between people, that would be Allah’s speech. When a witness gives testimony that he has been commanded to give, it would be Allah’s speech. And everyone who relates a hadith from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would merely be relating the speech of Allah Most High.

People have disagreed over such words of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—as:

“You have taken them in trust from Allah and have made sexual relations with them lawful by Allah’s word.”

Does this mean the word Allah prescribed, namely, the marriage contract? Or does it mean the word He Himself spoke, whereby He prescribed, permitted, and made that lawful?

The correct view is that “Allah’s word” means the speech He Himself spoke, which conveys His permission, His making it lawful, and His prescription—not the contract, which consists of the speech of His servants.

And whoever says