—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: “There is none among you but that his Lord will speak to him, with no interpreter between them.”’

As for their statement that speech can only come from an inner cavity, a mouth, two lips, a tongue, and other organs, Allah, Most High, said:

“And We subjected the mountains to glorify Us with David” (al-Anbiyā’: 79).

Do you suppose that they glorify Him with an inner cavity, a mouth, a tongue, and two lips? And when bodily members testify against the disbelievers, the latter say:

“‘Why did you testify against us?’ They reply, ‘Allah, who makes everything speak, has made us speak’” (Fussilat: 21).

Do you suppose that they spoke with an inner cavity, a mouth, and a tongue? Rather, Allah made them speak however He willed. Likewise, Allah speaks however He wills, without our saying that He does so with an inner cavity, a mouth, two lips, or a tongue.

When the arguments had cornered him, he said: ‘Allah did speak to Moses, but His speech is other than Him.’

We said: ‘And is that which is other than Him created?’

They said: ‘Yes.’

We said: ‘This is the same as your first statement, except that you