People have differed over whether the epithet al-Qadīm—“the Pre-existent, the Ancient One”—should be counted among Allah’s Names. A group of scholars, among them Ibn Ḥazm, maintained that He is not to be called al-Qadīm on the grounds that the Divine Names are fixed solely by revelation, and this particular name has not been authentically transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

What concerns us here, however, is that the Qur’an employs the term only with the meaning of precedence over something else, as in His words:

“until it returns like the withered, ancient palm-stalk” (Yā Sīn 36:39),

“They said, ‘By Allah, you are most certainly in your ancient error’” (Yūsuf 12:95),

“When they would not accept guidance through it they said, ‘This is an ancient fabrication’” (al-Aḥqāf 46:11),

and in His statement about Abraham:

“Have you considered what you have been worshipping—you and your earliest forefathers?” (al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:75-76).

Thus, muhdath (newly occurring) is simply the opposite of this relative qadīm.

The Qur’an itself was revealed in stages: whatever was sent down earlier is prior to what was sent down later, and whatever descended later is muhdath in relation to what preceded it. Hence Allah’s saying: “No reminder newly revealed from their Lord ever comes to them…” (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:2). This makes clear that some of the reminder is muhdath while some is not.

According to those who claim that the Qur’an—and, indeed, every instance of Allah’s Speech—is created, the whole reminder is created and originated, preceded by non-existence. For them, if all of it is created after not having existed, the Qur’anic mention of a portion that is “newly revealed” would have no special sense. They may reply that once a thing is characterised by the more specific form of origination—namely, that something else precedes it—the broader form, being preceded by non-existence, follows automatically. Even so, as has already been explained, this does not oblige one to regard the very species of “reminder” as falling under that broader description.

It is in this manner that many people have understood the words of the early generations and of the leading scholars concerning the Qur’an.