until evidence establishes it.

Third: The polytheists and the People of the Book asked the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) about his Lord’s lineage, essence, and kind. They said, “What is He made of? Of what kind is He? Is He made of gold, copper, brass, iron, or silver? Does He eat and drink? From whom did He inherit the world, and to whom will He bequeath it?” Allah then revealed this surah, which is devoted specifically to describing Allah.

It is well known that understanding samad to mean “the One who is sought” indicates only that He is One to whom requests and supplications are directed. This entails affirming His lordship and divinity, but does not answer their question, which concerns what He is like in Himself. If, however, He is said to be al-Samad, the One with no hollow interior, this answers their question by explaining that He is samad in Himself: He does not issue from anything, nor does there issue from Him