mean anything beyond this to speak from behind a veil, then what was granted to Moses would be inferior to what was granted to the other messengers. This is necessarily known to be false in the religion of Islam, especially when coupled with the claim that His speaking consists in creating a perception of the meaning subsisting within. Moses would then receive instances of divine speech that none but the Lord of heaven could enumerate. Hence, groups among the Jahmiyyah claim that they receive divine speech like that received by Moses, and some claim to receive something even higher.

The seventeenth point is that He said:

“Or from behind a veil.” [al-Shūrā 51]

That is, from beyond a veil. Pure nonexistence has neither a front nor a back. Thus, it is known that this is an existing veil with a space beyond it.

The eighteenth point is that, had He explicitly stated the meaning they mention, saying, “or from behind the non-creation of vision,” this would be speech indicating that its speaker was insane, or speech devoid of any real meaning. No one would interpret the speech of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in this way except a heretical hypocrite who makes a mockery of the Quran and Islam, or an ignorant person whose utterances warrant a judgment of ignorance against him.