And it may also be said that the verse allows either a pause or the beginning of a new sentence. These may constitute two readings, each permissible and conveying a valid description, as in comparable cases.

In the well-known hadith concerning the Quran, narrated by al-Tirmidhī from al-Hārith, from ʿAlī, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and also narrated by Abū Nuʿaym al-Asfahānī and others through numerous chains from ʿAlī, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—ʿAlī said:

“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, there will be trials. What is the way out of them?’ He replied:

‘The Book of Allah. It contains accounts of those before you, news of what comes after you, and judgment concerning what arises among you. It is decisive, not frivolous. Any tyrant who abandons it, Allah will shatter; whoever seeks guidance elsewhere, Allah will lead astray. It is Allah’s firm rope, the wise Reminder, and the straight path. With it, desires do not stray, opinions do not diverge, and tongues do not become confused. It does not wear out through repeated recitation; its wonders never cease, and scholars never have their fill of it. Whoever speaks according to it speaks the truth; whoever judges by it judges justly; whoever acts upon it is rewarded; and whoever calls to it is guided to a straight path.’”