Then he conceded this when it was explained to him that a figurative usage can validly be denied, whereas this attribution cannot. It was also explained to him that the sayings transmitted from earlier generations, and the poetry attributed to poets, are truly their words; the attribution of the Quran to Allah can be no less real than that. Everyone present therefore agreed with what was stated concerning the Quran: that Allah truly spoke, and that the Quran is truly the speech of Allah, not the speech of anyone else.

When the creed stated:

“Speech is truly attributed to the one who originally uttered it, not to the one who conveys and relays it,”

they approved of these words and held them in high regard. Even the foremost opponents, such as Ibn al-Wakīl and others, began expressing great admiration for them. They showed delight in this concise formulation, saying, “You have dispelled this doubt for us and set our hearts at ease,” and making other remarks of this kind.

When we reached the discussion of belief in the Last Day, with its detailed explanation and orderly presentation, they likewise approved of it and held it in high regard.

The same was true when we reached the discussion of belief in divine decree and its two levels, along with the other weighty principles contained in the creed. Likewise, they approved of the discussion concerning the sinner who remains within Islam, and concerning faith. Objections were, however, raised to this, which I shall mention.