the former occurs only in connection with answering the supplicant:

“When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed near. I answer the supplicant’s call.”

Likewise, the hadith states:

“Be gentle with yourselves, for you are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent. You are calling upon One who is All-Hearing and Near. The One you call upon is nearer to each of you than the neck of his mount.”

The plural form occurs in His words:

“We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.”

This is like His words:

“We recite to you,”

“We relate to you,”

“So when We have recited it,”

“Indeed, it is for Us to gather it and recite it,”

and “It is for Us to explain it.”

Here, the recitation takes place when he hears it from Gabriel, and the explanation means explaining it to those whom the Quran reaches.

The position of the early generations of this Muslim community, its leading scholars, and its later generations is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard the Quran from Gabriel, and Gabriel heard it from Allah, Almighty and Majestic.

As for His words, “We recite,” “We relate,” and “So when We have recited it,” this form is used in Arabic for a single person of great standing who has helpers who obey him. When his helpers do something at his command, he says, “We did it.” Thus a king says, “We conquered this land and defeated this army,” and the like, because he acts through his helpers.

Allah Most High is the Lord of the angels. They do not speak before He speaks, and they act at His command. They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do as they are commanded. Moreover, He is their Creator and the Creator of their actions and their power, and He has no need of them.

He is not like a king whose helpers act with power and movement by which they can act independently of him. Thus, His saying, “We did it,” concerning what He has done through His angels is more warranted and appropriate than such words spoken by certain kings.