except through a proof—namely, the argument that bodies have a beginning because they have never been free of accidents. They say: What observation establishes is only that their composition has a beginning, just as those others say concerning the servant’s speech that only the arrangement of the letters is newly produced.

Those who uphold “the unity of existence” say that the servant’s very existence is identical to the Lord’s existence. I have personally dealt with proponents of all these views—prominent people—and what passed between us concerning these matters would take too long to describe. Allah guided whomever He willed among His creation. Consider, then, how confused people have become about their own selves, concerning which they were told:

“And in yourselves—will you not then see?”

The philosophers say: The matter of the human body, and all other matter, has existed from eternity, without beginning. These views resemble Pharaoh’s claim in certain respects. The proponents of “unity” openly exalt Pharaoh and maintain that he spoke the truth when he said:

“I am your highest lord.”

There is therefore a lesson in Allah’s repetition of Pharaoh’s story in the Quran, for people need to take heed of it. As He said:

“So We made them a precedent and an example for those who came after.”