the other to have originated it. Since He attributes it sometimes to one and sometimes to the other, we know that He attributes it to each because he conveyed and delivered it, not because he originated or produced either its wording or its meaning. For this reason, He said:
“the word of a noble messenger,”
not “the word of an angel” or “a prophet.” He used the designation “messenger” to make clear that he conveys something from another, as the Exalted says:
“O Messenger, convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord.”
The Sunan collections report that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to present himself to the people during the pilgrimage season, saying:
“Will no man take me to his people so that I may convey the speech of my Lord? Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the speech of my Lord.”
Furthermore, His words, “Indeed, it is the word of a noble messenger,” refer to the Quran and therefore encompass its wording just as they encompass its meaning. “Quran” is a name for both together. Thus, when a commentator explains it or a translator translates it, he does not call his commentary or translation “Quran.” Indeed, the Muslims agree that a person in a state of ritual impurity may touch books of Quranic commentary, and they agree that its commentary cannot serve as the recitation in prayer. The same applies to its translation into a language other than Arabic, according to the great majority of scholars. As for the view reported from Abū Hanīfa, it has been said that he retracted it, and it has also been said that it is conditional upon calling the translation “Quran.”
In any event, permitting a translation to take its place for certain rulings does not entail that the name “Quran” applies to it. Likewise, when the value of camels, cattle, or sheep is paid as zakat in their stead, what is paid is not called camels, cattle, or sheep; rather, it retains its own name, whatever it may be. Similarly, if the formula “Allah is Most Great” in prayer is replaced with “Glory be to Allah” or the like, and it is held that this validly commences the prayer—as Abū Hanīfa maintains—one would not say that the substitute is the formula “Allah is Most Great.”