His power, and which He creates and brings into being, as He says:

“When We will something, all We say to it is, ‘Be!’ and it is.”

Thus, that to which “Be!” is said is the very thing that is willed. When it is willed, before it is created, it is already established and distinct in knowledge and decree. Otherwise, the thing willed and created would not be distinguished from anything else. This provides the answer to the alternatives posed in the question.

The questioner says: “If that which is addressed exists, then bringing into being what already exists is impossible.”

The reply is: This is so if it already exists in external reality with the very existence in question. Undoubtedly, what is nonexistent does not exist, nor does it have any established reality in itself. But as for what is known and willed, and is a thing in knowledge, will, and decree, its existence in external reality is not impossible. Indeed, no created thing comes into existence until after it exists in knowledge and will.

The questioner also says: “If it is nonexistent, how can addressing the nonexistent be conceivable?”

The reply is: If what is meant is addressing something while it is nonexistent with words that it understands and obeys, this is impossible. For the one addressed must be capable of understanding and acting, whereas it is inconceivable that something nonexistent should understand and act. Thus, it is impossible to address it with a command imposing an obligation while it is nonexistent, in the sense of requiring it to understand and act during its nonexistence. Likewise, it is impossible to address something nonexistent in external reality with a creative command, in the sense of supposing that it is something already established in external reality and is being addressed with the command to be.