all rational people—agree is among the most manifest falsehoods. Nevertheless, some of these people may believe it. I once said to someone who made such a claim: “If it were as you say, I would have written, ‘And none knows the interpretation of Hū,’ with ‘Hū’ written as a separate word.”

Some shaykhs frequently cite His words,

“Say, ‘Allah,’ then leave them,”

as evidence for saying “Allah” alone. They suppose that Allah commanded His Prophet to utter the name in isolation. This is an error by the agreement of the scholars, for His words, “Say, ‘Allah,’” mean: Allah is the One who sent down the Book that Moses brought.

This answers His words:

“Say, ‘Who sent down the Book that Moses brought as a light and guidance for people, which you make into sheets, displaying them while concealing much? You have been taught what neither you nor your forefathers knew.’ Say, ‘Allah.’”

That is, Allah is the One who sent down the Book that Moses brought. With this He refuted those who said, “Allah has revealed nothing to any human being.” He said, “Who sent down the Book that Moses brought?” Then He said, “Say, ‘Allah’”—He sent it down—then leave these deniers “to amuse themselves in their vain discourse.”

Further clarification of the foregoing is found in what Sībawayh and other leading grammarians stated: the Arabs use the verb “to say” to quote complete speech, not merely an utterance. What follows this verb as a quotation must be complete speech: a nominal or verbal sentence. This is why they pronounce the particle as inna when it follows the verb “to say.” An isolated noun is not quoted in this way.

Allah Most High does not command anyone to recite an isolated name, nor has He prescribed for Muslims a bare name on its own. A bare name does not convey faith