for these verses establish fundamental principles. He also quoted al-Wahīd as saying:

“This is nothing but the speech of a human being.”

For this reason, the foundation of “faith” is belief in what He has sent down. He Most High said:

“Alif Lām Mīm. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the unseen and establish prayer”—up to His words: “And who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you.”

In the middle of the surah:

“Say, ‘We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham’”—to the end of the verse.

And at its end:

“The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. All believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers”—to the end of the two verses.

In the following surah:

“Alif Lām Mīm. Allah—there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. He has sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously, as guidance for mankind, and He sent down the Criterion.”

He mentions belief in what has been sent down within the surah, and likewise at its end:

“Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to faith, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ so we have believed”—up to His words: “Indeed, among the People of the Book are those who believe in Allah, in what has been sent down to you, and in what was sent down to them”—to the end of the verse.

For this reason, the Quran places great emphasis on establishing this principle. Sometimes He opens a surah with it, either by way of a statement, as in His words:

“This is the Book,”

and His words:

“Alif Lām Rā. These are the verses of the Book of wisdom,”

and His words:

“Alif Lām Rā. A Book whose verses have been perfected”—to the end of the verse.

The same applies to the surahs beginning with “Tā Sīn” and “Hā Mīm.” Most of the surahs beginning with “Alif Lām Mīm,” “Alif Lām Rā,” “Tā Sīn,” and “Hā Mīm” follow this pattern.