call Moses Himself with a call that Moses heard from Him, nor speak the Arabic Quran or the Hebrew Torah. The other group, in turn, came to hold that what inheres in human beings and qualifies them is eternal and without beginning, and that what inheres in them and qualifies them does not actually subsist or dwell within them, but rather manifests itself from them without inhering in them.

When they discussed “the letters of the alphabet,” they divided into two positions. One group distinguished between things that were alike, saying: “There are two distinct letters: this one is eternal, and that one is created.” This was the position of Ibn Hāmid, Judge Abū Yaʿlā, Ibn ʿAqīl, and others. The majority objected, saying: “This contradicts sensory perception and reason, for the reality of this letter is the same as the reality of that letter.” They maintained that the letter is one and the same.

Judge Yaʿqūb al-Barzabīnī wrote a treatise on this subject in which he opposed his teacher, Judge Abū Yaʿlā, despite saying in that very work:

“It should be understood that what I have written on this question derives from what I learned from our teacher and imam, Judge Abū Yaʿlā ibn al-Farrāʾ, and the conclusions I drew from his teaching. Although he defended the opposite of what I have stated on this subject, he remains a scholar whose knowledge and religious devotion are exemplary. I have never seen anyone finer in bearing, more diligent, or more devoted to learning, despite his already extensive knowledge. He combined this with moral integrity, withdrawal from people, indifference to their possessions, and contentment with little in this world, while maintaining a dignified appearance and commanding great respect among both the elite and ordinary people. He would not exchange these virtues for anything, being averse to worldly life.”