what He sends down,” contain Allah’s declaration that He sent it down. Yet this wording does not explain that the Holy Spirit brought it down or that it was sent down from Him.

In the Quran, “sending down” may be qualified as being from Him, as with the sending down of the Quran. It may also be qualified as being from heaven, meaning from above; this encompasses rain descending from the clouds, angels descending from Allah’s presence, and other things. It may also occur without qualification, in which case it is not restricted to any particular kind of sending down. Indeed, it may encompass bringing something down from mountaintops, as in His words:

“And We sent down iron, in which there is great strength.”

It may also encompass a discharge from the backs of animals, as when a male animal discharges semen, and other such instances.

His words:

“The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth”

explain that Gabriel brought it down from Allah. For the Holy Spirit here is Gabriel, as demonstrated by His words:

“Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—it is he who has brought it down upon your heart by Allah’s permission.”

He is also the Trustworthy Spirit, as in His words:

“Indeed, it is a revelation from the Lord of all worlds.”

“The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down”

“Upon your heart, so that you may be one of the warners,”

“In a clear Arabic tongue.”

The word “Trustworthy” indicates that he is entrusted with what he has been sent to convey, neither adding anything to it nor taking anything away from it. A treacherous messenger, by contrast, may alter the message. As He says in describing him in another passage:

“Indeed, it is the word of a noble messenger,”

“Possessed of strength, held in honor with the Lord of the Throne,”

“Obeyed there and trustworthy.”

His words, “sent down from your Lord,” indicate several things. Among them is the falsity of the view of those who say that it is created speech which He created in a body