And the point here is that His words,

“It is He who has sent down to you the Book explained in detail,”

refer to the sending down of the Arabic Quran, whatever view is adopted. He has also declared:

“Those to whom We have given the Book know that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth.”

He states this in appeal to their testimony, not to declare them mistaken. He says that they know this; He does not say that they suppose it or merely say it. Knowledge can only be true and correspond to what is known, unlike statements and suppositions, which may be true or false. Thus, it is established that the Arabic Quran was sent down from Allah—not from the air, the Tablet, any other physical body, Gabriel, Muhammad, or anyone else. Since the People of the Book know this, whoever in this community does not acknowledge it is, in this respect, inferior to those People of the Book who do acknowledge it.

This does not contradict what has been reported from Ibn ʿAbbās and others among the early generations in explaining His words,

“Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree,”

namely, that He sent it down to Bayt al-ʿIzzah (the House of Honour) in the lowest heaven, then subsequently sent it down in separate instalments according to events. Nor does it contradict its having been written in the Preserved Tablet before being sent down, as He, Most High, says:

“Rather, it is a glorious Quran, in a Preserved Tablet.”

And He, Most High, says:

“Indeed, it is a noble Quran, in a protected Book, touched by none but the purified.”

And He, Most High, says:

“No indeed! It is a reminder—so whoever wills may take heed of it—in honoured pages, exalted and purified, in the hands of scribes, noble and righteous.”

And He, Most High, says:

“Indeed, it is in the Mother of the Book with Us, exalted and full of wisdom.”