It was also said: “Rather, the eternal sound is distinct from what is heard from the servant.”

They also differed over whether the Quran may be said to inhere in the written copy and in people’s hearts, holding two views. Some said: “It is manifest in what is originated, but does not inhere in it.” Others said: “Rather, the Quran inheres in people’s hearts and in written copies.”

These groups—the Khalqiyya, Hādithiyya, Ittihādiyya, and Iqtirāniyya—base their positions on the principle that whatever does not precede originated things is itself originated, without qualification. Anyone who adopts this principle is necessarily committed to some of these positions or something similar. Some people regard it as originated, meaning that it comes into existence after not existing, and hold that what originates consists of volitions and conceptions, not letters and sounds. Al-Dāribī and others incline towards this position.

For one must regard Allah’s speech as either originated or eternal. If it is originated, it must originate either in something other than Him or in His own essence. If it is eternal, then either its meaning alone is eternal, its wording alone is eternal, or both are eternal. If its meaning alone is eternal, it necessarily follows that the speech recited is not the speech of Allah Most High. The discussion concerning that meaning has already been set out.

As for the wording alone being eternal, no one has held this view. Some people, however, say that eternal speech is the wording, while its meaning is not included in what is designated as speech. Rather, its meaning is knowledge and will, both of which are eternal, but neither is included in what is designated as speech. Thus, such a person says that eternal speech is the wording