Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—was asked about someone who said:

“Muslims hold ‘three views’ concerning the speech of Allah Most High. One group holds that its letters and sounds are eternal: these are the Hashwiyya. Another holds that it comes into being, with sound and letters: these are the Jahmiyya and their followers. A third holds that it is eternal, consisting neither of sound nor of letters, but only of a meaning subsisting in Allah’s essence: these are the Ash'ariyya.”

He replied—may Allah be pleased with him and grant him contentment:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.

The statement that Muslims hold ‘three views’ concerning Allah’s speech, and so forth, reflects what has reached its speaker on this subject. Most later scholars who have discussed this question mention only some of the differing views people hold. Some report four views, such as Abū al-Ma'ālī and others like him. Others report five or six, such as al-Shahrastānī and others like him.