the like of what is in the first, what the first was intended to convey is thus transmitted and copied, even though the first remains unchanged. This differs from moving physical bodies and their accompanying properties: when these are moved from one place to another, they cease to be in the first place. For things have an existence in themselves—their concrete existence—and they are also present in knowledge, then in words corresponding to that knowledge, and then in writing.

This is what is meant by the saying: “Existence in external reality, existence in minds, existence in speech, and existence through the fingers”—that is, concrete, cognitive, verbal, and written existence. Hence Allah began His Book with His words, Exalted is He:

“Read in the name of your Lord who created—
created man from a clinging clot.
Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous,
who taught by the pen,
taught man what he did not know.”

He mentioned creation in general and in particular, then teaching in general and in particular. Writing corresponds to words, words correspond to knowledge, and knowledge corresponds to what is known.

It is here that some have gone astray, imagining that the Quran is present in a written copy in the same way that concrete entities are represented on paper. They therefore supposed that His words:

“Indeed, it is a noble Quran,
in a well-protected Book”

are like His words:

“Whom they find written of in the Torah and the Gospel that are with them.”

They thus equated recording the Quran—which is Allah’s speech—in written copies with recording the Messenger in written copies. This is an error: recording the Quran is like recording the Messenger’s name; both are speech. As for recording the Messenger’s name, this is like recording deeds, or like recording the Quran in