and some neither affirm nor deny this, but say: The Quran is in hearts and written copies; it should be described neither as indwelling nor as not indwelling, because both affirmation and denial may suggest a false meaning. This is the position taken by groups among the people of Syria and elsewhere. They do not disagree that Allah’s speech does not separate from His essence, and that neither His speech nor any of His attributes becomes detached from Him. Indeed, no attribute separates from that which it qualifies and transfers to something else. How, then, could any rational person imagine that Allah’s speech separates from Him and transfers to someone else?

For this reason, Imam Ahmad said:

“Allah’s speech is from Allah; it is not separate from Him.”

It is also stated in hadiths and transmitted reports:

“It originated from Him and came forth from Him.”

This means that He is the One who spoke it; it did not come forth from anyone else. It does not imply that it separated from Him and moved away from Him. For He, glorified be He, said concerning created beings:

“Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak nothing but a lie.”

It is well known that a created being’s speech does not separate from the one in whom it subsists. Everyone knows that transferring and passing on speech means conveying it, as He said:

“Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord.”

And He, exalted be He, said:

“Those who convey Allah’s messages and fear Him.”

And He, exalted be He, said:

“So that He may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord.”

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears a hadith from us and conveys it to someone who has not heard it. Many a bearer of religious knowledge lacks understanding, and many a bearer of religious knowledge conveys it to someone with greater understanding than his own.”

He also said:

“Convey from me, even if only a single verse.”

Speech on paper is not present in it in the way an attribute inheres in that which it qualifies