and those who discuss Sufism following their approach, as in “The Niche of Lights” and “The Book of Removing the Sandals,” and in the statements of the Ittihādiyyah, such as the author of “The Bezels” and others like him—his misguidance and opposition to the Book, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, indeed even to plain reason, are among the clearest of matters.

Likewise, anyone who claims that Allah’s speaking to Moses was merely a form of inspiration and revelation, and that any one of us may hear Allah’s speech just as Moses heard it—as is found in the statements of some of the Kullābī and similar offshoots of the Jahmiyyah—is also among the most misguided of people.

Allah’s Book indicates that the terms “revelation” and “speech,” as used therein, each have a general and a specific sense. When either is used generally, it includes the other. Thus revelation falls within speaking in its general sense in this verse, while speaking falls within revelation in its general sense where the Exalted says:

“So listen to what is revealed.”

As for speaking in its specific, full sense, it does not include the particular, concealed form of revelation shared by prophets and others. Likewise, this particular form of revelation shared by them does not include speaking in its specific, full sense. Thus the Exalted said to Zechariah:

“Your sign is that you will not speak to people for three nights, though sound in health.”

Then the Exalted said:

“So he came out to his people from the sanctuary and signaled to them.”

Such “signaling” is not speaking, nor does it contradict what has been said. As for His words in the other verse:

“You will not speak to people for three days except by gestures”—

if