been established in the two Sahīhs that when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out for al-Safā, he recited the words of the Most High, “Indeed, al-Safā and al-Marwah are among the symbols of Allah,” and said, “We begin with what Allah began with.” He thus stated that Allah began with al-Safā before al-Marwah. The early generations agreed that Allah’s speech is sent down, not created; from Him it originated, and to Him it returns.

Some people thought they meant that it was eternal in its particular existence. One group then said:

“It is a single meaning that is the command to do everything commanded, the prohibition of everything forbidden, and the report of everything reported. If expressed in Arabic, it is the Quran; if expressed in Hebrew, it is the Torah; and if expressed in Syriac, it is the Gospel.”

This view contradicts revelation and reason.

Another group said:

“It consists of letters and sounds, each individually eternal and inseparable from Allah’s essence, having always been inseparable from His essence. The letters bā, sīn, and mīm exist together, conjoined with one another, throughout eternity, past and future. They have always been and will always be so, with none preceding another.”

This too contradicts revelation and reason.

Another group said that Allah does not speak by His will and power, and that from eternity He was uttering the call that Moses heard. It was only Moses’ hearing that began at that moment—not that Allah called to him when he came to the sacred valley. Rather, He had called to him infinitely long before that, but it was at that moment that Moses heard the call. These people agreed with those who said that the Quran