ceases to be so, and that these attributes are intrinsic to Him. He has therefore always possessed them in Himself, given that they are inseparable from His very being; hence He will always possess them, for they are intrinsic to Him.

Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
“Allah has always possessed knowledge and speech and has always been forgiving.”

He also said:
“Allah has always been One who speaks whenever He wills.”

Section

Just as the first verse revealed of the Quran indicates this, so does the greatest verse in the Quran, but more expansively and fully. This is the Verse of the Throne, as established in the Sahīh:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, “Abū al-Mundhir, do you know which verse of Allah’s Book that you know is the greatest?”

He replied, “Allah—there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.”

He said, “May your knowledge bring you joy, Abū al-Mundhir!”

Here He begins the verse with the word “Allah,” which is greater than His words “and your Lord.” For this reason, He also begins the greatest surah in the Quran with it, saying:

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.”