on the authority of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, from al-Ashja‘ī, from Sufyān al-Thawrī, who explained His words, “We have made it an Arabic Quran,” as: “We have made it clear as an Arabic Quran.” A person distinguishes between his own speech and movement and his causing something else to move.

Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah and others among the early generations argued that the Quran is uncreated on the grounds that Allah created things by saying “Be!” If “Be!” were created, it would follow that He created one created thing by means of another, entailing an invalid infinite regress. For if He creates only by saying “Be!”, and “Be!” were created, it would follow that He could create nothing. This is an impossible circular dependence: He creates nothing until He says “Be!”, yet He does not say “Be!” until He creates it. Thus He could create nothing.

This is an infinite regress in the very basis of causation and action. It is like saying, “He does not act until He acts,” which entails that He does not act; or, “He does not create until He creates,” which entails that He does not create.

But if it is said, “He said ‘Be!’; before that ‘Be!’ there was another ‘Be!’, and before that ‘Be!’ there was another ‘Be!’,” this is not impossible. Such a regress concerns individual instances of causation, not causation as such. Likewise, in the future He will say “Be!” after “Be!” and create one thing after another without end.

Thus He creates fully realized created things through His act of creation. His act of creation is His act that subsists in Him, and this occurs only through His power and will.