that among what has been revealed, some is good and some is better, whether the better is the abrogating passage that must be followed rather than the abrogated passage—since He does not abrogate a verse without bringing one better than it or equal to it—or something else.

The view that some of Allah’s speech is superior to other parts is the view transmitted from the early generations. It is also the position of the leading jurists of the four schools and others. Statements affirming this are numerous and widespread in many books. One example is the explanation of this hadith by Abū al-ʿAbbās ibn Surayj, which will be mentioned below: Allah revealed the Quran in three divisions, one third consisting of rulings, one third of promises and warnings, and one third of the divine names and attributes. This surah brings together the names and attributes.

Another example is what the followers of al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad mentioned concerning the specific prescription of al-Fātihah in prayer. Abū al-Muzaffar Mansūr ibn Muhammad al-Samʿānī al-Shāfiʿī said in his book al-Istilām:

“As for their statement that the other rulings relating to the Quran are not exclusive to al-Fātihah, I reply: The other rulings apply to the Quran generally, whereas this ruling applies specifically to al-Fātihah. The evidence is that, according to us, reciting al-Fātihah specifically is prescribed as an obligation, while according to you it is prescribed as a sunnah.”

He said:

“Our fellow scholars have said: Since reciting al-Fātihah is obligatory in prayer, al-Fātihah must be specifically prescribed. This is because the Quran is distinguished from all other speech by its inimitability, and the smallest portion through which its inimitability is established is a surah. This surah is the noblest of the surahs because it is the seven oft-repeated verses, and because it can take the place of all the surahs, but not