the Sunnah who said that the Arabic Quran was not Allah’s speech, or who regarded what is recited as merely a meaning. Nor was there anyone among them who said that the servants’ voices—or their other distinctive attributes—were uncreated. Rather, they all agreed that the Quran recited is the Arabic Quran which the Holy Spirit brought down from Allah in truth, and that it is Allah’s speech, which He spoke.

They differed, however, concerning the servants’ recitation of it: is it the Quran itself, or the act by which one recites the Quran? The precise explanation is that the word “recitation” can mean either. Likewise, the word “Quran” can denote either the act of reciting or the speech itself. Allah Most High says:

“It is for Us to gather it and to recite it. So when We have recited it, follow its recitation. Then it is for Us to explain it.”

In the two Sahīh collections, Ibn ʿAbbās is reported to have said: “It is for Us to gather it in your heart and have you recite it with your tongue.”

The scholars of Arabic explain that both qirāʾah and qurʾān may serve as the verbal noun in the expression “I read the book.” This usage also occurs in Hassān’s verse:

They slaughtered a grey-haired man bearing the mark of prostration,
Who passed the night in glorification and recitation.

Allah Most High also says:

“So when you recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.”

And He Most High says:

“When you recite the Quran, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a hidden barrier.”

And He Most High says:

“When the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent.”

What they listen to is the speech itself; they do not listen to