speech: these terms refer more often to the speech itself than to the speaker’s act. These matters can be discussed at length elsewhere.

The point here is that His saying, Most High:

“We relate to you the best of narratives,”

refers to the speech that constitutes the best of narratives. It encompasses everything Allah has related; He did not restrict it to Surah Yūsuf. Hence He said:

“Through Our revelation to you of this Quran,”

and did not say, “Through Our revelation to you of this surah.” All the reports transmitted from the early generations on this matter support this understanding. They also show that they believed the Quran to be superior to all other scriptures, which is the point at issue.

The intended conclusion holds whichever interpretation is adopted. Whether “the best of narratives” denotes the act of narration, what is narrated, or both, it indicates that the Quran and the narratives it contains are better than others. We have already explained that the two are inseparable: whichever is better, the other must also be better. Thus, His saying, Most High:

“The best of narratives,”

is like His saying:

“Allah has sent down the best of speech.”

The reports from the early generations support this.

The early generations acknowledged that the Quran is the best of speech and the best of narratives, just as it is the guardian over the heavenly scriptures that preceded it. How, then, can it be said that, throughout Allah’s speech, no part is superior to any other?

Ibn Abī Hātim narrated from al-Masʿūdī, on the authority of al-Qāsim:

“The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, grew weary and said, ‘Speak to us, O Messenger of Allah.’ So Allah revealed:

‘We relate to you the best of narratives.’

Then they grew weary again and said, ‘Speak to us, O Messenger of Allah.’ Then the following was revealed:

‘Allah has sent down the best of speech.’