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In sum, the evidence from the prophetic texts, reports from the early generations, rulings of Islamic law, and rational arguments that some of Allah’s speech is superior to other parts is clear and well known.
Moreover, the Quran is entirely Allah’s speech, as are the Torah, the Gospel, and the divine hadiths that the Messenger relates from Allah, blessed and exalted is He, such as His words:
“O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another”—and the rest of the hadith;
and His words:
“Whoever remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself.”
Although these and similar texts are alike in being Allah’s speech, it is well known that speech has two relationships: a relationship to the speaker and a relationship to its subject matter. Speech thus varies in excellence with respect to both relationships, and also in itself. Declarative speech, for example, has two relationships: one to the speaker who conveys the information, and another to the subject about which that information is conveyed.
Thus, “Say, ‘He is Allah, One’” and “May the hands of Abū Lahab perish” are both Allah’s speech and are alike in this respect. Yet they differ in excellence with respect to their subject matter. The former is Allah’s speech, His account of Himself, and His description of Himself