that would diminish what I have no more than a needle does when dipped into the sea.”

The words khayyāt and makhīt denote an implement used for sewing, since fa‘‘āl, muf‘il, and mif‘āl are patterns used for the names of instruments with which actions are performed, such as a fire poker, a mikhlāb, and a saw. He thus explained that if all creatures were to ask Him in one place and at one time, and each person were given what he asked for, that would diminish what He has no more than “a khayyāt”—that is, a needle—“does when dipped into the sea.”

His words, “would not diminish what I have,” admit two interpretations. The first is that they indicate that He has existing things from which He gives them what they ask Him for. On this interpretation, it may be said that the word “diminish” retains its ordinary meaning, since giving from an abundant supply, however little is given, must diminish it to some extent.

The version narrated as “would not diminish My dominion” is understood as referring to what He has, as expressed in the present wording. For “what I have” specifies something that “My dominion” does not.

It may, however, be said that what is given consists either of entities subsisting independently or of attributes subsisting in something else. Entities may be transferred from one place to another, so that a diminution becomes apparent in the first place. Attributes, however, are not transferred from the subject in which they subsist, even when their like comes to exist in another subject. Thus, knowledge like that of the teacher comes to exist in the learner’s heart without the teacher’s knowledge ceasing to exist. Likewise, a speaker utters the words of an earlier speaker without the first speaker’s words being transferred to