Allah, Most High:

“Alif, Lām, Rā. A Book whose verses have been perfected and then explained in detail.”

He thus states that He has perfected all its verses. He also says:

“Allah has sent down the best discourse: a Book, mutually consistent, with recurring passages.”

He thus states that the whole of it is mutually consistent. Judgment means distinguishing between two things; hence a judge settles the dispute between two litigants. Judgment distinguishes between things that resemble one another, in both knowledge and action, by discerning truth from falsehood, truthfulness from lying, and benefit from harm. This entails doing what is beneficial and refraining from what is harmful.

Thus, the expressions hakamtu al-safīha and ahkamtuhu mean “I restrained the foolish person,” when one prevents him from acting. Likewise, hakamtu al-dābbata and ahkamtuhā mean “I fitted the animal with a bridle restraint,” when one equips it with a hakama—the part of the bridle that surrounds its jaw. Perfecting something means making it sound and precise. Perfecting speech therefore means distinguishing truth from falsehood in its statements, and right guidance from error in its commands.

The entire Quran is perfectly formed in the sense of being flawlessly composed. Allah has called it “wise,” saying:

“Alif, Lām, Rā. These are the verses of the wise Book.”

Here, hakīm (“wise”) means hākim (“one that judges”). Likewise, He describes it as recounting, saying:

“Indeed, this Quran recounts to the Children of Israel most of that over which they differ.”

He also describes it as giving a ruling, saying:

“Say, ‘Allah gives you a ruling concerning them, as does what is recited to you in the Book.’”

That is, what is recited to you gives you a ruling concerning them. He also describes it as guiding and bringing glad tidings, saying:

“Indeed, this Quran guides to what is most upright and gives glad tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds.”

As for the mutual consistency that characterizes the whole Quran, it is the opposite of the discrepancy denied of it in His words: “And had it been