360—It is reported from Qatadah concerning His saying, exalted is He:

“And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea—supplemented by seven more seas—were ink, the Words of Allah would not be exhausted.” [Luqman 31:27]

He said: The polytheists said, “This is merely speech that will soon be exhausted.” So Allah, exalted is He, revealed what you hear. That is, if the trees of the earth were pens, and alongside the sea were seven seas of ink, ⦗246⦘ the pens would break and the seas would be exhausted before the wonders of my Lord, His wisdom, His words, and His knowledge could be exhausted.

361—It is reported from al-Hasan in explanation of this verse:

“And if all the trees on earth...”

If all the trees on earth, from the time Allah created this world until the Hour is established, were pens, and the sea were supplemented by seven more seas, the pens would break and the seas would be exhausted, but the Words of Allah would not be exhausted: “I did such-and-such; I made such-and-such.”

Abd al-Rahman related it, saying: My father narrated to us; Ahmad ibn Abdah narrated to us; Yazid ibn Zuray narrated to us; Abu Raja narrated to us, saying: I heard al-Hasan recite, “And if all the trees on earth...” [Luqman 31:27], and he then mentioned it as previously stated.

362—A similar report is related from Abu al-Jawza and Matar al-Warraq.

363—A man asked Abu al-Hudhayl al-Allaf, the Basran Mu'tazili, about the Quran, and he replied, “It is created.” The man asked him, “Does a created thing die, or does it abide forever?” He replied, “No; rather, it dies.” He asked, “Then when does the Quran die?” He replied, “When those who recite it die; that is its death.”

The man said, “But those who recite it have died, the world has passed away and come to an end, and Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has said:

“To whom belongs all sovereignty this Day?” [Ghafir 40:16]

Here is the Quran, while the people have died.” He replied, “I do not know,” and was left speechless. ⦗247⦘

Abd al-Rahman related it, saying: Abu Sa'id Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan narrated to us, saying: I heard a man ask Abu al-Hudhayl, and he mentioned it.