Allah (1) confirms is truthful is valid only if a miracle (2) is equivalent to a verbal attestation; but this is disputed.
Some say instead that a miracle is equivalent to the performative conferral of messengership, and a performative cannot (3) be characterized as true or false. A person’s saying to another, “I hereby send you,” “I appoint you as my agent,” or anything (4) of that kind is a performative utterance. If a miracle indicates the performative conferral of messengership (5), this does not depend upon the premise that He acts only for a purpose, nor upon the premise that He does not perform evil acts; for performative utterances include commands, prohibitions (6), and the like.
Sixth, it may be said: His statement, “Because if it is impossible for Him to act for a purpose, it is impossible for Him to manifest a miracle (7) for the purpose of attestation,” is answered by those who maintain that He does nothing for the sake of anything else. They argue that (8) He may bring about two concomitant things, just as He brings about all other evidences that entail what they signify. Thus He creates (9) things that indicate His existence, power, knowledge, and will (10). He has willed their creation and willed that they entail what they signify and indicate it to anyone who reflects upon them. Likewise, here He created the miracle, willed its creation (11), and willed it to be
(1) The name “Allah” is absent from Ayn.
(2) B reads: “This is valid only if the miracle were”; A and M read: “This is valid only if the miraculous sign were.”
(3) A and B read: “and man is not ignorant,” which is a scribal corruption.
(4) Ayn, N, and M read: “and the like.”
(5) A and B read: “And if the miracle indicates the performative conferral of messengership”; N reads: “Thus, if the miracle indicates the performative act of sending him”; M reads: “Thus, if the miracle indicates the performative conferral of a messengership.”
(6) B reads: “like the performative utterances of command and prohibition”; A reads: “for man is like command and prohibition.”
(7) A and B read: “it would be impossible for Him to manifest the miracle”; M reads: “it would be impossible for Him to bring about the miraculous sign.”
(8) N reads: “The one who says that He does nothing for the sake of anything else answers it: for He…”; M reads: “According to one who says that He does nothing for the sake of anything else, it must be maintained that He…”
(9) A and B read: “what it signifies, and so He brought about…”
(10) Ayn reads: “and His will and His knowledge.”
(11) A and B read: “Likewise, here He created the miracle and willed its creation”; M reads: “Likewise, here He created the miracle, having willed its creation”; N reads: “So too, in this instance, He created the miracle and willed its creation.”