and others. Thus, by his statement, “I did not appoint a created being as arbiter; I appointed only the Quran,” Alī—[may Allah be pleased with him] (1)—did not mean, “I did not appoint fabricated speech as arbiter.” The Kharijites had said to him, “You appointed two created human beings as arbiters!”—namely, Abū Mūsā and Amr ibn al-Ās (2). He therefore replied, “I did not appoint any created being as arbiter; I appointed only the Quran, which is the speech of Allah.”

Judgment belongs to Allah. Glorified is He, and He describes His speech as judging, recounting (3), [and issuing rulings] (4), as in His statement:

“Indeed, this Quran recounts to the Children of Israel” [Sūrat al-Naml: 76].

Likewise, He says (5):

“They ask you for a ruling concerning women. Say: Allah gives you a ruling concerning them, as does what is recited to you in the Book concerning orphaned women” [Sūrat al-Nisā: 127].

That is, what is recited to you gives you a ruling concerning them.

And He says:

“And He sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that wherein they differed” [Sūrat al-Baqara: 213).

Thus, when judgment, recounting, and the issuing of rulings (6) are attributed to the Quran—which is the speech of Allah—it is Allah who (7) judges through it, issues rulings through it, and recounts through it, just as He attributes these acts to Himself in several places.