Inspiration 9: Allah’s Speech
Allah’s speech is the Spirit that descends upon the spirit of Allah’s Messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and it is an eternal and timeless speech because it is one of Allah’s attributes. Thus, no creature can possibly bear its revelation since all creatures are temporal, having a beginning and an end.
“Had We sent down this Qurān on a mountain, you would find it humbled and rent asunder from fear of Allah.” [Quran 59:21].
Hence, no Hell, Heaven, Seat, Throne, Angel or Jinn can possibly bear its descent, however, the spirit of Allah’s Messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was able to bear it. Not even the greatest among the Archangels, Jibrīl, peace be upon him, (was able to bear it), for he descended WITH the Qurān, as there is a big difference between descending WITH the Qurān and its descending UPON someone; for the preposition WITH (bi) is very different from UPON (alā). Thus, because the human spirit is the strong breath of Allah and His exalted breeze within the cosmos, it is Allah’s spirit that is able to encompass every attribute.
Hence, your spirit is able to encompass Allah, the Prophets, Heaven and Hell, and everything that has been spread out up to the Throne. Thus, whoever witnesses Allah in His sleep, witnesses Allah within himself,and whoever witnesses the Prophet or the Heaven, witnesses them within himself.It is a small wonder then that the spirit of Allah’s Messenger is able to bear the Qurān’s descent.
Thus, Allah’s speech is the spirit that lies within the breasts: “And thus We have inspired you with a spirit of Our command.” [Quran 42:52]. The Messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then articulated this spirit with the tongue of Prophethood, and it was transcribed in the form of the written Qurān.
“And We have made easy the remembrance of the Qurān.” [Quran 54:17]
So what is written in the Musḥaf is certainly temporal, and so are its pages, letters, and recitation, all of which cannot be eternal.
“Whenever a reminder comes to them from their Lord that is new, they listen to it playfully.” [Quran 21:2]
Thus, the speech that is in the Musḥaf points to the meanings of Allah’s eternal speech, while what you discover of sweetness and beauty within your heart when you read the Qurān is of Allah’s eternal speech.