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136chapter threeThe Words of God (kalim§t All§h)Before we are able to define what Allah’s words are we need todistinguish between the different categories of human speech. InArabic, words that are spoken but not understood (aßw§t) are distinguishedfrom words that are spoken and understood (qaul). If oneoverhears a conversation in Chinese and does not understand aword, the spoken utterances are just incomprehensible ‘sounds’(aßw§t). If one is Chinese and understands every word of the conversation,the words we hear would be classified as ‘meaningful’ (qaul).Furthermore, if the words are spoken with fluency and clarity, thewords are defined as ‘good speech’ ( faߧÈa). 17 If words are used eloquentlyand their meanings well expressed, they are called ‘intelligentspeech’ (qaul). 18 Intelligent speech (qaul) is the realm of ‘rhetoric’( al-bal§gha), 19 whereas good speech is the realm of language fluencyor competence ( al-lis§n). We therefore distinguish between ‘sounds’that exist objectively but make no sense and ‘sounds’ as words, whosemeaning is perfectly clear. As for the latter category, we distinguishbetween words whose meanings are registered but not ponderedupon by their receivers, on the one hand, and words which are ‘foodfor thought’, words meant to evoke conscious reflections in thereceivers, on the other. Such reflections can be stimulated either byoral speech or by a written presentation of the (silent) word.If we apply these categories of human speech to the qur"§n we arefaced with a dilemma, because if we claim that the words of thequr"anic text, written or orally recited, are the words of God, wewould turn His words into human speech, and Allah would becomean Arabic native speaker. But since this would violate God’s unity(‘Say: “But in truth He is the one God…’ Al-An#§m 6:19) and Hisuniqueness (‘Say: “He is God, the one and only”’ Al-Ikhl§ß 112:1),Allah is neither Arab nor of any other nationality. An analogybetween God’s words and human speech must be rejected. In thequr"anic text, the signified (divine) meaning of words must be foundoutside the text, not in human speech. The word ‘sun’, for example,signifies—if understood as Allah’s word (kalima)—the sun itself, not17‘He is more eloquent in speech [afßaÈ] than I…’ ( Al-Qaßaß 28:34).18When Allah sent Moses to Pharaoh he said: ‘But speak to him mildly [ fa-qål§lahu qawl an layyin an ]…’ (•§-H§" 20:44).19As in: ‘and speak [qul] to them a word [qawl an ] to reach their very souls[b§ligh an ]’ ( Al-Nis§" 4:63).