righteous from the wicked. From him we knew the summary of the reckoning, the decisive speech, and what the Book spoke of; and what the righteous were promised of gardens, springs, rest, and bliss; and what the dissidents were threatened with of types of torment, a shameful return, and an evil resting place on the Day of Resurrection, throughout the length of time and the extent of that in the Karrat and the Raj'at, and the various transformations, distortions, and manifestations in the eras and cycles, between abrogation, cancellation, metamorphosis, and impurity. There is no prophet who was raised nor messenger who was sent but that in it is his mention, his description, his name, and his attribute. Indeed, there came in the Quran of wisdom and miracles that which those who describe cannot be guided to describe, and the predecessors cannot reach its thought.

We have related from Salman — from him is Peace — that he saw a people wading into some of the discourses of those debating regarding predestination and decree (al-qaḍā' wa al-qadar). He said to them: 'You have left the Quran, while in it is the clarification of what was before you and the mention of what is after you, and the judgment between you is a decisive judgment, not a jest. No tyrant has left it but that Allah broke him, and whoever seeks guidance from other than it, Allah leads him astray. It is the firm rope of Allah, the wise reminder, and the straight path, with which desires do not swerve, and the scholars do not tire of it. Its wonders do not end, nor its marvels perish. It is that which the Jinn believed in when they heard it, and said: «Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone»'¹. 'Whoever speaks by it is truthful, whoever judges by it is just, whoever disputes by it is victorious, and whoever calls to it and holds fast to it is guided to a straight path.'

And in a report from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, he said: Amir Al-Muminin — Exalted Glory — was asked about the Quran, and he said: