through the variation of words and agreement of meanings, such as one saying: "Come here," "Approach," "Come forward," "To me," "My intention," "My direction," "My proximity," and the like, wherein words differ through various modes of speech while agreeing in meaning, even if tongues differ in expressing them—just as we narrated earlier from the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, and from those Companions from whom we narrated it, that this is like your saying: "Come here," "Come forward," and "Approach," and his statement: "They await nothing but a single cry (zaqyah)," and "except a single shout (ṣayḥah)."

If he says: "In which Book of Allah do we find a single word recited in seven different dialects with differing words and agreeing meanings, so that we may yield to you the validity of what you claimed regarding that interpretation?"

It is said: We did not claim that this is present today; rather, we informed that the meaning of the statement of the Prophet, Peace and blessings of God be upon him: "The Qur'an was revealed in seven ahruf," is according to what came in the reports we previously mentioned. It is what we described, and not what our opponents claimed regarding it, for the reasons we have explained.

If he says: "Why then are the other six modes not present, if the matter was as you described, given that the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, recited them to his Companions, commanded recitation in them, and Allah revealed them from Himself upon His Prophet, Peace and blessings of God be upon him? Were they abrogated and raised up—so what is the evidence for their abrogation and raising up? Or did the Ummah forget them, which would mean neglecting what they were commanded to preserve? Or what is the story behind that?"

It is said to him: They were not abrogated so as to be raised up, nor did the Ummah neglect them while being commanded to preserve them. Rather, the Ummah was commanded to preserve the Qur'an and was given the choice to recite and memorize it in whichever of those seven modes it wished. Just as it was commanded, if one breaks an oath while being affluent, to expiate with whichever of the three expiations he wishes: either by freeing a slave, feeding, or clothing. Thus, if all of them agreed on expiating with one of the three expiations, without prohibiting expiating with whichever of the three the expiator wishes, they would be correctly fulfilling the ruling of Allah, discharging what is Obligatory upon them of Allah's right. Likewise, the Ummah was commanded to preserve the Qur'an and recite it, and was given the choice to recite it in whichever of the seven modes it wished, so it deemed fit