قَدِيمٌ بِلَا ابْتِدَاءٍ، دَائِمٌ بِلَا انْتِهَاءٍ.
He is without any beginning and remains forever without any end.
Clause structure: Bilā makes the following noun a negated qualification. Ibtidāʾ concerns a beginning; intihāʾ concerns an ending, so the clauses answer different temporal questions.
Meaning and inference: Beginninglessness denies an origin; endlessness denies a termination. Both are affirmed of Allah.
Limit of inference: A creature’s continuing existence must not be mistaken for beginninglessness; survival and having no origin are distinct.