كَانَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا
And Allah is ever Hearing, Knowing.
In ordinary human statements, «كان» often locates a state in the past. With Allah’s attributes it must not be read as implying that the attribute ceased; the expression conveys enduring divine perfection.
A grammatical form cannot be interpreted apart from its subject and context. The same governing verb may carry a contextually appropriate nuance without implying the cessation of a divine attribute.
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Al-Itlaq wa al-Taqyid: Rhetorical Functions of Unrestricted and Qualified Expression
كَانَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا
And Allah is ever Hearing, Knowing.
In ordinary human statements, «كان» often locates a state in the past. With Allah’s attributes it must not be read as implying that the attribute ceased; the expression conveys enduring divine perfection.
A grammatical form cannot be interpreted apart from its subject and context. The same governing verb may carry a contextually appropriate nuance without implying the cessation of a divine attribute.