How did the Companions find guidance to faith without the existence of the scientific inimitability of the Qur’an in their era, and what is meant by the challenge to produce "a surah like it"? And are there Qur’anic verses that do not contain inimitability, such as verses consisting of letters or two words?

The Quran is miraculous in its wording and meaning. Its wording is miraculous in its eloquence and style, and its meaning is miraculous in its foretelling of the unseen and cosmic truths. It has been said that the miraculous nature of the Quran lies in its unparalleled eloquence and knowledge, or in its revelations of the unseen and its truthfulness.

As for the disconnected letters at the beginning of some surahs, their purpose is to demonstrate the miraculous nature of the Quran and that creation is incapable of producing anything like it, even though it is composed of the same letters they use for communication. This becomes clear upon examining the surahs that begin with these letters, as immediately following them, the triumph of the Quran and the declaration of its miraculous nature are mentioned.

Regarding the minimum extent of the miraculous challenge, some scholars have stated that it is met by a single surah, whether long or short, such as Surat Al-Kawthar. Others have said that it pertains to the amount of speech in which the eloquence of the Quran is evident. Still others have asserted that it cannot be met by a single verse, but rather requires many verses. Some have even said that it applies to both a small and large portion of the Quran.