creating so much as a single atom.

Such a view is sheer unbelief and impious deviation.

It is related that al-Maʾmun once asked his chamberlain, “Who is at the door?” He answered, “Abu Hudhayl, ʿAbd Allah ibn Aban the Kharijite, and Hisham ibn al-Kalbi.” Al-Maʾmun said, “None of the chiefs of Hell are missing except those who are here.” (1)

Nor was Abu Hudhayl known for piety. It is reported that he once became drunk at a friend’s house, attempted to seduce the friend’s slave-boy, whereupon the boy flung a basin at him; it lodged around his neck like a collar, and he had to summon a blacksmith to remove it (2).

He had adopted the Muʿtazilite doctrine from ʿUthman ibn Khalid al-Tawil, a disciple of Wasil ibn ʿAtaʾ al-Ghazal.

Abu Hudhayl lived past ninety and died in 227 AH. Some say he lived until 235.

Among those who took knowledge from him were ʿAli ibn Yasin and other Muʿtazilites.

174 – Hisham ibn al-Hakam al-Kufi, the Rafidi*

At this same time there was the accomplished dialectician Hisham ibn al-Hakam al-Kufi, a Rafidi, an anthropomorphist of errant views. He was given to investigation and disputation and produced many compositions.