Ibn Ḥazm states: The bulk of the Rafidi dialecticians—Hisham ibn al-Ḥakam, his pupil Abū ʿAlī al-Sakkāk, and the rest—hold that Allah’s knowledge is a created accident, that He knew nothing from pre-eternity, and that He later brought knowledge into existence for Himself.

He further reports that, in his debate with Abū Hudhayl, Hisham ibn al-Ḥakam declared that his Lord is seven spans tall, measuring by His own span.

He adds: Among their senior theologians was Dāwūd al-Jawāribī, who alleged that his Lord is flesh and blood in the shape of a human being.

He continues: They are unanimous in affirming that the sun was returned for ʿAlī on two occasions.

Another doctrine common to all of them is that the Qur’an has been altered—parts were added and parts removed—except for al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā and his two associates.

Al-Nadīm remarks: He was one of Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq’s companions; he refined the doctrine, opened the discussion on the imamate, and was skilful and quick-witted in reply. He then listed the titles of his books, among them: Refutation of the Muʿtazilites, On Monotheism, and others.⦗1⦘

175 – Dirār ibn ʿAmr *

Likewise, among the leading Muʿtazilites was Dirār ibn ʿAmr, the head of the Dirāriyya.

Among his peculiar teachings he said: “It is conceivable that the entire community could, inwardly, be unbelievers, since such a possibility applies to every individual among them.”

He also maintained: “Bodies are nothing but a conglomeration of accidents, and that—”