552 — Al-Firyābī informed us, saying: Muhammad ibn Musaffā narrated to us, saying: Baqiyya narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Nāfiʿ al-Thaqafī narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn ʿUbayd ibn Abī ʿĀmir al-Makkī, who said:

“I met Ghaylān in Damascus while accompanied by a group of Quraysh. They asked me to speak to him. I said to him, ‘Give me Allah’s covenant and solemn pledge that you will not become angry, deny anything, or conceal anything.’ He replied, ‘You have that assurance from me.’

I said, ‘I adjure you by Allah: has there ever been anything good or evil in the heavens or on earth that Allah did not will or know of when it came to be?’ Ghaylān replied, ‘No, by Allah.’

I asked, ‘Was Allah Most High’s knowledge of His servants before their deeds or after them?’ Ghaylān replied, ‘His knowledge preceded their deeds.’

I asked, ‘Then where did His knowledge of them come from? Did it come from a realm in which they had existed before Him, having been fashioned there by another who then informed Him about them? Or did it come from a realm in which He Himself fashioned them and created for them the hearts with which they desire acts of disobedience?’

⦗957⦘ Ghaylān replied, ‘Rather, from a realm in which He Himself fashioned them and created for them the hearts with which they desire acts of disobedience.’

I asked, ‘Did Allah love that all His creatures should obey Him?’ Ghaylān replied, ‘Yes.’

I said, ‘Consider carefully what you are saying.’ He asked, ‘Is there another question along with it?’ I replied, ‘Yes. Did Iblīs love that all Allah’s creatures should disobey Him?’ When he understood what I was getting at, he fell silent and gave me no answer.”