the ignorant, who have raised the banners of innovation and unleashed the reins of discord. They differ over the Book, oppose the Book, and agree on abandoning the Book. They make claims about Allah and speak concerning Him and His Book without knowledge. They speak in ambiguous terms and deceive ignorant people by sowing confusion among them. We therefore seek refuge in Allah from the trials caused by those who lead others astray.”

The ambiguous language they use, with which they deceive ignorant people by confusing them, includes statements such as:

“He transcends quantity, quality, location, and position.”

Among their intended meanings is that He has neither knowledge nor power nor mercy nor any other attributes; that there is no Lord above the heavens and no God over the Throne; and that He is neither distinct from His creatures nor separate from them.

Likewise, they say:

“He is neither inside the world nor outside it,”

and use other such negative formulations.

This is also how Imam Ahmad and others like him described the assertions of the Jahmiyyah who deny the divine attributes. Ahmad said:

“Likewise, Jahm and his followers called people to the ambiguous passages of the Quran and hadith, and through their words led many people astray. Among the reports that reached us