through their reason that these men affirm nothing, and that the Muslims know that they worship nothing. He also explained that when an ignorant person hears their statements, he imagines them to be among those who most profoundly revere Allah, unaware that they are merely directing their argument toward a falsehood about Allah.

What Imam Ahmad described is the foundation of the teachings of these Jahmī negationists and the secret of their doctrine. The more intelligent, knowledgeable, learned and virtuous a man is, and the better acquainted he is with the reality of the matter itself and with the teachings of these negationists, the greater his insight, faith, certainty and understanding in this regard.

In his History, Ibn Jarīr reproduced the letter sent during the well-known inquisition, when al-Ma’mūn had gone to the region of Tarsus. He sent a letter to the people in Baghdad and ordered his deputy, Ishāq ibn Ibrāhīm, to read it to them and call upon them to agree with him. The scholars refused to comply until he sent another letter threatening the people and ordering that the two judges—the judges of the eastern and western districts, Bishr ibn al-Walīd and ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Ishāq—be killed if they did not comply.

The people then assented under duress and acknowledged it. Seven refused to comply and were put in chains; five of them then complied, leaving Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Muhammad ibn Nūh al-Naysābūrī. These two were sent away in chains. Muhammad ibn Nūh died on the journey, leaving Ahmad ibn Hanbal, but al-Ma’mūn died before Ahmad reached him.