[The words of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad in Kitāb al-Sunnah]

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad related in Kitāb al-Sunnah (The Book of the Sunnah), and ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Abī Hātim in Kitāb al-Radd ʿalā al-Jahmiyyah (The Refutation of the Jahmiyyah), that when the Jahmiyyah were mentioned in the presence of Saʿīd ibn ʿĀmir al-Dubaʿī—the leading authority in Basra in learning and piety, from the generation of the teachers of al-Shāfiʿī, Ahmad and Ishāq—he said:

“Their statements are worse than those of the Jews and Christians. The Jews, Christians and adherents of other religions agree with the Muslims that Allah is above the Throne, whereas they say: ‘There is nothing upon it.’”

They also related that ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī, the renowned imam, who belonged to the same generation, said:

“The followers of Jahm want to say that Allah did not speak to Moses. They want to say that there is nothing in heaven and that Allah is not upon the Throne. I hold that they should be called upon to repent: if they repent, so be it; otherwise, they should be put to death.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad related that ʿAbbād ibn al-ʿAwwām al-Wāsitī, who belonged to that generation, said:

“I spoke with Bishr al-Marīsī and his followers, and found that their arguments ultimately led them to say: ‘There is nothing in heaven.’”

They both related that ʿAlī ibn ʿĀsim, a teacher of al-Bukhārī and others, said:

“I debated a Jahmī, and it became clear from his words that he did not believe there was a Lord in heaven.”

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad related that Sulaymān ibn Harb said:

“I heard Hammād ibn Zayd mention these Jahmiyyah and say: ‘They are only trying to say that there is nothing in heaven.’”

ʿAbd Allāh and others related from his father, Ahmad ibn Hanbal:

“We were told by Shurayh ibn