ibn Dirham and al-Jahm ibn Safwān, both of whom were killed by the Muslims.

The statements of the early generations and the imams condemning the Jahmiyyah are far too numerous and forceful to recount here. Indeed, several imams excluded them from the Muslim community.

Yūsuf ibn Asbāt and Abd Allāh ibn al-Mubārak said:

“The seventy-two sects have four roots: the Kharijites, the Shiites, the Murji’ites, and the Qadarites.”

Ibn al-Mubārak was asked, “What about the Jahmiyyah?” He replied that they were not part of the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Ahmad’s followers held two views concerning the Jahmiyyah: are they among the seventy-two sects, or are they outside them, like religious deviants and heretics?

They all agree that the Jahmiyyah are those who deny the attributes, saying that Allah is not above the world, that He will not be seen, and that no attribute or act subsists in Him.

Ibn Kullāb and his followers disagreed with them concerning Allah’s being above creation and His attributes, but agreed with them in denying acts subsisting in Him and other matters connected with His will and power. How, then, can it be said that the early generations were among those who denied His being above creation and His attributes?

If they were among those who affirmed the attributes, it cannot be said that they knew the Quran indicated only the position of those who affirm them, yet opposed it.

[The fourth ground]

One may say that there are three possibilities: either the Quran itself indicates that Allah is above creation and affirms the attributes understood from it; or it negates these; or it indicates neither their negation nor their affirmation.

If the first is maintained, the intended point is established, and it is known that what the Quran signifies and conveys is