and praised them, and forbade them to engage in speculative discussion about divine decree. The Companions continued on this course. To go beyond one’s teacher is transgression and injustice: they are the teachers and exemplars, while we are the followers and pupils.”

He said:

“As for the other group, they argued that, if the objection to speculative theology stems from the words ‘substance’ and ‘accident’ and these unfamiliar technical terms used to facilitate understanding, as in hadith, Quranic exegesis, and jurisprudence, then, had expressions such as ‘refutation,’ ‘acquisition,’ ‘ta'diya,’ ‘composition,’ and ‘faulty formulation’ been presented to them, they would not have understood them. And coining an expression to convey a sound meaning is like making vessels in