Abū Mūsā, I have discovered among the practitioners of speculative theology something that, by Allah, I had never imagined. It is better for a person to be afflicted with everything Allah has forbidden, except associating partners with Him, than to be afflicted with speculative theology.”’”

He said:

“By his statement, al-Shāfi‘ī meant only the speculative theology of Hafs the Qadarī and others like him.”

[Ibn Taymiyyah’s comment]

I say: Hafs al-Fard was not one of the Qadariyyah. Rather, he followed the doctrine of Dirār ibn ‘Amr al-Kūfī, who affirmed divine decree but denied the divine attributes. His position was closer to affirmation than that of the Mu‘tazilah and the Jahmiyyah.

[Al-Ash‘arī’s discussion of the Dirāriyyah in al-Maqālāt]

Al-Ash‘arī mentioned this in al-Maqālāt (Doctrinal Positions), saying:

“An account of the Dirāriyyah—the followers of Dirār ibn ‘Amr: What distinguished Dirār ibn ‘Amr from the Mu‘tazilah was his assertion that people’s actions are created; that a single act has two agents, one who creates it—Allah—and another who acquires it—the human being; and that Allah truly performs people’s actions, while they perform them in