and the majority of scholars—maintain that people in general recognize the Creator through necessary knowledge.

[Al-Shahrastānī’s statement in Nihāyat al-iqdām that the innate disposition attests to the existence of Allah Most High]

Thus, al-Shahrastānī states in his book known as Nihāyat al-iqdām, in the section on negation:

“It has been said that negation takes various forms. These include denying that creation has a Creator; denying that the Creator has created anything; denying the Originator’s eternal essential attributes; denying the Originator’s eternal attributes that subsist in His essence; denying that the Originator has possessed attributes and names from eternity; and denying the meanings indicated by the apparent wording of the Book and the Sunnah.”

He then said:

“As for denying that the world has an all-knowing, powerful and wise Creator, I do not regard this as an established doctrine, nor do I know of anyone who espoused it, apart from what is reported of a small band of the Dahriyyah (eternalists), who said: ‘There was