When a Jahmī asks one of them about the Quran, “Is it Allah or something other than Him?” and he answers, “It is other than Him,” the Jahmī says, “Everything other than Allah is created.”

Thus, when they questioned Imam Ahmad during the ordeal, asking about the Quran, “Is it Allah or something other than Him? If it is other than Him, then it is created,” he countered their argument by citing Allah’s knowledge, and they fell silent. He also discussed the expression “other” in his Refutation of the Jahmiyyah.

The position immediately preceding that of the imams is the position of al-Ashʿarī and a group of others. The position preceding those two is that of Judge Abū Bakr, Judge Abū Yaʿlā, and a group of others. The first position is that of the Karrāmiyyah and a group of others.

Among the evidence supporting the imams’ position is the Prophet’s saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Whoever swears by other than Allah has associated partners with Him.”

It is also authentically established that he swore by Allah’s might and used the oath, “By Allah’s life!” If swearing by His attributes were swearing by other than Allah, it would not have been permissible. It is therefore clear that someone who swears by either of these has not sworn by other than Allah. Rather, he has sworn by Allah by necessary implication, because swearing by an inseparable attribute is swearing by the One who possesses that attribute, glorified and exalted is He.