Allah has explicitly stated in several passages of the Book that He created Adam and commanded the angels to prostrate before him. He repeated this account in more than one place, mentioned His speaking with Moses time after time, and mentioned Jesus, son of Mary, in several passages. He also praised Himself in several passages, saying:

‘All praise is for Allah, Who has sent down the Book to His servant’ (al-Kahf: 1),

and:

‘All praise is for Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth’ (al-An‘ām: 1),

and:

‘All praise is for Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth’ (Saba’: 1).

He repeated more than thirty times:

‘Then which of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?’ (al-Rahmān: 16).

It never occurred to me that a Muslim could suppose that Allah does not say the same thing twice.”

Al-Hākim said:

“I heard Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Ishāq—meaning al-Sibghī—say:

‘When matters between us unfolded as they did, and some of our opponents—meaning the Mu‘tazilah—found an opportunity to advance their doctrine in our presence, Abū Alī al-Thaqafī said to the imam: “What is it in our doctrines that you disapprove of, O imam, so that we may abandon it?”

He replied: “Your inclination toward the doctrine of the Kullābiyyah, for