the followers of Abū Hanīfa, al-Shāfi‘ī, Mālik, Ahmad, and others.

The first view is that of the leading scholars of hadith, the Hishāmiyya, the Karrāmiyya, and groups of speculative theologians among the Murji’a, such as Abū Mu‘ādh al-Tūmanī, Zuhayr al-Atharī, and others, together with those who agree with them among the followers of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Ahmad, and others.

Someone might say that Abd al-Azīz agrees with Ibn Kullāb, because he said that Allah cannot be a locus for originated events, that nothing created can exist within Him, and that He cannot be deficient such that something is added to Him when He creates it. Yet whoever carefully considers the rest of Abd al-Azīz’s statements will find that he holds the first view—that of the scholars of hadith—for he subsequently said to Bishr:

“By what means did things come into being?”

He replied: “Allah brought them into being through His power, which has always existed.”

Abd al-Azīz said:

“I said to him: ‘He indeed brought them into being through His power, as you have stated. Do you not say that He has always been powerful?’

“He replied: ‘Yes.’

“I said to him: ‘Do you then say that He has always been acting?’

“He replied: ‘I do not say this.’

“I said: ‘Then you must necessarily say that He created through an act that occurred without power, for power is an attribute.’”

And he said