most of those who identify with the Sunnah, from all groups, say that they follow the imams, such as Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Ahmad, Ibn al-Mubārak, Hammād ibn Zayd, and others—especially Imam Ahmad. Through the well-known ordeal inflicted upon him and others by the Jahmiyyah, he championed the Sunnah and refuted innovation to such an extent that he became an imam for those who came after him. His position is that of all the other imams. Thus, most of those who identify with the Sunnah claim to follow him and take him as their example, whether or not they agree with him on subsidiary rulings, for the imams’ positions on the fundamentals of religion are in agreement. Hence, the more a man is known for his adherence to the Sunnah, the closer his agreement with Ahmad. Since al-Ash‘arī and others like him were closer to the Sunnah than various groups of speculative theologians, he identified with Ahmad more than others did, as is well known from his books.

I have seen followers of the imams Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Ahmad, and others espouse views and declare those who disagree with them unbelievers, even though the opposing views are precisely those of their own imams. Likewise, they often reject views and declare those who hold them unbelievers, even though those views are explicitly reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This is because of the considerable confusion and inconsistency that have arisen concerning this matter, and because the specious arguments of the Jahmī negationists have influenced the hearts of many people, to the point that the truth brought by