says that the philosophers distinguish between things assembled together and those that are not, whether or not the things assembled together have an ordering. Their disagreement concerns only disembodied human souls: do they exist as distinct entities, infinite in number, or not?

These thinkers say: “We do not concede that things which existed and ceased to exist, or things which will exist, must be finite merely because some are supposed to be fewer than others.” Muslims and People of the Book who believe that the bliss of Paradise is everlasting and never ends accept this. Among the theologians, none disputed it except Jahm and those who agreed with him that this bliss would come to an end, and Abū al-Hudhayl, who held that motions would cease. These are two aberrant views whose proponents the early generations, the leading scholars, and the overwhelming majority of Muslims have unanimously declared misguided. Among the gravest claims of the Jahmiyyah condemned by the early generations and the leading scholars was their assertion that Paradise would cease to exist.

Al-Ash'arī said in his Book of Doctrines:

“They also differed over the things known to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the things within His power: do they constitute a totality or not? There were two positions. Abū al-Hudhayl said that the things known to Allah constitute a whole and a totality, as do the things within His power, and that the movements of the inhabitants of Paradise will come to an end