their claims. They claimed that good and evil have two creators, as the Magians claimed, and that evil occurs which Allah does not will, as the Magians also said. They claimed to have power over what harms and benefits them, in rejection of the words of Allah Most High:

“Say, ‘I have no power to benefit or harm myself, except as Allah wills.’”
[al-A‘rāf 188]

This was a departure from the Quran and from the consensus of the Muslims. They claimed that they alone, to the exclusion of their Lord, Mighty and Majestic, have power over their deeds, thereby asserting their independence from Allah, Mighty and Majestic. They ascribed to themselves a power they did not ascribe to Allah, just as the Magians attributed to Satan a power over evil that they did not attribute to Allah Most High. Thus they were the Magians of this nation, for they embraced the religion of the Magians, clung to their teachings, and inclined toward their errors. They caused people to despair of Allah’s mercy and to lose hope of relief from Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and passed judgment