and others build upon this. They may call themselves monotheists and include the negation of the divine attributes within the meaning of monotheism. All this rests on a single foundation: they have given their doctrines names for which Allah has sent down no authority—mere names that they and their forefathers have devised—and have assigned to the terms found in the Book and the Sunnah other meanings of their own invention. Thus, they have deviated concerning Allah’s names and signs and distorted words from their proper places.

The imams of the early and later generations have exposed their deception, distortion, and deviation. Among those who drew attention to this was Imam Ahmad, who said in his treatise Refutation of the Heretics and the Jahmiyyah: “The Jahmiyyah said