and critical discernment, with the foremost worshippers agreeing with his views and none but the ignorant and corrupt impugning his creed, we must faithfully report his creed as it is, refraining from adding to it or subtracting from it lest we betray that trust, so that the truth about the soundness of his creed concerning the fundamentals of religion may be known. Listen, then, to what he stated at the beginning of his book, which he entitled al-Ibānah (The Elucidation).”

Ibn ‘Asākir then quoted the preface and what we have quoted, word for word, as far as the chapter discussing the affirmation of the vision of Allah. He then said:

“Reflect, then—may Allah have mercy on you—on this creed: how clear and lucid it is! Acknowledge the merit of this learned imam who expounded and explained it. Consider the simplicity of its wording: how eloquent and fine it is! Recognize Abū al-Hasan’s merit and acknowledge his fairness. Listen to his praise of Ahmad and his acknowledgment of his merit, so that you may know that the two agreed in creed and did not differ concerning the fundamentals of religion or the way of the Sunnah.”

He said: “From early times, the Hanbalīs in Baghdad had always, over the course of