and Bishr’s followers, and I found that their arguments ultimately amounted to saying, ‘There is nothing in heaven.’”

Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī said: “Among those who follow their desires, none are worse than the followers of Jahm. Their arguments revolve around saying, ‘There is nothing in heaven.’ By Allah, I hold that there should be no intermarriage or mutual inheritance with them.”

He also said: “The followers of Jahm want to say that there is nothing in heaven and that Allah is not above the Throne. I hold that they should be called upon to repent: if they repent, so be it; otherwise, they should be put to death.”