in respects that involve likening him to the Rightly Guided Caliphs, in those matters in which they succeeded the messengers and took their place. Likewise, every other imam of the religion succeeds the prophets and messengers to the extent that he upholds their legacy and carries on their call. Allah is pleased with all the earliest forerunners and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.

If, by composition, combination, and their acknowledgment of parts and components, he means their affirmation of the attributes mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, such as the Face, the two Hands, and the like, then this is the position of all the early generations of the Muslim community and its imams, and all its renowned jurists, Sufis, and scholars of hadith who enjoy an honourable reputation. It is also the position of all those who affirm the divine attributes, including the Kullābīs, Karrāmīs, and Ashʿarīs. Muhammad ibn al-Haysam discussed this issue in his book Jumal al-Kalām (Compendium of Theology) and affirmed the attribute of the Face