, who were Magians. The Magians had defeated the Christians in Syria and elsewhere, and thus the Romans were vanquished. The polytheists of Quraysh rejoiced at this, because the Magians were closer to them than the Christians were, neither group possessing a revealed scripture. The believers, however, were grieved, because the Christians were closer to them, being People of the Book. Abū Bakr mentioned this to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him that the Romans would subsequently defeat the Persians within a few years. Abū Bakr wagered with them on this before such wagering was prohibited, and the Romans subsequently prevailed over the Persians.

The believers have conceded to these Jahmiyyah that Allah has no need of anything besides Him, for He, glorified be He, is free of every imperfection, and He is One, without equal. In reality, however, the Jahmiyyah do not affirm this meaning concerning Him, nor this freedom from imperfection, nor this oneness. Rather, they posit equals to Him, ascribe to Him need and things that necessarily entail need, and do not declare Him free of imperfections and defects. At times they state this explicitly; at others they state that there is no rational proof that He is free of such defects. Thus, those among them who affirm union, such as the author of