the doctrine of Ibn Kullāb and the related views of Ahl al-Sunnah and the scholars of hadith. Hence his knowledge of the doctrines of the Mu‘tazilah was detailed and precise, whereas his knowledge of the doctrines of Ahl al-Sunnah and the scholars of hadith was limited to the general accounts that had reached him concerning them, rather than the detailed knowledge he possessed of Mu‘tazilī doctrines. Yet in his book al-Ash‘arī did not mention any corporealist belonging to a group outside those he listed. Rather, he said:

“This is an account of the differences. Muslims divided into ten groups: the Shī‘ah, the Khawārij, the Murji’ah, the Mu‘tazilah, the Jahmiyyah, the Dirāriyyah, the Husayniyyah—meaning the followers of Husayn al-Najjār—the Bakriyyah, the generality of Muslims and the scholars of hadith, and the Kullābiyyah—the followers of ‘Abd Allāh ibn Kullāb al-Qattān.”

He then discussed the Shī‘ah, mentioning that most of the Imāmiyyah used to affirm corporealism, and that only some of their later adherents came to deny it and agree with the Mu‘tazilah. He also mentioned that the Zaydiyyah fall into two groups: one that