pointing toward Him. His being al-Samad, the One to whom all turn, entails supplication that includes pointing toward Him. Pointing toward another in supplication constitutes associating partners with Him and negates His being One. It is thus clear that these Jahmīs deny the reality of His being the One, al-Samad, and that they deny the reality of supplication to Him while sanctioning the association of partners with Him. The adherents of the Sunnah, by contrast, affirm His oneness and fully acknowledge Him as the One, al-Samad. This is evident, and all praise belongs to Allah.

This is further clarified by the fact that these Jahmīs, together with those among the heretics, philosophers, Sabians and others who have joined their ranks, do not believe in the reality of supplication to Allah, nor do they believe that Allah has power over all things. This applies especially to those among them who say that He produces effects by the necessity of His essence and cannot change anything or bring anything into being. In their view, supplication produces effects only through the influence of human souls and their action upon the prime matter of the world.

If that is so, then in reality they do not turn to Allah for Him to do anything or bring anything into being, nor do they ask Him for anything. Rather, they strengthen their own souls, acquiring a power by which they themselves act; and there is self-evident knowledge