whatever stems from an unsound belief or necessarily entails it—for example, by serving as evidence of it—must be forbidden. Unsound beliefs and intentions concerning Allah Most High must be eradicated, along with their offshoots and the underlying principles that give rise to them.

Since this is so, the Jahmiyyah, by forbidding this belief and this intention, are forbidding knowledge of Allah Most High and worship of Him. This is not confined to the present issue; rather, this is their general way, for their doctrine is fundamentally that of the polytheists who reject the faith of Abraham.

Thus, the first of them was al-Ja‘d ibn Dirham, whom the ruler of the East offered as a sacrifice on the Day of Sacrifice, saying: “Offer your sacrifices—may Allah accept your sacrifices—for I am sacrificing al-Ja‘d ibn Dirham. He claimed that Allah did not take Abraham as a close friend and did not speak directly to Moses.” Then