mankind”—meaning anyone in this community. Otherwise, this negation already existed before this community among many innovators of the Jews and Christians, and among a group of the polytheists, Sabians, and philosophers. There were two well-known positions on this among them before Islam.

ʿUthmān said: “Someone debating Jahm said to him: ‘I know what you mean by this, you non-Arab! You mean that Allah is nothing. For all creation knows that anything to which the designation “thing” applies must have a limit, an end, and an attribute, and that nothing exists without a limit, an end, or an attribute. A thing is therefore necessarily characterized by attributes, and nothing can be described without a limit or an end. Your statement, “He has no limit,” means that He is nothing.’”

Abū Saʿīd said: “Allah Most High has a limit known to none but Him