—who were the first in Islam to deny corporeality and its concomitants—are in reality proponents of negation. They merely profess affirmation outwardly out of hypocrisy, and negation lies at the heart of their position. Thus al-Bukhārī and other imams reported that the imam Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāh said:

“Do not take lightly their statement, ‘The Quran is created,’ for it is among their worst statements. They aim only at negation.”

Al-Bukhārī said: Abū Jaʿfar related to me: I heard al-Hasan ibn Mūsā al-Asīb mention the Jahmiyya and speak disparagingly of them. He then said:

“One of the leading heretics, called Shamghala, was brought before al-Mahdī, who said, ‘Identify your associates for me.’ He replied, ‘My associates are too numerous for that.’