the Book of Allah behind their backs, as though they did not know. (101) And they followed what the devils recited during Solomon’s reign. Solomon did not disbelieve”—to the end of the verse [al-Baqarah 101–102].

This is discussed elsewhere. Thus, the position of al-Mu’assis (the founder) and other Jahmīs like him is the same as that of those Jews who altered revelation—a position for which Allah censured and rebuked them. They cast the Book of Allah behind their backs and followed the sorcery that the devils recited during Solomon’s reign. They also distorted the Book of Allah through interpretations that displaced words from their proper contexts. In this respect, al-Mu’assis and those like him bear the closest resemblance to the Jews: he authored books on sorcery and idol worship, urged people to follow and venerate such things, and distorted the Book of Allah Most High. These are among the practices of the Jews that Allah Most High condemned in the Quran.

This is further clarified by the fact that Allah censured the Jews for concealing the Scripture they possessed, and stated that the Messenger disclosed to them some of what they had concealed while passing over some of it. He said:

“Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture, and passing over much.”