and directing it, and that Adam’s essence relates to this body as the Creator relates to the world, insofar as neither inheres in this body, although each acts upon it through direction and governance—this resembles what Imam Ahmad related about al-Jahm’s debate with the polytheist Sumaniyyah. He said:

“Al-Jahm and his followers likewise called people to the ambiguous passages of the Quran and hadith. Thus they went astray and led many people astray through their words. Among the reports that reached us concerning al-Jahm was that he came from Tirmidh in Khurāsān and was given to disputation and theological speculation. Most of his discourse concerned