Qarmatian sophists.

The second point concerns his statement: “Fī (‘in’) has the meaning of bāʾ (‘with’), so the intended meaning is that Allah will bring them a form other than the form they knew in this world, by showing them one of the angels. A parallel is the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās—may Allah be pleased with him and his father—concerning the words of the Most High: ‘Are they waiting for anything other than for Allah to come to them in canopies of clouds?’ [al-Baqarah 210]”

We say, first: This alters and overturns the language. The bāʾ in an expression such as jiʾtu bi-hādhā (‘I brought this’) serves to make the verb transitive. Hence grammarians say that there are three means of making a verb transitive: hamzah, consonant doubling, and bāʾ. You say atāhu mālun (‘wealth came to him’), then make it transitive by saying ātāhu mālan (‘he gave him wealth’). You also say atāhu bihi (‘he brought it to him’), jāʾa bihi (‘he brought it’), and ajāʾahu ilā kadhā (‘he brought him to such-and-such’). Likewise, you say ʿalima hādhā (‘he knew this’) and ʿallamtuhu hādhā (‘I taught him this’).

It is well known that the verbs atā and jāʾa (‘to come’) are sometimes used intransitively and sometimes transitively. An example of the former is the statement of the Most High:

“And Joseph’s brothers came.” [Joseph 58]

An example of the latter is His statement:

“And waves came upon them from every direction.” [Jonah 22]

And His statement:

“Do you approach males?” [al-Shuʿarāʾ 165]

And His statement: