subtle questions.” But Ibn Fūrak, because both he and Ibn Kullāb incline towards the position of the Murji’ah, mentions this so that their differences with the adherents of hadith will not become apparent.

Moreover, Abū al-Hasan reported the views of the adherents of hadith concerning the Quran, descent, coming, nearness, pleasure, wrath, disputation, and other matters, using expressions familiar to them. Ibn Fūrak compiled these in his account of al-Ash‘arī’s report of their views. Yet al-Ash‘arī’s account itself contains passages that he rendered in his own words and according to his own judgment. For the statements of the leading hadith scholars on these subjects, found in the books of Sunnah and transmitted reports, are known through mass transmission to those familiar with this material.

Furthermore, al-Ash‘arī’s wording in al-Maqālāt, reporting from Ibn Kullāb, is:

“The Creator has always existed; before creation there was neither place nor time. He remains as He has always been, is established over His Throne as He has said, and is above everything—exalted is He.”

Ibn Fūrak added:

“Without a boundary, contact, or separation through isolation or spatial localization.”

These expressions—or others that entail affirmation—are found in Ibn Kullāb’s words, as will be shown. However, the wording al-Ash‘arī transmitted from him consists only of what was quoted above.

Ibn Fūrak is the author of Interpretation of the Verses and Hadiths He Mentioned Concerning the Attributes. His book is relied upon by this author of al-Ta’sīs