Bakr say: Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Bardaʿī related to me: Tāhir ibn Ismāʿīl al-Rāzī related to us, saying: Yahyā ibn Muʿādh was asked, “Tell me about Allah.” He replied, “One God.” The questioner asked, “What is He like?” He replied, “An all-powerful King.” He asked, “Where is He?” He replied, “He is ever watchful.” The questioner said, “That is not what I asked you about.” He replied, “Anything other than this would be a description of a created being. As for His description, it is what I have told you about Him.”

I say: It is not known whether these words are authentically reported from Yahyā ibn Muʿādh, since the chain of transmission includes someone unknown to us. In their estimation, the words of Yahyā ibn Muʿādh rank below those of the great masters of