he said: “These are the words of heretics! Woe to him! This man is a Jahmī!” The letter also stated that this man had said: “If it were one of Hārith’s pupils”—meaning al-Muhāsibī—“he would have instructed the people of Tarsus.” Abū ‘Abd Allāh said: “The gravest thing here is his statement, ‘If it were one of Hārith’s pupils, he would have instructed the people of Tarsus.’ Hārith is the very source of the affliction. Warn against him in the strongest terms.”’”

Abū Bakr al-Marwadhī said: “Hasan ibn al-Bazzāz brought me a note containing this man’s words in his own handwriting. He said, ‘This is his handwriting.’ It read: ‘I merely related it from someone else.’ When I read it, I said to Hasan, ‘He has admitted it.’ He said, ‘I admit it.’ I said, ‘But he says, “I merely related it from someone else.”’ I asked Abū ‘Abd Allāh, ‘What do you think should be done?’ He replied, ‘Leave him until he admits it.’

“Abū ‘Abd Allāh was informed that, after bringing him the note, Hasan had said, ‘Abū ‘Abd Allāh has nothing but good to say of him.’ He said, ‘Go to him and tell him: “You know how I feel, even toward someone like this.” Tell him: “Never report anything from me again.”’ I then met Hasan, and he said, ‘I will not report anything from him.’”

Furthermore, the invalidity of the statement, “When Allah created the letters, He made them a secret of His. Then, when He created Adam, peace be upon him, He imparted that secret to him, but did not impart it to any of His angels,” is evident in several respects.

First, it asserts that He created the letters before creating Adam. No Muslim has said this. Those who hold that the letters are created say that He creates them only when He wishes to send down His speech to His Messenger: He creates letters in the air, which Gabriel hears