Eighth:
His statement may contain an error.

The first six cases show, on the basis of his own teachings, that they have opposed him, while his position is the truth. In the seventh, they have opposed the truth, even if his own position, whether affirmative or negative, is unknown. In the eighth, they have opposed the truth even though they have agreed with his position.

The division is therefore threefold: when they oppose the truth, they may also have opposed him, agreed with him, or neither agreed with nor opposed him, because he made no statement on that matter. Likewise, when they agree with the truth, they may agree with him, oppose him, or neither.

Adherents of innovation are more numerous among non-Hanbalīs than among Hanbalīs, for many reasons. Ahmad’s explicit statements detailing the Sunnah and rejecting innovations are far more numerous than those of other imams. When innovators affiliated with another imam are Jahmīs, Qadarīs, Shīʿa, or Murjiʾa, their beliefs were not the imam’s position, except in the case of irjāʾ, which was the position of Abū So-and-so. As for certain elements of Jahmī doctrine, reports from him differ. Accordingly, those affiliated with him have differed, ranging from Sunnis to Jahmīs, male and female, anthropomorphists and corporealists. This is because his principles do not rule out innovations, even if they do not affirm them.

There are innovators among the Hanbalīs too, although innovation is more prevalent among others. Their innovation generally consists of excessive affirmation concerning Allah and excessive denunciation of their opponents, through declaring them unbelievers and other means. For Ahmad affirmed what the Sunnah brought and denounced those who opposed it. He was correct in most matters; on some, reports from him differed, and on others he held a contrary position.