He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said:

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

“The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”

“Master of the Day of Judgment.”

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, supporter, or helper. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, whom He sent to all creation. May Allah bless him, his family, and his Companions, and grant them abundant peace, and likewise all of Allah’s righteous servants.

To proceed:

I have been asked more than once to write down what I could recall of the proceedings in the three sessions convened to debate matters of creed, pursuant to the Sultan’s letter sent from Egypt to his deputy, the governor of the region. This followed denunciations made to the Sultan by a group from among the Jahmiyyah, the Ittihādiyyah, the Rāfidah, and others who harboured grudges.

The governor therefore ordered the four judges—the judges of the four legal schools—to be assembled, together with others, including their deputies, muftis, and shaykhs who were respected and held in esteem. They did not know