and so, in matters of Allah’s attributes, they follow a middle course between the Jahmiyyah, who deny His attributes, and those who liken Him to creation.”

When this just judge saw their mutual support and partisanship, and how few knowledgeable supporters there were, he became afraid of them and said: “You have written an account of Imam Ahmad’s creed, so say: ‘This is Ahmad’s creed.’” He meant that a person may write according to his own school without being challenged, since this is an established school with its followers. His purpose was to put an end to the opponents’ dispute.

I replied: “I have compiled only the creed of all the righteous predecessors. This is not something exclusive to Imam Ahmad. Imam Ahmad merely conveys the knowledge brought by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. If Ahmad were to say something on his own initiative that the Messenger had not brought, we would not accept it. This is the creed of Muhammad.”

I said repeatedly: “I have given anyone who disagrees with anything in it three years. If he produces a single word contradicting what I have stated from anyone of the three generations—the generations praised by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said:

‘The best of generations is the generation in which I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them’—

then I will retract that statement. For my part, I must produce reports from the three generations that agree with what I have stated, as transmitted by all the groups—the Hanafīs, Mālikīs, Shāfi‘īs, Hanbalīs, Ash‘arīs, scholars of hadith, Sufis, and others.”