to Shaykh Abū al-Hasan al-Ash‘arī.” He also cited the creed that al-Ash‘arī set out at the beginning of al-Ibānah (The Elucidation), including his words:

“If someone says, ‘You have rejected the positions of the Mu‘tazilah, Qadariyyah, Jahmiyyah, Harūriyyah, Rāfidah and Murji’ah. Tell us, then, what position you hold and what religion you profess,’ he is told:

‘The position we hold and the religion we profess consist in adhering to the Book of Allah, the Exalted, the Sunnah of His Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and what has been transmitted from the Companions, the Successors and the leading scholars of hadith. To these we hold firmly. We affirm the teachings of Ahmad ibn Hanbal—may Allah make his face radiant—and shun whatever contradicts his position. For he is the eminent imam and consummate leader through whom Allah made the truth manifest when misguidance appeared, clarified the path, and suppressed the innovations of the innovators, the deviations of those who strayed, and the doubts of the doubters. May Allah have mercy upon him, a foremost imam and eminent teacher, and upon all the imams of the Muslims.’

“In summary, our position is that we affirm belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, all that has come from Allah, and whatever trustworthy transmitters have related from the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

He then mentioned what has already been cited, together with many other statements set out elsewhere.

Abū Bakr al-Ājurrī said in The Book of the Sacred Law:

“The position held by the people of knowledge is that Allah, the Exalted, is upon His Throne, above His heavens, and that His knowledge encompasses all things. It encompasses everything He has created in the lofty heavens and everything within the seven earths. The deeds of His servants are raised to Him.

“If someone asks, ‘What is the meaning of His words:

“There is no private conversation among three but that He is the fourth of them, nor among five but that He is the sixth of them,”

to the end of the verse?’ he is told: ‘It means His knowledge. Allah is upon His Throne, and His knowledge encompasses