then al-Mutawakkil brought it to an end. Allah kept Imam Ahmad steadfast, so he did not agree with them in denying Allah Most High’s attributes. He debated them on scholarly grounds and refuted their arguments. They tortured him, but he patiently endured their torture, so Allah made him one of the leaders who guide by His command. As He Most High says:

“And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and had certainty in Our signs.”

Whoever is granted patience and certainty, Allah makes him a leader in religion. His statements concerning the “Sunnah” were attributed to him only because he made it known and brought it to light, not because he originated or introduced it. Otherwise, the Sunnah is the Sunnah of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The truest speech is Allah’s speech, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh. What Imam Ahmad said was also the position of the imams before him, such as Mālik, al-Thawrī, al-Awzā‘ī, Hammād ibn Zayd, and Hammād ibn Salamah; the position of the Successors before them; and the position of the Companions, who received it from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The hadiths concerning the “Sunnah” are well known in the two Sahīh collections and other Islamic works.

The affirmation of Allah Most High’s attributes has been transmitted through numerous independent channels from Ahmad and other imams of the Sunnah. In this, they follow what has been transmitted through numerous independent channels from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

As for the claim that Muslims base their creed concerning the fundamentals of religion on his statements or those of other scholars, only an ignorant person would say this. “Ahmad ibn Hanbal” forbade uncritical adherence to himself or other scholars in subsidiary legal matters. He said, “Do not follow men uncritically in your religion, for they cannot avoid making mistakes.” He also said, “Do not follow me uncritically, nor Mālik, nor al-Thawrī, nor al-Shāfi‘ī.” In this, he followed the example of others