‘Yes.’

They said to him, ‘Have you seen your god?’
He replied, ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Have you heard his speech?’
He replied, ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Have you detected any scent from him?’
He replied, ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Have you sensed him?’
He replied, ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Have you felt him by touch?’
He replied, ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Then how do you know that he is a god?’

He related that Jahm became bewildered and, for forty days, did not know whom he worshipped. Then he devised an argument like that of the Christian heretics. These Christian heretics claim that the spirit within Jesus son of Mary is the spirit of Allah, from Allah’s very essence. Whenever He wishes to bring something about, He enters one of His creatures and speaks through that creature’s tongue, commanding whatever He wills and forbidding whatever He wills, while He is a spirit hidden from sight.

Jahm thus devised an argument and said to the Sumanī, ‘Do you not claim that there is a spirit within you?’
He replied, ‘Yes.’
Jahm asked, ‘Have you seen your spirit?’
He replied, ‘No.’
Jahm asked, ‘Have you heard it speak?’
He replied, ‘No.’
Jahm asked, ‘Have you sensed it or felt it by touch?’
He replied, ‘No.’
Jahm said, ‘So too with Allah: you see no face of His, hear no voice of His, and detect no scent from Him. He is hidden from sight and is not in one place rather than another.’”

He continued his refutation of them until he said:

“Then Jahm made another claim, saying, ‘We have found a verse in Allah’s Book indicating that the Quran is created.’

We asked, ‘Which verse?’

He replied, ‘Allah’s words:

“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of Allah and His Word.”

And Jesus is created.’

We said, ‘Allah has denied you understanding of the Quran. Expressions apply to Jesus that do not apply to the Quran, because He