among created bodies, as maintained by the Jahmiyyah who hold that the Quran is created, including the Muʿtazilah, the Najjāriyyah, the Dirāriyyah, and others. The early generations called anyone who denied the divine attributes, declared the Quran created, and denied that Allah would be seen in the Hereafter a Jahmī. For Jahm was the first to become known for the innovation of denying the divine names and attributes, and he carried this denial to extremes. What distinguishes him in this innovation is the extremity of his denial and his pioneering role in publicizing it widely and calling others to it, although al-Jaʿd ibn Dirham had preceded him in some of this.
Al-Jaʿd ibn Dirham was the first to introduce this into Islam. Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Qasrī therefore offered him as a sacrifice at Wāsit on the Day of Sacrifice, saying:
“O people, offer your sacrifices; may Allah accept them. I am offering al-Jaʿd ibn Dirham as a sacrifice, for he claimed that Allah did not take Abraham as a close friend and did not speak directly to Moses. Exalted is Allah, far above what al-Jaʿd ibn Dirham says!”
He then descended and slaughtered him.
Although the Muʿtazilah agree with Jahm on some of these matters, they disagree with him on others, such as divine decree, faith, and even some questions concerning the divine attributes. Nor do they carry denial to the extremes that he does.
Jahm says that Allah Most High does not speak, or that He speaks only figuratively. The Muʿtazilah, however, say that He speaks in a real sense, although their position amounts in substance to Jahm’s. Jahm also denies the divine names, as do the Bātiniyyah and those philosophers who agree with them. The majority of the Muʿtazilah, however, do not deny the divine names.