ibn Dirham, for he claimed that Allah did not take Abraham as a close friend and did not truly speak to Moses—exalted is Allah far above what al-Ja'd says!” He then descended and slaughtered him.

They based this on the principle of the innovators among the Sabians who deny some of what the messengers brought and describe the Lord only through negative or relational attributes, or attributes combining the two. In this negation of the divine attributes, they in fact agree with Pharaoh, the leader of the disbelievers, who denied the Maker altogether; for denying His attributes necessarily entails denying His very essence.

Thus they agreed with Pharaoh in rejecting Moses’ statement that his Lord is above the heavens. Pharaoh said:

“O Haman, build me a tower so that I may reach the ways—”

“The ways into the heavens—and look upon the God of Moses, though I certainly think he is a liar.”

This contrasts with Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who confirmed Moses when he was taken up to his Lord. He reported that he found Moses there and went back and forth between his Lord and Moses. Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus affirmed Moses’ statement that his Lord is above the heavens, whereas Pharaoh denied it. People are either followers of Muhammad and Moses or followers of Pharaoh: Pharaoh denied Moses’ statement that Allah is above and that Allah had spoken to him, just as he denied the existence of the Maker, while Muhammad affirmed Moses in all of this.

These pure Sabians among the philosophers say that Allah does not truly have speech. Rather, according to those among them who outwardly profess belief in the messengers, His speech is what emanates into the souls of the prophets: it is something brought into being within their souls, without