What led these groups into such views was the principle they received from the Jahmiyyah: whatever is never devoid of temporal events is itself temporally originated. This is false according to both reason and revelation. This corrupt principle contradicts reason and revelation, and through it the eternalist philosophers gained the upper hand over them. Thus, they neither defended Islam nor defeated its enemy. Rather, they opposed the early generations and the leading scholars, contradicted reason and revelation, and gave their enemies among the philosophers, eternalists, and heretics power over themselves and the Muslims—all because of their error concerning this principle, which they made the foundation of their religion. Had they held fast to what the Messenger brought, they would have agreed with both transmitted revelation and sound reason, and their foundation would have stood firm. But they neglected the foundations and were therefore denied attainment; the foundations lie in following what the Messenger brought.

They introduced principles which they imagined to be firm foundations, yet their condition was as Allah depicted in the two parables of the building and the tree. Concerning the believers and the hypocrites, He said:

“Is one who founded his building upon fear of Allah and His good pleasure better, or one who founded his building on the edge of a crumbling bank, so that it collapsed with him into the Fire of Hell? Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”

And He said:

“Allah presents a parable: a good word is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach into the sky.”

“It yields its fruit at all times by its Lord’s permission. And Allah presents parables for people so that they may take heed.”

“And the parable of a bad word is that of a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, having no stability.”

“Allah keeps those who believe steadfast with the firm word in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah leads the wrongdoers astray, and Allah does whatever He wills.”

The term “foundations” is derived