the sultan. Whoever fails to treat his opponents and disputants justly and to excuse their errors in independent reasoning, but instead introduces an innovation and shows hostility toward those who disagree with him about it, or declares them unbelievers, has wronged himself. The people of the Sunnah, knowledge, and faith know the truth and show mercy to creation; they follow the Messenger and do not introduce innovations. If someone exercises independent reasoning and makes an error for which the Messenger would excuse him, they excuse him.

The people of innovation, such as the Khawārij, introduce an innovation, declare those who disagree with them unbelievers, and deem it lawful to shed their blood. Each of these groups rejects the others’ innovations, yet is itself guilty of innovation, countering one innovation with another and one falsehood with another. His account of their debates with him before the vizier, session after session, likewise falls into this category. The Muʿtazilah and the Karrāmiyyah profess both truth and falsehood, both Sunnah and innovation, just as he too professes both truth and falsehood in following Abū al-Hasan. In matters of religious designations and rulings, and of divine decree, Abū al-Hasan followed the path of al-Jahm ibn Safwān—the path of the determinists and the extreme Murjiʾah. Thus, the former are determinist Qadariyyah, whereas the Muʿtazilah are Qadariyyah who deny divine decree. They consequently stood in utter opposition to one another on questions of justice and injustice and similar matters.

Allah loves speech grounded in knowledge and justice, and hates speech grounded in ignorance and injustice, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Judges are of three kinds: two judges are in the Fire, and one judge