and the books of the prophets concerning the divine attributes, and because of the likenesses to created beings that some Jews have innovated, which must be denied of Allah. At other times, they accuse them of resembling the Christians because the Christians affirm the attributes of life and knowledge, and because of their innovations: that the hypostases are substances and that the hypostasis of the Word united with human nature.

These accusations appear in their statements before the time of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and during his lifetime. Accounts of them also appear in his statements and those of his companions. He mentioned this in his book, Refutation of the Jahmiyyah and the Heretics, reporting their claim, “If you affirm the attributes, you have adopted the Christians’ position,” and refuting it. His Responses to Questions also records that a group said to him: Whoever says, “The Quran is uncreated or is within people’s hearts,” has adopted the Christians’ position.

Likewise, the Jahmiyyah accuse those who affirm the divine attributes of being the Jews of this community. This appears in the statements of both the earlier and later Jahmiyyah, including those of Abū Abd Allāh Muhammad ibn Umar al-Rāzī, the Jahmī determinist—although at times he may go so far as outright polytheism and the worship of celestial bodies and idols. He composed his well-known book on magic and the worship of celestial bodies and idols, even though he frequently declares such practices forbidden and prohibits them, following the Muslims and the followers of the Scriptures and the prophetic message. He supports Islam and its adherents in many passages, just as he sows doubt among its adherents and among those other than