and expressed it in those terms as a stipulated usage—a convention adopted by him and those who share his doctrine. This is neither the usage of the Arabic language in which the Quran was revealed nor that of any other people. He then makes that meaning the intended sense of such names as “the One and Only,” “the Self-Sufficient,” and “the One,” and similar names found in the Quran and Sunnah. He regards his denial of meanings affirmed by Allah and His Messenger as part of perfecting tawhīd (monotheism).

“Tawhīd” is a revered term: the Messengers brought it, and the revealed Books taught it. When he treats the denial of those meanings as part of tawhīd, anyone unaware that his intended meaning differs from that of the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—supposes that he professes the tawhīd brought by the Messengers. He calls his group “the monotheists,” as do the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and those who agree with them in denying any of the divine attributes. They call this tawhīd, call their group “the monotheists,” and call their discipline “the science of tawhīd.” Likewise, the Mu'tazilah and those who agree with them call the denial of divine decree “justice,” and call themselves “the advocates of justice” and “the people of justice.”

Innovations of this kind are exceedingly numerous: expressions from the Quran and Sunnah are used to convey meanings contrary to what Allah and His Messenger intended by those expressions. Those who hold such views did not originally receive them from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—but rather from specious arguments that occurred to them and from their own leaders. They make their expression of these views in the language of the Quran and Sunnah an argument and a mainstay for their position, so as to appear to be following the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—rather than opposing him. Many of them do not realize