He was asked about certain hadiths: Are they authentic? Has any recognized authority narrated them with an authentic chain of transmission? They are the following sayings attributed to the Prophet:

“When Allah first created the intellect, He said to it, ‘Come forward,’ and it came forward. Then He said to it, ‘Go back,’ and it went back. Then He said, ‘By My might and majesty, I have created nothing more honored by Me than you. Through you I take, and through you I give; through you I reward, and through you I punish.’”

And his saying:

“I have been commanded to address people according to their understanding.”

Is this the actual wording of a hadith, or has it been altered, added to, or shortened?

And his saying:

“Among the favors Allah has bestowed upon me is this: ‘I have given you the Opening of the Book. It is from the treasures of My Throne, and I have divided it into two halves between Me and you.’”

And his saying:

“People share in three things: water, pasture, and fire.”

He answered:

As for the first hadith, it is a fabricated lie according to the scholars of hadith. It is not found in any of the authoritative books of Islam. It is narrated only by the likes of Dāwūd ibn al-Muhabbir and others who have written on the intellect. It is mentioned by the authors of the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity and other such philosophical speculators. Abū Hāmid also mentioned it in some of