1784 — Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us: Uthman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, saying: Abu Abd Allah—that is, Ahmad ibn Hanbal—narrated to me: Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Salamah ibn Kuhayl, who said:

“Al-Dahhak al-Mashriqi, Bukayr al-Ta’i, Maysarah, and Abu al-Bakhtari gathered and unanimously agreed that declaring someone to be a believer is an innovation, dissociation is an innovation, allegiance is an innovation, and irja’ is an innovation.”