—the created one— forgive me.” This is disbelief in Allah and a contradiction of the Book of Allah, the sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the consensus of the Muslims, the Arabic language, common usage, and customary convention.

As for the Arabic language, al-Asmaʿi and Abu ʿUbaydah Maʿmar ibn al-Muthanna said: “If you see a man saying, ‘The name is other than the thing named,’ then testify that he is a heretic.”

Khalaf ibn Hisham al-Bazzar, the Quran reciter, said: “Whoever says that the names of Allah are created—his disbelief is, to me, clearer than this sun.”

Among the leading imams who held this position were al-Shafiʿi, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, Nuʿaym ibn Hammad, Muhammad ibn Aslam al-Tusi, and Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari.