It may be said to him:

Affirming Allah’s attributes is the position of the vast majority of the umma, in its earlier and later generations. It is the position of the Companions, the Successors [who followed them with excellence] (1), the imams whom the Muslims follow (2), Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jamāʿa, and all the other schools of speculative theology, such as the Hishāmiyya (3), the Karrāmiyya, the Kullābiyya, the Ashariyya, and others. Only the Jahmiyya disputed (4) this. In the view of the early generations and imams of the umma [and its community] (5), they are among those furthest removed from faith in Allah and His Messenger. The Muʿtazila and similar groups—who are widely known throughout the umma for religious innovation—agreed with them.

As for the judgments, they consist in judging that Allah is living, knowing, and powerful; this is to report these things about Him. All the Muʿtazila affirm this (6), together with the other affirmers. The extremist Jahmiyya, however, deny His names and regard them as figurative, and they likewise regard reports about Him in that manner. These are among the negators. According to their position, the Essence entails nothing, because the words and judgments of those making the reports subsist in those speakers, not in the Essence of the Lord.

As for those who do not affirm the judgments (7), such as Abu Hāshim (8) and his followers, they say: They are not existent,