If, in his other books, he refutes the doctrine of the Imamiyya, this indicates that in this book he was merely accommodating them for the sake of the man for whom he composed it.

Furthermore, the specious argument that al-Shahrastānī relates at the beginning of Religions and Sects—as coming from Iblis during his debate with the angels—could be known only through transmission. Yet he cites no chain of transmission for it; indeed, it has no chain at all. It was not transmitted from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—or from any of the Companions, or from any of the renowned imams of the Muslims. Nor is it something known among the People of the Book (1).

Such a matter could be known only through transmission from the prophets, yet it is found only in some heresiographical works and in certain Christian books.

Most of what al-Shahrastānī reports concerning the various doctrines is taken from the books of the Muʿtazilites, who deny divine decree. It therefore appears—and Allah knows best—that one of those who deny divine decree fabricated this account in order to use it as an argument against those who affirm divine decree, just as they compose poetry and place it on the tongue of a Jew, and do similar things. Indeed, we have seen many of the Qadarites place on the tongues of disbelievers words containing an argument against Allah, their purpose thereby being to deny divine decree,