seventy prophets, and being asked who the Kadarians were, answered, "Those who
assert that GOD predestinated them to be guilty of rebellion, and yet punishes
them for it:" al Hasan is also said to have declared, that GOD sent Mohammed
to the Arabs while they were Kadarians, or Jabarians, and laid their sins upon
GOD: and to confirm the matter, this sentence of the Korân is quoted:2 "When
they commit a filthy action, they say, We found our fathers practising the
same, and GOD hath commanded us so to do: Say, Verily GOD commandeth not
filthy actions."3
11. The Sefâtians held the opposite opinion to the Mótazalites in respect
to the eternal attributes of GOD, which they affirmed; making no distinction
between the essential attributes and those of operation: and hence they were
named Sefâtians, or Attributists. Their doctrine was that of the first
Mohammedans, who were not yet acquainted with these nice distinctions: but
this sect afterwards introduced another species of declarative attributes, or
such as were necessarily used in historical narration, as hands, face, eyes,
&c., which they did not offer to explain, but contented themselves with saying
they were in the law, and that they called them declarative attributes.4
However, at length, by giving various explications and interpretations of
these attributes they divided into many different opinions: some, by taking
the words
8 Vide Poc. ibid. p. 233, &c. 9 Vide ibid. p. 237. 1 Ebn
al Athîr, al Bokhari, apud Poc. p. 236.
2 Cap. 7, p. 107. 3 Al Motarrezi, apud eund. p. 237, 238.
4 Al Shahrest. apud Poc. Spec. p. 223.
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