The imam Ahmad used to say "Let the texts of scripture stand as they are." Some of his leading disciples followed this principle ... However, three persons whom we have already mentioned viz. Ibn Hamid, the Qadi (Ya'la ), and Ibn az-Zaghuni are well known as advocates of a method of interpretation that takes sense experience as its point of departure.〔Swartz, Merlin. ''A Medieval Critique of Anthropomorphism''. Brill, 2001, p.134-137 .〕

I say to my fellow Hanbalis: You are proponents of scripture and tradition ... Has anyone ever reported to you that Ahmad taught God's () on the throne is one of the attributes of his essence or an attribute of action? On what grounds do you justify venturing into (discussion ) of such matters?〔Swartz, Merlin. ''A Medieval Critique of Anthropomorphism''. Brill, 2001, p.122-123〕