Al-Qa'nabee, that Imaam (d. 221H)
Banaan bin Ahmad said:
We were with
Al-Qa'nabee (rahimahullaah) and he heard a man amongst the Jahmiyyah saying: "ar-Rahmaan 'alal Arsh istawlaa" (ar-Rahmaan conquered the Throne). So
Al-Qa'nabee said:
Whoever does not hold with certain belief that ar-Rahmaan indeed ascended over the Throne as it occurs and is settled in the hearts of the generality (of the people) is a Jahmee.
Abdul-Azeez al-Qaheetee related them both in his works.
And the intent behind the "generality (of the people)", is the generality of the people of knowledge, as we explained in the biography of Yazeed bin Haaroon, the Imaam of the people of Waasit. And Al-Qa'nabee was from the Imaams of guidance, until some of the Huffaadh exaggerated in him and made him superior to Maalik [bin Anas], the Imaam. He (Al-Qa'nabee) died in 221H at some eighty odd years of age, and he is the greatest of the Shaykhs of Muslim [the compiler of hadeeth], absolutely.
Source: "Mukhtasar al-Uluww" of adh-Dhahabi (p. 178).