الجَنَّةُParadiseوَأَمْثَالُand examplesهَذِهِtheseالنُّصُوصُtexts،,وَكَانَand wasيَسْتَدِلُّused as evidenceبِهِof it (by)أَحْمَدُAhmadوَغَيْرِهِand othersعَلَىonالِاسْتِثْنَاءِthe exceptionفِيinالإِيمَانِfaithكَمَاasنَذْكُرُهُwe mention itفِيinمَوْضِعِهِits place ..
Paradise and similar texts, and Ahmad and others used them as evidence for the exception in faith as we will mention in its place.
وَالْمَقْصُودُAnd the intendedأَنَّهُis that heخَيْرُis the bestالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the believersفِيinأَعْلَىhighestدَرَجَاتِdegreesالجَنَّةِof Paradise،,وَالْمُنَافِقُونَand the hypocritesفِيinالدَّرَكِthe lowestالْأَسْفَلِbelowمِنْofالنَّارِthe Fire،,وَإِنْand ifكَانُواthey wereفِيinالدُّنْيَاthe worldمُسْلِمِينَmuslimsظَاهِرًاoutwardlyتَجْرِيapplyعَلَيْهِمْto themأَحْكَامَrulingsالإِسْلَامِof Islamالظَّاهِرِthe apparent،,فَمَنْtherefore whoeverكَانَwasفِيهِin himإِيمَانٌfaithوَنِفَاقٌand hypocrisyيُسَمَّىis calledمُسْلِمًاa Muslim،,إِذْforلَيْسَis notهُوَheدُونَless thanالْمُنَافِقِthe pure hypocriteالْمَحْضِonly،,وَإِذَاand ifكَانَit wasنِفَاقُهُhis hypocrisyأَغْلَبَdominantلَمْdid notيَسْتَحِقَّdeserveاسْمَthe name ofالإِيمَانِfaith،,بَلْratherاسْمَthe name ofالْمُنَافِقِthe hypocriteأَحَقٌّmore fittingبِهِfor him،,فَإِنَّfor indeedمَاwhateverفِيهِis in himبَيَاضٌwhitenessوَسُوَادٌand blacknessوَسُوَادُهُand his blacknessأَكْثَرُis more،,هُوَheبِاسْمِwith the name ofالْأَسْوَدِthe blackأَحَقٌّmore fittingمِنْthanبِاسْمِthe name ofالأَبْيَضِthe white,,كَمَاasقَالَHe saidتَعَالَىthe Exalted: ﴿هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ﴾"Those are closer to disbelief than to faith on that day."
And the intended meaning is that he is the best of the believers in the highest degrees of Paradise, while the hypocrites are in the lowest depths of the Fire, even if they appear outwardly as Muslims in this world; rulings of apparent Islam apply to them. Therefore, whoever possesses faith and hypocrisy is called a Muslim, as he is not less than the pure hypocrite. And if his hypocrisy is predominant, he does not deserve the name of faith; rather, the name of hypocrite is more fitting for him. For indeed, whatever is in him, if there is whiteness and blackness, and his blackness is more, he is more fitting to be called black rather than white, as the Exalted said: "Those are closer to disbelief than to faith on that day."
وَأَمَّاAnd as forإِنْifكَانَit wasإِيمَانُهُhis faithأَغْلَبَdominantوَمَعَهُand with itنِفَاقٌhypocrisyيَسْتَحِقُّdeservesبِهِwith itالْوَعِيدَthe threat،,لَمْdid notيَكُنْbeأَيْضًاalsoمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe believersالْمَوْعُودِينَthe promisedبِالْجَنَّةِwith Paradise،,وَهَذَاand thisحُجَّةٌis an evidenceلِمَاfor whatذَكَرَهُhe mentionedمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadبْنَbinنَصْرٍNasrعَنْaboutأَحْمَدَAhmad,,وَلَمْand did notأَرَهُsee itأَنَاIفِيْمَاin whatبَلَغَنِيwas reported to meمِنَofكَلَامِthe wordsأَحْمَدَAhmad,,وَلَاnorذَكَرَهُhe mentionedالْخُلَالَAl-Khallalوَنَحْوَهُand similar ..
And as for if his faith is dominant and it has hypocrisy deserving of the threat, he is also not among the believers promised with Paradise. This is an evidence for what Muhammad bin Nasr mentioned about Ahmad, and I did not see it in what was reported to me of Ahmad's words, nor did Al-Khallal mention it.
وَقَالَAnd he saidمُحَمَّدٌMuhammadبْنَbinنَصْرٍNasr: وَحُكِيَand it was narratedغَيْرَother thanهَذَاthisعَنْaboutأَحْمَدَAhmadأَنَّهُthat heقَالَsaidمَنْwhoeverأَتَىcomes toهَذِهِtheseالأَرْبَعَةَfour:: الزِّنَاadultery،,وَالسَّرِقَةُand theft،,وَشُرْبُand drinkingالْخَمْرِalcohol،,وَالنَّهْبَةُand lootingالَّتِيwhichيَرْفَعُraisesفِيهَاin itالنَّاسُthe peopleأَبْصَارَهُمْtheir gazesإِلَيْهَاto it,,أَوْorمِثْلَهُنَّsimilar to themأَوorفَوْقَهُنَّabove them,,فَهُوَhe isمُسْلِمٌa Muslimوَلَاand will notأَسْمِيَهُI name himمُؤْمِنًاa believer,,وَمَنْand whoeverأَتَىcomes toدُونَbelowالْكَبَائِرِthe great sinsنُسَمِّيهُwe call himمُؤْمِنًاa believerنَاقِصًاdeficientالإِيمَانِof faith,,فَإِنَّfor indeedصَاحِبُthe owner ofهَذَاthisالْقَوْلِsayingيَقُولُsays:: لَمَّاWhenنَفَىhe negatedعَنْهُfrom himالنَّبِيُّthe Prophet ﷺ(peace be upon him)الإِيمَانَfaith،,نَفَيْتُهُI negated itعَنْهُfrom himكَمَاasنَفَاهُhe negated itعَنْهُfrom himالرَّسُولُthe Messenger ﷺ(peace be upon him)،,وَالرَّسُولُand the Messengerلَمْdid notيَنْفِnegateإِلَّاexceptعَنْfromصَاحِبِthe owner ofكَبِيرَةٍa great sin،,وَإِلَّاotherwiseفَالْمُؤْمِنُthe believerالَّذِيwhoيَفْعَلُdoesالصَّغَائِرَthe minor sinsهِيَareمُكَفَّرَةٌexpiatedعَنْهُfrom himبِفَعْلِهِby his good deedsلِلْحَسَنَاتِof good deedsوَاجْتِنَابِهِand avoidingالْكَبَائِرِthe major sins,,لَكِنَّهُbut he isنَاقِصٌdeficientالْإِيمَانِin faithعَمَّنthan someoneاجْتَنَبَwho avoidsالصَّغَائِرَthe minor sins,,فَمَاso whateverأَتَىcame withبِالإِيمَانِwith faithالْوَاجِبِthat is obligatoryوَلَكِنَّbutخَلَطَهُhe mixed itبِسَيِّئَاتٍwith wrongdoingsمُكَفِّرَةٍthat expiateعَنْهُfor himبِغَيْرِهَاby others,,وَنَقَصَand reducesبِذَلِكَby thatدَرَجَتَهُhis rankعَمَّنthan whoeverلَمْnotيَأْتِcome withبِذَلِكَthat..
And Muhammad bin Nasr said: And it was narrated otherwise from Ahmad that he said: Whoever comes to these four: adultery, theft, drinking alcohol, and looting which raises the people's gazes to it, or similar ones, or above them, he is a Muslim and I do not name him a believer. And whoever comes with less than the major sins, we call him a believer who is deficient in faith. For the owner of this saying says: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) negated faith from him, I negated it from him just as the Messenger (peace be upon him) negated it. And the Messenger did not negate it except from the owner of a major sin. Otherwise, the believer who commits minor sins, they are expiated for him by his good deeds and by avoiding major sins. However, he is deficient in faith compared to the one who avoids minor sins. So whatever he came with is the obligatory faith, but mixed with wrongdoings that expiated for him by others, his degree is lowered by that compared to whoever did not come with that.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forالَّذِينَthose whoنَفَىthe Prophet negatedعَنْهُمfrom themالرَّسُولُthe Messengerالإِيمَانَfaithفَنَنفِيَهُwe negate itكَمَاasنَفَاهُhe negated itالرَّسُولُthe Messenger،,وَأُولَـٰئِكَand those--وَإِنْand ifكَانَتْthere wasالتَّصْدِيقُbeliefوَأَصْلُand the root ofالإِيمَانِfaith--فَقَدْthen they hadتَرَكُواabandonedمِنْهُof itمَاwhatاسْتَحَقُّواthey deservedلِأَجْلِهِfor whichسَلَبَthe removal ofالإِيمَانِfaith،,وَقَدْand it mayيَجْتَمِعَcoexistفِيinالْعَبْدِthe servantنِفَاقٌhypocrisyوَإِيمَانٌand faithوَكُفْرٌand disbeliefوَإِيمَانٌand faith,,فَالإِيمَانُso the faithالْمُطْلَقُabsoluteعِندَwithهَؤُلاَءِthese onesمَاwhatكَانَwasصَاحِبُهُits ownerمُسْتَحِقًّاdeservingلِلْوُعُودِof the promiseبِالْجَنَّةِof Paradise ..
And as for those from whom the Messenger negated faith, we negate it as he negated it. And those - and if there was belief and the root of faith - then they have abandoned from it what they deserved for which the removal of faith occurred. And there may coexist in a servant hypocrisy and faith and disbelief and faith; so the absolute faith among these is what its owner deserves the promise of Paradise.
وَطَوَائِفُAnd the groupsأَهْلُof the peopleالْأَهْوَاءِof whimsمِنَamongالْخَوَارِجِthe Khawarij,,وَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِand the Mu'tazilites,,وَالْجَهْمِيَةِand the Jahmites,,وَالْمُرْجِئَةِand the Murji'ah,,كُرَامِيَهُمْtheir Karamisوَغَيْرُand othersكُرَامِيَّهُمْtheir Karamis,,يَقُولُونَthey say: إِنَّهُthat itلَاdoes notيَجْتَمِعُcoexistفِيinالْعَبْدِthe servantإِيْمَانٌfaithوَنِفَاقٌand hypocrisy,,وَمِنْهُمْand some of themيَدَّعِيclaimتِلْكَthatالْحَالَةَthe stateأَيَّامَdaysالْمَأْمُورِcommandedبِهَاfromمِنَofالإِيمَانِfaith ..
And groups of the people of whims among the Khawarij, the Mu'tazilites, the Jahmites, and the Murji'ah - their Karamis and others - they say: That faith and hypocrisy do not coexist in the servant. And some of them claim that state is the one commanded from the faith.