النَّاسُPeopleيَتَفَاضَلُونَdifferفِيinالإِيمَانِfaithوَهَذَاand thisمُوَافِقٌis in agreementلِلْكِتَابِwith the Book (Quran)وَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnah
People differ in faith and this is in agreement with the Book and the Sunnah.
وَالْمُرْجِئَةُAnd the Murji'ahيَقُولُونَsay
And the Murji'ah say:
الإِيمَانُFaithبَعْضٌis partالإِسْلَامِof Islamوَالْإِسْلَامُand Islamأَفْضَلُis betterوَيَقُولُونَand they sayإِيمَانُthe faithالنَّاسِof peopleمُتَسَاوٍis equal.
Faith is part of Islam, and Islam is better, and they say the faith of people is equal.
فَإِيمَانُSo the faithالصَّحَابَةِof the Companionsوَأَفْجَرَand the most sinfulالنَّاسِof peopleسَوَاءٌis the same.
So the faith of the Companions and the most sinful of people is the same.
وَيَقُولُونَAnd they sayلَاNoيَكُونُone should possessمَعَwithأَحَدٍanyoneبَعْضٌsomeالإِيمَانِfaithدُونَwithoutبَعْضٍsome.
And they say that no one should possess some faith without some.
وَهَذَاAnd thisمُخَالِفٌis contraryلِلْكِتَابِto the Book (Quran)وَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnah.
And this is contrary to the Book and the Sunnah.
وَقَدْAnd indeedأَجَابَhe answeredأَحْمَدُAhmadعَنْaboutهَذَاthisالسُّؤَالِquestionكَمَاasقَالَهُhe said
And indeed, Ahmad answered this question as he stated.
فِيInإِحْدَىone ofرِوَايَتَيْهِhis narrations:إِنَّIndeedالإِسْلَامَIslamهُوَisالْكَلِمَةُthe word.
In one of his narrations: Indeed, Islam is the word.
قَالَHe saidالزُّهْرِيُّAl-Zuhri:فَإِنَّهُIndeedتَارَةًsometimesيُوَافِقُis in agreementمِنْwith whoeverقَالَsaysذَلِكَthat,وَتَارَةًand sometimesلَاdoes not.يُوَافِقُهُagree with him,بَلْbutيَذْكُرُhe mentionsمَاwhatدَلَّindicatesعَلَيْهِon itالْكِتَابَthe Book (Quran)وَالسُّنَّةَand the SunnahمِنْthatأَنَّIslamغَيْرُis different fromالإِيمَانِfaith.
He said Al-Zuhri: Indeed, sometimes it agrees with those who say that, and sometimes it does not. But he mentions what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, that Islam is different from faith.
فَلَمَّاSo whenأَجَابَhe answeredبِقَوْلِby the statementالزُّهْرِيِّof Al-Zuhri,قَالَhe saidلَهُto himالْمَيْمُونِيُّAl-Maimuni:قُلْتُI saidيَاOأَبَاAbuعَبْدِ اللَّهِAbdullah!تَفَرَّقَDo you differentiateبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِ؟and faith?
So when he answered by the statement of Al-Zuhri, Al-Maimuni said to him: I said, O Abu Abdullah! Do you differentiate between Islam and faith?
قَالَHe said:نَعَم،Yes,قُلْتُ:I said:بِأَيِّWith whatشَيْءٍthingنَحْتَجُ؟do we argue?
He said: Yes, I said: With what do we argue?
قَالَ:He said:عَامَّةُMostالْأَحَادِيثِof the hadithsتَدُلُّindicateعَلَىon this,ثُمَّthenقَالَ:he said:«لَا"Noيَزْنِيone commits adulteryالزَّانِيُthe adultererحِينَwhenيَزْنِيhe commits adulteryوَهُوَand he isمُؤْمِنٌa believerوَلَاnorيَسْرِقُstealsالسَّارِقُthe thiefحِينَwhenيَسْرِقُhe stealsوَهُوَand he isمُؤْمِنٌ».a believer."
He said: Most of the hadiths indicate this, then he said: "No adulterer commits adultery while he is a believer, nor does a thief steal while he is a believer."
وَقَالَAnd Allah said:تَعَالَى:Exalted is He:﴿قَالَتِ﴿The Bedouins said:الْأَعْرَابُthe Arabs,مَامَنَّا'We have believed,'قُلsay,لَمْ'you have not believed,تُؤْمِنُواbut say, وَلَكِن'We have submitted.'قُولُوا[Al-Hujurat: 14] I said to him:أَسْلَمْنَا)'But say we have submitted.'
And Allah said: Exalted is He: 'The Bedouins said: 'We have believed.' Say: 'You have not believed, but say, 'We have submitted' [Al-Hujurat: 14]. I said to him:
فَتَذْهَبُSo you goإِلَىtoظَاهِرِthe apparentالْكِتَابِmeaning of the Bookمَعَwithالسُّنَنِ؟the Sunnah?
So you go to the apparent meaning of the Book with the Sunnah?
قَالَ:He said:نَعَم،Yes,قُلْتُ:I said:فَإِذَاIfكَانَتْthey say, "Indeed, they say.المُرْجِئَةُthe Murji'ah say:إِنَّIndeed,الإِسْلَامَIslamهُوَisالْقَوْلُthe saying.
He said: Yes, I said: If the Murji'ah say, "Indeed, Islam is the saying."
قَالَ:He said:هُمْTheyيَصِيرُونَmakeهَذَاthisكُلَّهُallوَاحِدًاoneوَيَجْعَلُونَهُand make itمُسْلِمًاa Muslimوَمُؤْمِنًاand a believerشَيْئًاone thingوَاحِدًاone
He said: They make all this one and make it a Muslim and a believer as one thing.
عَلَىbased onإِيمَانِthe faithجِبْرِيلَ،of Gabriel,وَمُسْتَكْمِلِand one who completesالإِيمَانِ،the faith,قُلْتُ:I said:فَمَنْSo whoهَا هُنَاhereحُجَّتُنَاis our proofعَلَيْهُمْ؟against them?
He said: They make all this one and make it a Muslim and a believer as one thing based on the faith of Gabriel and one who completes the faith. I said: So who is our proof against them?
قَالَ:He said:نَعَم،Yes.فَقَدْIndeedأَجَابَhe answeredأَحْمَدُAhmadبِأَنَّهُمْthat theyيَجْعَلُونَmakeالْفَاسِقَthe sinnerمُؤْمِنًاa believerمُسْتَكْمِلًاwho completesالإِيمَانَthe faithعَلَىbased onإِيمَانِthe faithجِبْرِيلَ.of Gabriel.
He said: Yes. Indeed, Ahmad answered that they make the sinner a believer who completes the faith based on the faith of Gabriel.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forقَوْلُهُhis saying:يَجْعَلُونَهُthey make itمُسْلِمًاa Muslimوَمُؤْمِنًاand a believerشَيْئًاone thingوَاحِدًا،one,فَهَذَاthisقَوْلٌis the sayingمِنْof the ones whoيَقُولُونَsay:الدِّينُthe religionوَالْإِيمَانُand the faithشَيْءٌis one thing.
And as for his saying: they make it a Muslim and a believer as one, this is the saying of those who say: Religion and faith is one thing.
فَالإِسْلَامُSo Islamهُوَisالدِّينُthe religion,فَيَجْعَلُونَthey makeالإِسْلَامَIslamوَالْإِيمَانَand faithشَيْئًاone thing.وَاحِدًا،one,وَهَذَاand thisالْقَوْلُsayingقَوْلٌis the sayingالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ah.
So Islam is the religion, they make Islam and faith one thing. And this saying is the saying of the Murji'ah.
فِيَمَاIn whatيَذْكُرُهُhe mentionsكَثِيرٌmanyمِنَofالأَئِمَّةِthe Imamsكَالشَّافِعِيِّlike Al-Shafi'iوَأَبِيand AbuعُبَيْدٍUbaidوَغَيْرِهِمَا،and others,وَمَعَand withهَذَانِtheseيُنَاظِرُونَ،they debate,فَالْمَعْرُوفُis the known
In what many of the Imams like Al-Shafi'i and Abu Ubaid and others mention, they debate.
مِنْfromكَلَامِthe wordsالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ahالْفَرْقُthe differenceبَيْنَbetweenلَفْظِthe termالدِّينِreligionوَالْإِيمَانِand faithوَالْفَرْقُand the differenceبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faithوَيَقُولُونَ:and they say:الإِسْلَامُIslamبَعْضُهُsome of itإِيمَانٌis faithوَبَعْضُهُand some of itأَعْمَالٌare actionsوَالْأَعْمَالُand the actionsمِنْهَاamong themفَرْضٌare obligatoryوَنَفْلٌ،and voluntary,
From the words of the Murji'ah, the difference is between the term religion and faith, and the difference is between Islam and faith, and they say: Islam is partly faith and partly actions, and the actions among them are obligatory and voluntary,
وَلَكِنbutكَلَامُthe speechالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsكَانَwasفِيَمَاin whatيَظْهَرُappearsلَهُمْto themوَيَصِلُand reachesإِلَيْهِمْthem fromكَلَامِthe speechأَهْلِof the peopleالْبِدَعِof innovationكَمَاlikeتَجِدُهُمْyou find them inفِيinالْجَهْمِيَّةِ،the Jahmiyyah,إِمَّاeitherيَحْكُونَthey narrateأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahفِيisكُلِّin everyمَكَانٍ،place,
But the speech of the predecessors was in what appears to them and reaches them from the words of the people of innovation, as you find them in the Jahmiyyah; either they narrate that Allah is in every place,
وَهَذَاand thisقَوْلٌis the sayingطَائِفَةٌof a groupمِنْهُمْof themكَالنَّجَّارِيَّةِ،like the Najariyyah,وَهُوَand it isقَوْلُthe sayingعَوَّامِهِمof their common peopleوَعُبَّادِهِم،and their worshipers.
and this is the saying of a group of them, like the Najariyyah, and it is the saying of their common people and their worshipers.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forجُمْهُورُthe majorityنُظَّارِهِمof their scholarsمِنَfromالْجَهْمِيَّةِthe Jahmiyyahوَالْمُعْتَزِلَةِ،and the Mu'tazila,وَالضَّرَارِيَّةِ،and the Dharariyyah,وَغَيْرِهِم،and others,عَنْهُمْfrom themفَقَدْindeedاسْتَمَرُّواthey adheredعَلَىtoتَرْكِthe abandonmentهَذَاof thisوَكُلِّand allمَنْofخَالَفَهُمْwho opposed them.
And as for the majority of their scholars from the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'tazila and the Dharariyyah and others, they indeed adhered to the abandonment of this and all who opposed them.