وَجَحَدُواAnd they deniedمِنَofالْحَقَائِقِthe truthsالْمَوْجُودَةِthat are foundفِيinمَخْلُوقَاتِهِمHis creationsوَشَرَائِعِهِمand His lawsمَاwhatصَارَhas becomeذَٰلِكَthatسَبَبًاa reasonلِنُفُورِfor repulsionأَكْثَرَmostالْعُقَلَاءِof the wiseالَّذِينَwhoفَهِمُواunderstoodقَوْلَهُمْtheir statementعَمَّاabout whatيَظُنُّهُthey assumeالسُّنَّةَthe tradition,,إِذْforكَانُواthey wereيَزْعُمُونَclaimingأَنَّthatقَوْلَthe statementأَهْلِof the people ofالسُّنَّةِthe traditionفِيinالْقَدَرِpredestinationهُوَisالْقَوْلُthe statementالَّذِيthatابْتَدَعَهُwas innovated byجَهْمٌJahm,,وَهَذَاand thisلِبَسْطِهِto elaborate on itمَوْضِعٌa placeآخَرُanother.. وَإِنَّمَاAnd indeedالْمَقْصُودُthe aimهُنَاhereأَنْis thatالسَّلَفَthe predecessorsفِيinرَدِّهِمtheir responseعَلَىtoالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahوَالجَهْمِيَّةِand the Jahmitesوَالْقَدَرِيَّةِand the Qadaritesوَغَيْرِهِمand othersيَرُدُّونَthey rejectمِنْfromأَقْوَالِهِمtheir statementsمَاwhatيَبْلُغُهُمreaches themعَنْهُمْfrom themوَمَاand whatسَمِعُوهُthey heardمِنْfromبَعْضِهِمsome of them,,وَقَدْand mayيَكُونَbeذَٰلِكَthatقَوْلٌa statementطَائِفَةٍa groupمِنْهُمْof them,,وَقَدْand mayيَكُونَbeنَقْلًاa narrationمُغَيَّرًاaltered,,فَلِهَذَاthereforeرَدُّواthey rejectedعَلَىagainstالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahالَّذِينَwhoيَجْعَلُونَmakeالدِّينَreligionوَالْإِيمَانَand faithوَاحِدًاoneوَيَقُولُونَand they sayهُوَit isالْقَوْلُthe statement,,وَأَيْضًاand alsoفَلَمthere was notيَكُنbeحَدَثٌa happeningفِيinزَمَنِهِمtheir timeمِنَofالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahمَنْwhoيَقُولُsays::الإِيمَانُfaithهُوَisمُجَرَّدٌmerelyالْقَوْلُthe statementبِلاَwithoutتَصْدِيقٍbeliefوَلَاnorمَعْرِفَةٍknowledgeفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heart,,فَإِنَّforهَذَاthisإِنَّمَاonlyأَحْدَثَهُwas innovated byابْنِIbnكَرَّامٍKarram,,وَهَذَاand thisهُوَisالَّذِيthatانفَرَدَhe alone elaboratedبِهِwith itابْنُIbnكَرَّامٍKarram,,وَأَمَّاand as forسَائِرِthe rest ofمَاthatقَالَهُhe saidفَأَقْوَالٌthe statementsقِيلَتْwere saidقَبْلَهُbefore him,,وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonلَمْdid notيُذْكَرmentionالْأَشْعَرِيُّAl-Ash'ariوَلَاnorغَيْرُهُothersمِمَّنof those whoيَحْكِيrecountsمَقَالاَتِthe articlesالنَّاسِof the peopleعَنْهُabout himقَوْلًاa statementانفَرَدَhe alone elaboratedبِهِwith itإِلَّاexceptهَذَاthis.. وَأَمَّاAnd as forسَائِرِthe rest ofأَقْوَالِهِhis statementsفَيَحْكُونَهَاthey recount themعَنْfromنَاسٍpeopleقَبْلَهُbefore himوَلَاand do notيَذْكُرُونَهُmention him,,وَلَمْand had notيَكُنbeابْنُIbnكَرَّامٍKarramفِيinزَمَنِthe timeأَحْمَدَAhmadبِنِbinحَنْبَلٍHanbal,,وَغَيْرِهِand othersمِنَofالْأَئِمَّةِthe Imams,,فَهَذِهِand theseيَحْكُونَthey recountإِجْمَاعَthe consensusالنَّاسِof the peopleعَلَىonخِلَافِthe contraryهَذَاthisالْقَوْلُstatement,,كَمَاasذُكِرَmentionedذَٰلِكَthatأَبُوAbuعَبْدِاللَّهِAbdullahأَحْمَدَAhmadبِنِbinحَنْبَلٍHanbalوَأَبُوand AbuثَوْرٌThawrوَغَيْرِهِمَاand others,,وَكَانَand it wasقَوْلُthe statementالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ahقَبْلَهُbefore him::إِنَّIndeedالإِيمَانَfaithقَوْلٌis a statementبِالْلِّسَانِby the tongueوَتَصْدِيقٌand acknowledgementبِالْقَلْبِby the heart,,وَقَوْلُand the statementجَهْمٍJahm::إِنَّهُIndeed itتَصْدِيقٌis acknowledgementالْقَلْبِof the heart,,فَلَمَّاwhenقَالَhe saidابْنُIbnكَرَّامٍKarramإِنَّهُthat itمُجَرَّدٌis merelyقَوْلُa statementالْلِّسَانِof the tongue,,صَارَتْit becameأَقْوَالُthe statementsالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ahثَلاَثَةًthree,,لَكِنَّbutأَحْمَدَAhmadكَانَwasأَعْلَمَthe most knowledgeableبِمَقَالَاتِof the statementsالنَّاسِof the peopleمِنْthanغَيْرِهِothers,,فَكَانَتْso he wasيَعْرِفُhe knewقَوْلَthe statementالْجَهْمِيَّةِof the Jahmitesفِيinالإِيمَانِfaith,,وَأَمَّاand as forأَبُوAbuثَوْرٍThawr,,فَلَمْhe did notيَكُنbeيَعْرِفُهُknow it,,وَلَاnorيَعْرِفُhe knewإِلَّاexceptمُرْجِئَةًthe Murji'ahالْفُقَهَاءِof the jurists,,فَلِهَذَاthereforeحَكَhe narratedالإِجْمَاعَthe consensusعَلَىonخِلَافِthe contraryقَوْلِthe statementالْجَهْمِيَّةِof the Jahmitesوَالْكَرَّامِيَّةِand the Karramites.. قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuثَوْرٍThawrفِيinرَدِّهِhis responseعَلَىtoالْمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahكَمَاasرَوَىnarratedذَٰلِكَthatأَبُوAbuالْقَاسِمِAl-QasimالتَّبَرِيAl-TabariاللالكائيAl-Lalakaiوَغَيْرِهِand otherعَنْfromإِدْرِيسَIdrisبِنِbinعَبْدِAbdالْكَرِيمِAl-Karim,,قَالَsaid::سَأَلَA man askedرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofخُراسانَKhorasanأَبَاAbuثَوْرٍThawrعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِfaithوَمَاand whatهُوَit isأَيَزِيدُdoes it increaseوَيَنْقُصُ؟and decrease?وَقَوْلٌand statementهُوَit isأَوْorقَوْلٌa statementوَعَمَلٌ؟and action?أَوْorتَصْدِيقٌacknowledgementوَعَمَلٌ؟and action?فَأَجَابَهُSo he answered himأَبُوAbuثَوْرٍThawrبِهَذَاwith thisفَقَالَhe said(سَأَلْتَ(You askedرَحِمَكَmay Allah have mercy on youاللَّهُAllahوَعَفَاand forgiveعَنَّاusوَعَنكَand youعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِfaithمَاwhatهُوَit is،,يَزِيدُincreasesوَيَنْقُصُ؟and decreases?وَقَوْلٌand statementهُوَisأَوْorقَوْلٌa statementوَعَمَلٌ؟and action?أَوْorتَصْدِيقٌacknowledgementوَعَمَلٌ؟and action?فَأُخْبِرُكَI will inform youبِقَوْلِof the sayingsالطَّوَائِفِof the groupsوَاخْتِلَافِهِمand their differences.
And they denied the truths found in His creations and laws, which has become a reason for the repulsion of most of the wise who understood their statement about what they assume is the tradition. For they were claiming that the statement of the people of the tradition regarding predestination is the statement that was innovated by Jahm, and this will be further elaborated in another place. The aim here is that the predecessors, in their rejection of the Murji'ah, the Jahmites, the Qadarites, and others, reject from their statements what reaches them from them and what they heard from some of them, and this may be a statement from a group of them, or it may be an altered narration. Therefore, they rejected the Murji'ah who make religion and faith one and say it is the statement. Also, there was not in their time any Murji'ah who said: faith is merely a statement without belief or knowledge in the heart, for this was indeed innovated by Ibn Karram, and this is what he uniquely elaborated upon; as for the rest of what he said, these are statements that were said before him. And for this reason, Al-Ash'ari and others who recount the statements of people did not mention a statement that he uniquely elaborated on except this one. And as for the rest of his statements, they recount them from people before him and do not mention him. Ibn Karram was not in the time of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others of the Imams, and for this reason, they narrated the consensus of the people against this statement, as mentioned by Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Abu Thawr and others. The statement of the Murji'ah before him was: faith is a statement by the tongue and belief by the heart, and the statement of Jahm was that it is the belief of the heart. When Ibn Karram said it is merely a statement of the tongue, the statements of the Murji'ah became three. However, Ahmad was more knowledgeable of the statements of the people than others, and he knew the statement of the Jahmites regarding faith. As for Abu Thawr, he did not know it and only knew the Murji'ah of the jurists; therefore, he narrated the consensus against the statement of the Jahmites and the Karramites. Abu Thawr said in his response to the Murji'ah, as reported by Abu Al-Qasim Al-Tabari Al-Lalakai and others from Idris ibn Abdul Karim, that: a man from the people of Khorasan asked Abu Thawr about faith and what it is, does it increase and decrease? Is it a statement or is it a statement and an action? Or is it acknowledgement and action? He answered therefore: (You asked, may Allah have mercy on you and forgive us and you about faith, what is it? Does it increase or decrease? Is it a statement or is it a statement and an action? Or is it acknowledgement and an action? I will inform you about the sayings of the groups and their differences.)