يَكُونُto beمَقْرًاa place of establishmentوَمُصَدِّقًاand a confirmationبِمَاof whatعُرِفَis knownفَهُوَso it isمِنْfromثَلاثَةِthreeأَشْيَاءَthings,,وَإِنْand ifجَحَدَhe deniesوَقَالَand said::لَاnoيَحْتَاجُneedsإِلَىtoالْمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقِand the affirmation,,فَقَدْthen he hasقَالَsaidقَوْلًاa sayingعَظِيمًاgreat,,وَلَاand noأَحْسَبُI thinkأَحَدًاanyoneيَدْفَعُto refuteالْمَعْرِفَةَthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقَand the affirmation,,وَكَذَلِكَand likewiseالْعَمَلَthe actionمَعَwithهَذِهِtheseالأَشْيَاءِthings
It must be a place of establishment and confirmation of what is known; it consists of three things. And if he denies it and says: there is no need for knowledge and affirmation, then he has said a great saying, and I do not believe anyone denies knowledge and affirmation, likewise the action with these things.
قُلْتُI said::أَحْمَدُAhmadوَأَبُوand AbuثَوْرٍThawrوَغَيْرِهِمَاand othersمِنَofالْأَئِمَّةِthe imamsكَانُواthey wereقَدْindeedعَرَفُواknownأَصْلَthe originقَوْلِof the sayingالْمُرْجِئَةِof the Murji'ah,,وَهُوَwhich isأَنْthatالإِيمَانُthe faithلَاdoes notيَذْهَبُgo awayبَعْضُهُsome of itوَيَبْقَىand remainsبَعْضُهُsome of it,,فَلَاso it does notيَكُونُbecomeإِلَّاexceptشَيْئًاa thingواحِدًاone,,فَلَاso it does notيَكُونُbecomeذَاofعَدَدٍa numberاثْنَيْنِtwoأَوْorثَلاثَةٍthree,,فَإِنَّهُfor if itإِذَاwhenكَانَwasلَهُto itعَدَدٌa numberأَمْكَنَcouldذَهَابُleavingبَعْضِهِsome of itوَبَقَاءُand remainingبَعْضِهِsome of it,,بَلْratherلَاnotيَكُونُbecomeإِلَّاexceptشَيْئًاa thingواحِدًاone,,وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonقَالَتْthe Jahmites saidالْجَهْمِيَّةُthe Jahmite:,إِنَّهُthat itشَيْءٌis a thingواحِدٌoneفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heart,,وَقَالَتْand the Karamites saidالْكَرَامِيَّةُthe Karamites::إِنَّهُthat itشَيْءٌis a thingواحِدٌoneعَلَىonاللِّسَانِthe tongue,,كُلُّallذَلِكَof thatفِرَارًاfleeingمِنْfromتَبَعُّضِthe partitionالْإِيمَانِof faithوَتَعَدُّدِهِand its multiplicity,,فَلِهَذَاand for this reasonصَارُواthey becameيُنَاظِرُونَهُمْarguing with themبِمَاwith whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىthatأَنَّهُit is notلَيْسَnotشَيْئًاa thingواحِدًاone,,كَمَاasقُلْتُمْyou said,,فَأَبُوso AbuثَوْرٍThawrاحْتَجَّarguedبِمَاwith whatاجْتَمَعَhad agreedعَلَيْهِuponالْفُقَهَاءُthe juristsالْمُرْجِئَةُthe Murji'ahمِنْofأَنَّهُthat itتَصْدِيقٌis affirmationوَعَمَلٌand action,,وَلَمْand notيَكُنْbeبَلَغَهُreachedقَوْلُthe sayingمُتَكَلِّمِيهِمof their speakersوَجَهْمِيَّتِهِمand their Jahmites,,أَوْorلَمْdid notيُعَدُّconsiderخِلَافَهُمْtheir disagreementخِلَافًاa disagreement,,وَأَحْمَدُand Ahmadذَكَرَmentionedأَنَّهُthat itلَاthere is notبَدٌّnecessityمِنَofالْمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقِand the affirmationمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentوَقَالَand he saidإِنَّthatمَنْanyoneجَحَدَdeniesالْمَعْرِفَةَthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقَand the affirmation,,فَقَدْthen he hasقَالَsaidقَوْلًاa sayingعَظِيمًاgreat,,فَإِنَّfor indeedفَسَادَthe corruptionهَذَاof thisالْقَوْلُsayingمَعْلُومٌis knownمِنْfromدِينِthe religionالإِسْلَامِof Islam!وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonلَمْdid notيَذْهَبْgoإِلَيْهِto itأَحَدٌanyoneقَبْلَbeforeالْكَرَامِيَّةِthe Karamites,,مَعَalthoughأَنْthatالْكَرَامِيَّةَthe Karamitesلَاnotتُنْكِرُdenyوُجُوبَthe necessity ofإِلَى,الْمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقِand the affirmation,,وَلَكِنَّbutتَقُولُthey say::لَاnoيَدْخُلُentersفِيinاسْمِthe nameالإِيمَانِof faithحَذَرًاout of fearمِنْofتَبَعُّضِهِits partitionوَتَعَدُّدِهِand its multiplicity,,لَأَنَّهُمْbecause theyرَأَوْاsawإِنَّهُthat itلَاnotيُمْكِنُpossibleأَنْtoيَذْهَبَgo awayبَعْضُهُsome of itوَيَبْقَىand remainsبَعْضُهُsome of it,,بَلْratherذَلِكَthisيَقْتَضِيnecessitatesأَنْthatيَجْتَمِعَthere are gatheredفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartإِيمَانٌa faithوَكُفْرٌand disbelief,,وَاعْتَقَدُواand they believedالإِجْمَاعَthe consensusعَلَىuponنَفِيdenyingذَلِكَthat,,كَمَاasذَكَرَmentionedهَذَاthisالإِجْمَاعَconsensusالْأَشْعَرِيُّof al-Ash'ariوَغَيْرِهِand others.
I said: Ahmad, Abu Thawr, and others among the imams have indeed known the origin of the saying of the Murji'ah, which is that faith does not lose some of it and remain some of it; it can only be one thing, so it cannot be two or three. For if it has a number, it is possible for some of it to go and some of it to remain; rather, it can only be one thing. For this reason, the Jahmites said: it is one thing in the heart, and the Karamites said: it is one thing on the tongue, all of this fleeing from partition and multiplicity of faith. For this reason, they became argumentative with them, indicating that it is not one thing, as you said.
فَأَبُوso AbuثَوْرٍThawrاحْتَجَّarguedبِمَاwith whatاجْتَمَعَhad agreedعَلَيْهِuponالْفُقَهَاءُthe juristsالْمُرْجِئَةُthe Murji'ahمِنَofأَنَّهُthat itتَصْدِيقٌis affirmationوَعَمَلٌand action,,وَلَمْand notيَكُنْbeبَلَغَهُreachedقَوْلُthe sayingمُتَكَلِّمِيهِمof their speakersوَجَهْمِيَّتِهِمand their Jahmites,,أَوْorلَمْdid notيُعَدُّconsiderخِلَافَهُمْtheir disagreementخِلَافًاa disagreement,,وَأَحْمَدُand Ahmadذَكَرَmentionedأَنَّهُthat itلَاthere is notبَدٌّnecessityمِنَofالْمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقِand the affirmationمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentوَقَالَand he saidإِنَّthatمَنْanyoneجَحَدَdeniesالْمَعْرِفَةَthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقَand the affirmation,,فَقَدْthen he hasقَالَsaidقَوْلًاa sayingعَظِيمًاgreat,,فَإِنَّfor indeedفَسَادَthe corruptionهَذَاof thisالْقَوْلُsayingمَعْلُومٌis knownمِنْfromدِينِthe religionالإِسْلَامِof Islam!وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonلَمْdid notيَذْهَبْgoإِلَيْهِto itأَحَدٌanyoneقَبْلَbeforeالْكَرَامِيَّةِthe Karamites,,مَعَalthoughأَنْthatالْكَرَامِيَّةَthe Karamitesلَاnotتُنْكِرُdenyوُجُوبَthe necessity ofإِلَى,الْمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالتَّصْدِيقِand the affirmation,,وَلَكِنَّbutتَقُولُthey say::لَاnoيَدْخُلُentersفِيinاسْمِthe nameالإِيمَانِof faithحَذَرًاout of fearمِنْofتَبَعُّضِهِits partitionوَتَعَدُّدِهِand its multiplicity,,لَأَنَّهُمْbecause theyرَأَوْاsawإِنَّهُthat itلَاnotيُمْكِنُpossibleأَنْtoيَذْهَبَgo awayبَعْضُهُsome of itوَيَبْقَىand remainsبَعْضُهُsome of it,,بَلْratherذَلِكَthisيَقْتَضِيnecessitatesأَنْthatيَجْتَمِعَthere are gatheredفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartإِيمَانٌa faithوَكُفْرٌand disbelief,,وَاعْتَقَدُواand they believedالإِجْمَاعَthe consensusعَلَىuponنَفِيdenyingذَلِكَthat,,كَمَاasذَكَرَmentionedهَذَاthisالإِجْمَاعَconsensusالْأَشْعَرِيُّof al-Ash'ariوَغَيْرِهِand others.
So Abu Thawr argued with what the jurists of the Murji'ah agreed upon, that it is affirmation and action, and it had not reached the sayings of their speakers and Jahmites, or considered their disagreement a disagreement. Ahmad mentioned that there is a necessity of knowledge and affirmation with acknowledgment, and he said that anyone who denies knowledge and affirmation, then he has said a great saying, for indeed the corruption of this saying is known from the religion of Islam! And for this reason, no one went to it before the Karamites, although the Karamites do not deny the necessity of knowledge and affirmation, but they say: no, it does not enter into the name of faith out of fear of its partition and multiplicity, because they saw that it is not possible for some of it to go away and some of it to remain.
وَهَذِهِand thisالشُّبْهَةُsuspicionالَّتِيthat whichأَوْقَعَتْهُمْcaused themمَعَwithعِلْمٍknowledgeكَثِيرٍmanyمِنْهُمْof themوَعِبَادَتِهِمand his worshipوَحُسْنَand goodإِسْلَامِهِمIslamوَإِيمَانِهِمand faith,,وَلِهَذَاand for this reasonدَخَلَتْenteredفِيintoإِرْجَاءِthe postponementالْفُقَهَاءِof the juristsجَمَاعَةٌa groupهُمthey areعِندَamongالأُمَّةِthe nationأَهْلٌthe peopleعِلْمٍof knowledgeوَدِينٍand religion.وَلِهَذَاAnd for this reasonلَمْdid notيَكَفِّرْdeclare as non-believerأَحَدٌanyoneمِنَofالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsأَحَدًاanyoneمِنَofمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji'ahالْفُقَهَاءِthe jurists,,بَلْbutجَعَلُواthey consideredهَذَاthisمِنَfromبِدَعِinnovationsالأَقْوَالِof sayingsوَالأَفْعَالِand actions,,لَاnotمِنَfromبِدَعِthe innovationsالْعَقَائِدِof beliefsفَإِنَّfor indeedكَثِيرًاmanyمِنَofالنِّزَاعِcontentionsفِيهَاin itلَفَظِيٌّis verbal,,لَكِنَّbutاللَّفْظُthe wordingالْمُطَابِقُthat correspondsلِلْكِتَابِto the Bookوَالسُّنَّةِand the Sunnahهُوَisالصَّوَابُthe correctفَلَيْسَtherefore notلِأَحَدٍto anyoneأَنْtoيَقُولَsayبِخِلَافِcontrary toقَوْلِthe statementاللَّهِof Allahوَرَسُولِهِand His Messenger,,لَاسِيَّمَاespeciallyوَقَدْand hasصَارَbecomeذَلِكَthisذَرِيعَةًan excuseإِلَىtoبِدَعِthe innovationsأَهْلِof the peopleالْكَلَامِof speechمِنْofأَهْلِthe peopleالإِرْجَاءِof postponementوَغَيْرِهِمand others,,وَإِلَىand toظُهُورِthe emergenceالْفَسَقِof corruption,,فَصَارَand thus it becameذَلِكَthatالْخَطَأُmistakeالْيَسِيرُthe trivialفِيinاللَّفْظِwordingسَبَبًاa causeلِخَطَأٍfor a great mistakeعَظِيمٍmajor
And this suspicion that caused them along with much of their knowledge and worship and good Islam and faith. For this reason, a group of the jurists entered into the postponement, who are considered by the nation to be people of knowledge and religion. And for this reason, no one of the predecessors declared anyone from the Murji'ah jurists as non-believers, but they regarded this as a bid'ah among sayings and actions, not among the innovations of beliefs; for indeed, many of the contentions in it are verbal. But the wording that corresponds to the Book and the Sunnah is the correct one, so it is not for anyone to say contrary to the saying of Allah and His Messenger, especially since this has become an excuse for the innovations of the people of speech from the followers of postponement and others, and the emergence of corruption, thus that trivial mistake in wording became a cause of a great mistake.