يَكونُisمُصَدِّقًاa believerبِمَاin whatعَرَفَ؟he has known?
Is he a believer in what he has known?
فَإنَّIfزَعَمَhe claimsأَنَّهُthat heيَحتاجُneedsإِلَىtoالمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentفَقَدْthenزَعَمَhe has claimedأَنَّهُthat heمِنْis fromشَيئينَ،two things,وَإِنْAnd ifزَعَمَhe claimsأَنَّهُthat heيَحتاجُneedsأَنْtoيَكونَbeمُقَرًّاacknowledgedوَمُصَدِّقًاand believedبِمَاin whatعَرَفَ،he has known,فَهُوَthen he isمِنْofثَلاثَةٍthreeأَشْيَاءَthings.
If he claims that he needs knowledge with acknowledgment, then he has claimed that he is one of two things. And if he claims that he needs to be acknowledged and believed in what he has known, then he is one of three things.
فَإنَّIfجَحَدَhe deniesوَقالَand saysلاnoيَحتاجُneedsإِلَىtoالمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeوَالتَّصْديقِ،and belief,فَقَدْthen he hasأَتىbroughtعَظِيمًاgreatوَلاand noأَحسَبُI thinkامْرَئًاa personيَدْفَعُwould denyالمَعْرِفَةَknowledgeوَالتَّصْديقَand belief.
If he denies and says he does not need knowledge and belief, then he has brought forth a great matter, and I do not think a person would deny knowledge and belief.
وَالَّذِينَAnd those whoقالُواsaidالإِيْمَانَfaithهُوَisالإِقْرَارُ،the acknowledgment,فَالْإِقْرَارُthen the acknowledgmentبِاللِّسَانِby the tongueيَتَضَمَّنُentailsالتَّصْديقَbeliefبِاللِّسَانِ،by the tongue,وَالْمُرْجِئَةُand the Murji’ahلَمhave notتَخْتَلِفْdifferedأَنَّthatالإِقْرَارَthe acknowledgmentبِاللِّسَانِby the tongueفِيْهِentails it,التَّصْديقَ،the belief,فَعُلِمَtherefore it is knownأَنَّهُthat itأَرَادَhe meantتَصْدِيقَthe beliefالقَلْبِof the heartوَمَعْرِفَتَهُand its knowledgeمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِthe acknowledgmentبِاللِّسَانِby the tongue.
And those who said that faith is the acknowledgment, then the acknowledgment by the tongue entails belief by the tongue; and the Murji’ah have not differed that the acknowledgment by the tongue entails belief. Therefore, it is known that he meant the belief of the heart and its knowledge with the acknowledgment by the tongue.
إِلَّاUnlessيُقالُit is saidأَرَادَhe meantتَصْدِيقَthe beliefالقَلْبِof the heartوَاللِّسَانِand the tongueجَمِيعًاtogetherمَعَwithالمَعْرِفَةِthe knowledgeوَالْإِقْرَارِand the acknowledgmentوَمُرَادُهُand what he meantبِالإِقْرَارِby the acknowledgmentالَالْتِزَامَis the commitmentلاnotالتَّصْديقَthe beliefكَمَاasقالَhe saidتَعَالَى:the Almighty:وَإِذْAnd whenأَخَذَhe tookاللَّهُAllahمِيثَاقَthe covenantالنَّبِيّينَof the ProphetsلَمَّاwhenوَآتَيْتُكُمI have given youمِنْfromكِتَابٍa bookوَحِكْمَةٍand wisdomثُمَّthenجَاءَكُمْcame to youرَسُولٌa Messengerمُصَدِّقٌconfirmingلِمَاwhatمَعَكُمْis with youلَتُؤْمِنُنَّsurely you will believeبِهِin himوَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُand surely you will support him.قَالَHe saidوَأَقْرَرْتُمْand you have acknowledgedوَأَخَذْتُمْand you tookعَلَىuponذَٰلِكُمْthisإِصْرِيmy covenant.قَالُواThey saidأَقْرَرْنَاWe have acknowledged.قَالَHe saidفَأَشْهَدُواthen bear witnessوَأَنَاand I amمَعَكُمْwith youمِنَofالشَّهِدِينَthe witnesses.
Unless it is said he meant the belief of the heart and the tongue together, with knowledge and acknowledgment. What he meant by the acknowledgment is the commitment, not the belief, as He, the Almighty, said: "And when Allah took the covenant from the Prophets, saying: 'When I give you from a book and wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you, surely you will believe in him and support him.' He said, 'And have you acknowledged, and taken upon this my covenant?' They said, 'We have acknowledged.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you of the witnesses.'" (Al-Imran). The covenant taken upon them is that they believe in him and support him, and they were commanded with this, and this acknowledgment is not a belief.
وَلَيْسَAnd this is notهَذاthisالإِقْرَارُacknowledgmentتَصْديقًا،as belief,فَإنَّfor indeedاللَّهَAllahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedلَمdid notيُخْبِرْهُمْinform themبِخَبَرٍof a newsبَلْbutأَوْجَبَobliged themعَلَيْهِمْupon themإِذَاwhenجَاءَهُمْcomes to themذَٰلِكَthatالرَّسُولُMessengerأَنْthat theyيُؤْمِنُواshould believeبِهِ،in him,وَيَنْصُرُوهُand support him.
And this acknowledgment is not belief, for indeed Allah, the Exalted, did not inform them of a news, but obliged them that when that Messenger comes to them, they should believe in him and support him.
فَصَدَّقُواSo they believedبِهَذَاthrough thisالإِقْرَارِacknowledgmentوَالْتَزَمُوا،and committed,فَهَذَاthis isهُوَtheإِقْرَارُهُمْ،their acknowledgment,وَالْإِنْسَانُand a personقَدmayيُقِرَّacknowledgeلِلرَّسُولِto the Messengerبِمَعْنَىin the sense thatأَنَّهُheيَلْتَزِمُis committed toمَاwhatيَأْمُرُhe ordersبِهِwith itمَعَalong withغَيْرِother thanمَعْرِفَةٍ،knowledge,وَمِنْand withoutغَيْرِwithoutتَصْديقٍbelieving
So they believed through this acknowledgment and committed, this is their acknowledgment. And a person may acknowledge to the Messenger in the sense that he is committed to what he orders without knowledge, and without believing that he is the Messenger of Allah.
لَكِنَّButلَمno oneيَقُلْsaidأَحَدٌanyoneمِنَofالمُرْجِئَةِthe Murji’ahإِنَّthatهَذَاthisالإِقْرَارُacknowledgmentيَكُونُisإيمَانًا،a belief,بَلْratherلَاnotبِدَwithoutعِندَهُمْamong themمِنْtheالإِقْرَارِacknowledgmentالْخَبَرِيِّ،which is informative,وَهُوَand it isأَنْthatيُقِرَّhe acknowledgesلَهُfor himبِأَنَّهُthat he isرَسُولًاa MessengerمِنَofاللَّهِAllahكَماasيُقِرُّacknowledgesالمُقِرُّthe one who acknowledgesبِمَاwith whatيُقِرُّhe acknowledgesبِهِwith itمِنَofالْحُقُوقِ،the rights,وَاللَّفْظُand the termالإِقْرَارُacknowledgmentيَتَنَاوَلُincludesالِالتِّزَامَthe commitmentوَالتَّصْدِيقَ،and the belief,وَلَاand noبِدَ مِنْهُمَا،less than both,وَقَدْand mayيُرَادَbe intendedبِالإِقْرَارِby the acknowledgmentمَجَرَّدًاmerelyالتَّصْدِيقِthe beliefبِدُونِwithoutالاَلْتِزَامِcommitmentللطَّاعَةِ،to obedience,وَالْمُرْجِئَةُand the Murji’ahتَارَةًat timesيَجْعَلُونَmakeهَذَاthisهُوَisالإِيْمَانَ،the belief,وَتَارَةًand at timesيَجْعَلُونَthey makeالإِيْمَانَthe beliefالتَّصْدِيقَthe acknowledgmentوَالِالتِّزَامَand the commitmentمَعًا،together,هَذَاthis isالإِقْرَارُthe acknowledgmentالَّذِيthatيَقُولُهُthey sayفُقَهَاءُthe juristsالمُرْجِئَةُof the Murji’ahإِنَّهُthat it isإيمانٌ،a belief,وَإِلَّاotherwiseلَوْifقَالَhe saidأَنَاIأُطِيعُهُobey himوَلَاand notأُصَدِّقُbelieveأَنَّهُthat heرَسُولُis a Messengerاللَّهِof AllahأَوْorأُصَدِّقُهُI believe himوَلَاand notأَلْتَزِمُcommit toطَاعَتِهِ،obeying him,لَمwould notيَكُنْbeمُسْلِمًاa Muslimوَلَاand notمُؤْمِنًاbelieverعِندَهُمْ.among them.
But no one from the Murji’ah said that this acknowledgment is a belief, but rather there must be among them the acknowledgment of the informative, which is that he acknowledges that he is a Messenger of Allah, just as the one who acknowledges with what he acknowledges of the rights. And the term acknowledgment includes the commitment and belief, and there must be both. And it may be intended by acknowledgment merely the belief without committing to obedience, and the Murji’ah at times make this the belief, and at times they make the belief the acknowledgment and the commitment together. This is the acknowledgment that the jurists of the Murji’ah say that it is a belief; otherwise, if he said, 'I obey him but do not believe that he is a Messenger of Allah,' or 'I believe him but do not commit to obeying him,' he would not be a Muslim nor a believer among them.
وَأَحْمَدُAhmadقَالَsaidلَاnotبِدُونِwithoutمَعَwithهَذَاthisالإِقْرَارِacknowledgmentأَنْthatيَكُونَbeمُصَدِّقًا،a believer,وَأَنْand thatيَكُونَbeعَارِفًا،knowledgeable,وَأَنْand thatيَكُونَbeمُصَدِّقًاbelievingبِمَاin whatعَرَفَhe has knownوَفِيand inرِوَايَةٍnarrationأُخْرَىanotherمُصَدِّقًاbelievingبِمَاin whatأَقَرَّ،he has acknowledged.وَهَذَاAnd thisيَقْتَضِيentailsأthat
Ahmad said that there must be with this acknowledgment the belief, that there must be knowledge, and that there must be belief in what he has known; and in another narration, believing in what he has acknowledged. This entails that he.