سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِthe path of Allahأُولَـٰئِكَthoseهُمُthey areٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَthe truthful
Those who are on the path of Allah are the truthful.
وَقَالَAnd Allah saidتَعَالَىٰMost HighفَإِنْIfتَابُواthey repentوَأَقَامُواand establishٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayerوَآتَوُاand giveٱلزَّكَاةَthe zakatفَخَلُّواthen let them goسَبِيلَهُمْtheir path
And Allah Most High said, "If they repent, establish the prayer, and give the zakat, then let them go their way."
وَقَالَAnd Allah saidتَعَالَىٰMost HighفَإِنْIfتَابُواthey repentوَأَقَامُواand establishٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayerوَآتَوُاand giveٱلزَّكَاةَthe zakatفَإِخْوَانُكُمْthen your brothersفِيinالدِّينِthe religion
And Allah Most High said, "If they repent, establish the prayer, and give the zakat, then they are your brothers in the religion."
وَقَالَAnd He saidوَمَاand whatأُمِرُواthey were commandedإِلَّاexceptلِيَعْبُدُواto worshipٱللَّـهَAllahمُخْلِصِينَsincereلَهُto Himٱلدِّينَthe religionحُنَفَاءَincliningوَيُقِيمُواand establishٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayerوَيُؤْتُواand giveٱلزَّكَاةَthe zakatوَذَٰلِكَand thatدِينُthe religionٱلْقَيِّمَةِthe upright
And He said, "And they were commanded only to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and give zakat; and that is the upright religion."
قَالَAhmad saidوَيَلْزَمُهُand he mustأَنْtoيَقُولَsayهُوَ he isمُؤْمِنٌa believerبِإِقْرَارِهِby his testimonyوَإِنْand ifأَقَرَّhe acknowledgesبِٱلزَّكَاةِthe zakatفِيinٱلْجُمْلَةِgeneralوَلَمْand if notيَجِدْhe findsفِيinكُلِّeveryمِئَتَيْtwo hundredدِرْهَامٍdirhamsخَمْسَةٌfiveأَنَّهُthat heمُؤْمِنٌis a believerفَيَلْزَمُهُthen he mustأَنْtoيَقُولَsayإِذَاifأَقَرَّhe acknowledgedثُمَّthenشَدَّhe tiedٱلزِّنَارَa beltفِيinوَسَطِهِthe middle of himوَصَلَّىand prayedلِلصَّلِيبِto the crossوَأَتَىand wentٱلْكَنَائِسَto the churchesوَٱلْبِيَعَand the synagoguesوَعَمِلَand committedٱلْكَبَـَائِرَmajor sinsكُلَّهَاallإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat heفِيinذَٰلِكَthatمُقِرٌّacknowledgesبِٱللَّـهِwith Allahفَيَلْزَمُهُthen he mustأَنْtoيَكُونَbeعِندَهُwith himمُؤْمِنًاa believerوَهَذِهِand theseٱلْأَشْيَاءُthingsمِنْofأَشْنَعِthe most heinousمَاwhatيُلْزِمُهُمْis required of them
Ahmad said, "He must say he is a believer by his testimony, and if he acknowledges the zakat in general and does not find five in every two hundred dirhams, then he is a believer; and he must say if he acknowledges, then if he ties a belt around himself, prays to the cross, goes to the churches and synagogues, and commits all major sins, except that he acknowledges Allah, then he must be considered a believer. These things are among the most heinous of what is required of them."
قُلْتُI saidهَذَاthisٱلَّذِىwhichذَكَرَهُhe mentionedٱلْإِمَامُthe ImamأَحْمَدُAhmadمِنْfromأَحْسَنِthe bestمَاwhatاحْتَجَّpeople have used as a proofٱلنَّاسُthe peopleبِهِby itعَلَيْهِمagainst themجَمَعَhe gatheredفِيinذَٰلِكَthatجُمْلاًmany statementsيَقُولُsayingغَيْرَهُothersبَعْضُهَاsome of themوَهَذَاand thisٱلْإِلْزَامُimpositionلَاnoمَحِيصٌway outلَهُمْfor themعَنْهُfrom itوَلِهَٰذَاand for this reasonلَمَّاwhenعَرَفَhe knewمُتَكَلِّمَهُمْtheir speakersمِثْلَlikeجَهْمٍJahmوَمَنْand whoeverوَافَقَهُagrees with himأَنَّهُthat heلَازِمٌa requirementٱلتَّزَمُوهُthey adheredوَقَالُواand they saidلَوْifفَعَلَhe didمَاwhatفَعَلَhe didمِنْofٱلْأَفْعَالِthe actionsٱلظَّـَّاهِرَةِthe apparentلَمْhe would notيَكُنْbeبِذَٰلِكَwith thatكَافِرًاa disbelieverفِيinternallyلَٰكِنْbutيَكُونُhe would beدَلِيلًاa proofعَلَىofٱلْكُفْرِdisbeliefفِيinأَحْكَامِrulingsٱلدُّنْيَاof the worldفَإِذَاifاحْتَجَّhe used proofعَلَيْهِمagainst themبِنُصُوصٍwith textsتَقْتَضِيthat necessitateأَنَّهُthat heيَكُونَwould beكَافِرًاdisbelieverفِيinٱلْأٓخِرَةِthe Hereafterقَالُواthey saidفَهَذِهِtheseٱلنُّصُوصُtextsتَدُلُّindicateعَلَىonأَنَّهُthat heفِيinٱلْبَاطِنِthe interiorلَيْسَnotمَعَهُwith himمِنْofمَعْرِفَةِknowledgeٱللَّـهِAllahشَيْءٌanythingفَإِنَّهَاfor theyعِندَهُمْwith themشَيْءٌone thingوَاحِدٌoneفَخَالَفُواthey contradictedصَرِيحًاthe clearٱلْمَعْقُولِreasonوَصَرِيحًاand the clearٱلشَّرْعِthe law
I said, "What the Imam Ahmad mentioned is one of the best proofs people have used against them. He gathered in this many statements that others say some of them. This imposition has no way out for them. And for this reason, when their speakers like Jahm and those who agree with him recognized that it is a necessity, they adhered to it and said, 'If he did the apparent actions, he would not be a disbeliever inside, but would be a proof of disbelief in the rulings of the world.' If proof is used against them by texts that necessitate that he would be a disbeliever in the Hereafter, they said, 'These texts indicate that internally he has no knowledge of Allah.' For they consider it one thing, hence they contradicted the clear rational and clear religious texts.
وَهَذَاAnd thisٱلْقَوْلُstatementمَعَwithفَسَادِهِits corruptionعَقْلًاin reasonوَشَرْعًاand in lawوَمَعَand withكَوْنِهِits beingعِندَwithٱلتحقيقِthe verificationلَاnotيُثَبِتُestablish aإِيمَانًاbeliefفَإِنَّهُمْfor theyجَعَلُواmadeٱلْإِيمَانَthe beliefشَيْئًاsomethingوَاحِدًاoneلَاnotحَقِيقَةًtruthلَهُto itكَمَاjust asقَالَتْthey saidٱلْجَهْمِيَّةُthe Jahmitesوَمَنْand whoeverوَافَقَهُمagrees with themمِثْلَlikeذَٰلِكَthisفِيinوَحْدَةِthe onenessٱلرَّبِّof the Lordأَنَّهُthat itذَاتٌis a beingبِلَاwithoutصِفَاتٍattributesوَقَالُواand they saidبِأَنَّthatٱلْقُرْآنَthe Quranمَخْلُوقٌis createdوَأَنَّand thatٱللَّـهَAllahلَاnotيُرَىbe seenفِيinٱلْآخِرَةِthe Hereafterوَمَاand whatيَقُولُhe saysمِنْofوَحْدَةِthe onenessٱلْكَلَامِof the speechوَغَيْرِهِand othersمِنْofٱلصِّفَاتِthe attributes
And this statement, despite its corruption in reason and law, and although its verification does not establish belief. For they made belief something singular without any reality to it, just as the Jahmites and those who agree with them said about the oneness of the Lord: it is a being without attributes; and they said that the Quran is created, and that Allah cannot be seen in the Hereafter, and what he says about the oneness of speech and other attributes.
فَقَوْلُهُمْTheir sayingفِيinٱلرَّبِّthe Lordوَصِفَاتِهِand His attributesوَكَلاَمِهِand His speechوَٱلْإِيمَانِand beliefبِهِin Himيَرْجِعُreturnsإِلَىtoتَعْطِيلِthe denialمَحْضٍpureوَهَذَاand thisقَدْ وَقَعَhas occurredفِيin itطَوَائِفَgroupsكَثِيرَةٍmanyمِنَofٱلْمُتَأَخِّرِينَthe later generationsٱلْمُنْتَسِبِينَclaimingإِلَىtoٱلسُّنَّةِthe Sunnahوَٱلْفِقْهِand jurisprudenceوَٱلْحَدِيثِand Hadithٱلْمُتَّبِعِينَfollowingلِلْأَئِمَّةِthe imamsٱلْأَرْبَعَةِthe fourٱلْمُتَعَصِّبِينَwho are fanaticalلِلْجَهْمِيَّةِto the Jahmitesوَٱلْمُعْتَزِلَةِand the Mu'tazilahبَلْratherوَلِلْمُرْجِئَةِand the Murji'ahأَيْضًاalsoلَكِنْbutلِعَدَمِfor the lackمَعْرِفَتِهِمof their knowledgeبِٱلْحَقَائِقِof the realitiesٱلَّتِيthatنَشَأَتْcameمِنْهَاfrom itٱلْبِدَعُthe innovationsيَجْمَعُونَthey combineبَيْنَbetweenٱلضِّدَّينِthe opposites
Their saying about the Lord and His attributes, and belief in Him, returns to pure denial. And this has occurred among many groups of later generations, claiming to be followers of the Sunnah, jurisprudence, and Hadith, following the four imams who are fanatical towards the Jahmites, the Mu'tazilah, and also the Murji'ah. But for lack of their knowledge of the realities that brought forth the innovations, they combine between opposites.