وَالْمَأْخَذُAnd the understandingالثَّانِيthe secondفِيinالِاسْتِثْنَاءِ،the exception,أَنْthatالْإِيْمَانَthe faithالْمُطْلَقَthe absoluteيَتَضَمَّنُincludesفِعْلًathe actionمَاwhatأَمَرَAllah commandedبِهِ عَبْدَهُHis servantكُلَّهُallوَتَرْكَand leavingالْمُحَرَّمَاتِthe forbidden thingsكُلَّهَا،all of them,فَإِذَاifقَالَa man saysالرَّجُلُthe man:أَنَاI amمُؤْمِنٌa believerبِهَذَا الْاعْتِبَارِ،in this regard,فَقَدْthen he hasشَهِدَwitnessedلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبَأَنَّهُthat he isمِنَofالْأَبْرَارِthe righteousالْمُتَّقِينَthe piousالْقَائِمِينَthe ones who performبِفِعْلِthe actsجَمِيعِallمَاthat whichأُمِرُواthey were commandedبِهِ،with,وَتَرْكَand leaveكُلِّallمَاthat whichنُهُواthey were forbiddenعَنْهُ،from,فَيَكُونُso he becomesمِنَofأَوْلِيَاءِthe friendsاللَّهِ ،of Allah,وَهَذَاand thisمِنَis fromتَزْكِيَةِthe purificationالْإِنْسَانِof the personلِنَفْسِهِ،for himself,وَشَهَادَتِهِand his testimonyلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِمَاabout whatلَاdoes notيَعْلَمُknowوَلَوْand ifكَانَتْit wasهَذِهِthisالشَّهَادَةُtestimonyصَحِيحَةًcorrectلَكَانَit shouldيَنْبَغِيbe appropriateلَهُfor himأَنْtoيَشْهَدَtestifyلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِالْجَنَّةِto Paradiseإِنْifمَاتَhe diesعَلَىduringهَذِهِthisالْحَالِcondition, وَلَا, and no oneأَحَدٌoneيَشْهَدُtestifiesلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِالْجَنَّةِ،to Paradise,فَشَهَادَتُهُhis testimonyلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِالْإِيْمَانِto faithكَشَهَادَتِهِis like his testimonyلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِالْجَنَّةِto Paradiseإِذَاifمَاتَhe diesعَلَىinهَذِهِthisالْحَالِ،condition,وَهَذَاand thisمَأْخَذٌis an understandingعَامٌّof the generalالسَّلَفِpredecessorsالَّذِينَwhoكَانُواwereيَسْتَثْنُونَ،absolving,وَإِنْand ifجَوَّزُواthey permittedتَرْكَto leaveالِاسْتِثْنَاءِthe exceptionبِمَعْنَىin meaningآخَرَ،another,كَمَاasسَنَذْكُرُهُwe will mention itإِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى .if Allah wills.
And the second understanding regarding exception is that absolute faith encompasses doing everything that Allah has commanded His servant and avoiding all prohibitions. So if a man says: 'I am a believer in this regard,' he has witnessed for himself that he is among the righteous, the pious, the ones who perform all that they are commanded to do and leave everything they are forbidden from, thus he becomes one of the friends of Allah. This is the purification of a person for himself, and his testimony for himself about what he does not know. And if this testimony were correct, it would be appropriate for him to testify for himself that he will go to Paradise if he dies in this condition, and no one testifies for himself to Paradise. His testimony for himself regarding faith is like his testimony for himself regarding Paradise if he dies in this condition. This is the understanding of the general predecessors who used to make exceptions, even though they permitted leaving the exception in another meaning, as we will mention if Allah wills.
قَالَSaidالْخَلَّالُAl-Khallalفِيinكِتَابِthe bookالسُّنَّةِ :of Sunnah:حَدَّثَنَاWe were informed byسُلَيْمَانَSulaimanابْنَson ofالْأَشْعَثِ،Al-Ash'ath,يَعْنِيmeaningأَبَاAbuدَاوُدَDawoodالسُّجِستانِي،the Sijistani,قَالَ:he said:سَمِعْتُI heardأَبَاAbuعَبْدِاللَّهِAbdullahأَحْمَدَAhmadابْنَson ofحَنْبَلَ،Hanbal,قَالَhe saidلَهُto himرَجُلٌ:a man:قِيلَIt was said to meلِي :to me:أَمُؤْمِنٌAre you a believer?أَنتَ؟You?قُلْتُ :I said:نَعَم،Yes,هَلIsعَلَيْthere uponفِيinذَاكَthatشَيْءٌ؟anything?هَلAreالنَّاسُthe peopleإِلَّاexceptمُؤْمِنٌbelieverوَكَافِرٌ؟and disbeliever?فَغَضِبَSo he got angryأَحْمَدُ،Ahmad,وَقَالَ:and he said:هَذَاthisكَلَامٌspeechالإِرْجَاءِ،of postponement,قَالَAllah saidاللَّهُ تَعَالَى:the Most High:﴾وَاخَرُونَ﴾And othersمُرْجَوُونَare postponedلِأَمْرِfor the commandاللَّهِ)of Allah)[التَّوْبَةِ : ۱۰۷][At-Tawbah: 107]مِنْFromهَـٰؤُلَاءِ،these,ثُمَّThenقَالَ: أَحْمَدُAhmad said:أَلَيْسَIsn't itالإِيْمَانُfaithقَوْلًasayingوَعَمَلًا؟and action?قَالَThe man saidلَهُto himالرَّجُلُ :man:بَلَىYes.قَالَ :He said:فَجِئْنَاSo we cameبِالْقَوْلِ؟with the saying?قَالَ :The man said:نَعَمYes,قَالَ :He said:فَجِئْنَاSo we cameبِالْعَمَلِ؟with the action?قَالَ:He said:لَا،No,قَالَ :He said:فَكَيْفَSo howتَعِيبُcan you criticizeأَنْthatيَقُولَ :he says:إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُIf Allah willsوَيَسْتَثْنِي؟!and makes exceptions?
Al-Khallal said in the book of Sunnah: 'We were informed by Sulaiman ibn Al-Ash'ath, meaning Abu Dawood the Sijistani. He said: I heard Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and a man said to him: 'It was said to me: Are you a believer?' I said: Yes, is there anything upon me in that? Are the people except for a believer and a disbeliever?' Ahmad got angry and said: 'This is the speech of postponement.' Allah the Most High said: ﴿And others are postponed for the command of Allah﴾ [At-Tawbah: 107]. Who are these? Then Ahmad said: 'Is not faith a saying and an action?' The man said to him: 'Yes.' He said: 'So we come with the saying?' The man said: 'Yes.' He said: 'So we come with the action?' The man said: 'No.' He said: 'Then how can you criticize him saying: If Allah wills and making exceptions?'
قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuدَاوُدَ:Dawood:أَخْبَرَنِيHe informed meأَحْمَدُAhmadابْنَthe son ofأَبِيof AbuشُرَيْحٍShuraikhأَنْthatأَحْمَدَAhmadابْنَson ofحَنْبَلَ،Hanbal,كَتَبَwroteإِلَيْهِto himفِيinهَذِهِthisالْمَسْأَلَةِ:issue:أَنْthatالإِيْمَانَfaithقَوْلٌis sayingوَعَمَلٌand actionفَجِئْنَاso we cameبِالْقَوْلِwith the sayingوَلَمْand we did notنَجِيْءَcomeبِالْعَمَلِ،with action,فَنَحْنُso weنَسْتَثْنِيmake exceptionsفِيinالْعَمَلِthe workوَذَكَرَand mentionedالْخَلَّالَAl-Khallalهَذَاthisالْجَوَابَanswerمِنْfromرِوَايَةِthe narrationالْفَضْلِof Al-Fadlابْنِthe son ofزِيَادٍ،Ziyaad,وَقَالَ:and he said:زَادَhe addedالْفَضْلُAl-FadlسَمِعْتُI heardأَبَاAbuعَبْدِاللَّهِAbdullahيَقُولُ:saying:كَانَwasسُلَيْمَانُSulaimanابْنُson ofحَرْبٍHarbيَحْمِلُcarriedهَذَاthisعَلَىonالتَّقَبُّلِ،the acceptance,يَقُولُ:he said:نَحْنُweنَعْمَلُworkوَلَاand do notنَدْرِيknowيَتَقَبَّلُit has acceptedمِنَّاfrom usأَمْorلَا؟not?
Abu Dawood said: 'Ahmad ibn Abu Shuraikh informed me that Ahmad ibn Hanbal wrote to him about this issue: that faith is saying and action, and so we came with the saying and did not come with the action, thus we make exceptions in action.' Al-Khallal mentioned this answer from the narration of Al-Fadl ibn Ziyaad. Al-Fadl added: 'I heard Abu Abdullah say: Sulaiman ibn Harb used to carry this onto acceptance, saying: 'We act and we do not know if it is accepted from us or not?'