Taken From Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

Com The Correct Understanding Of Iman (Faith) According To Ahlus Sunnah & The Incorrect Understanding Of Iman According To The Murjiah By Abdul Kareem Ibn Ozzie

This article has been written in order to refute the Murjiah creed and because Ahlus Sunnah of today (the Salafis) are accused by some groups of Muslims as being the Neo Murjiah (the Murjiah of this era). Therefore this article should inshallah help to provide evidence that Ahlus Sunnah of today are free from the Murjiah creed and opposed to it inshallah. The Murjiah (are a deviated sect that appeared during the era of the taabieen (this was mentioned by Shaykh Uthaymeen in his introduction to his explanation of Aqeedah al Wasitiyyah), they latter split into many sub sects. The Murjiah deviated in their understanding of iman (faith), they (every sect of the Murjiah) incorrectly remove actions from iman. Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan Masaa'il fil Eemaan p18, 19 The Murjiah are of four types: ONE: Those who say that eemaan is merely knowledge (marifah: acknowledgement and affirmation that Allah exists, his messengers all existed (i.e. were alive then died) and acknowledging all that they came with from Allah), even if this is not accompanied by testification (tasdeeq: affirmation of the heart and bearing witness in the heart, that all of what the messenger brought was from Allah (i.e. to firmly believe in all that is in the Quran and the Sunnah). This is the statement of the Jahmiyyah. This is the most evil and the ugliest of statements. It is in fact disbelief (kufr) in Allah Azza wa Jall, because the mushrikoon from the early times, and Pharaoh (Firawn), and Haamaan and Qaaroon and (even) Iblees all acknowledged (the existence) of Allaah, Azza wa Jall, in their hearts. However because they did not state this on their

tongues, nor testify to this in their hearts, nor act upon it with their limbs, then this knowledge did not benefit them. TWO: Those who say that emaan is testification (tasdeeq) in the heart only (tasdeeq implies more than just ma'rifah (knowledge) alone, thus ma'rifah is something that leads to and brings about tasdeeq. So if a person believes emaan is tasdeeq he also believes in marifah (as described earlier above). This is the statement of the Ashaairah (the Asharees). ((My words) Abu Al Hasan Al Ashari (Al Ashari was the founder of the Ashari sect but later left this group changed his ways and refuted their aqeedah and became a scholar of Ahlus Sunnah) "Iman is, believing in the heavens as for saying by the tongue and doing by the limbs, these are its ramifications (he said this statement before he joined Ahlus Sunnah and he was still a Ashari). Al Milal Wal Nihal by Al Shahristani page 101. Al Baaqillaani (one of the great Ashari scholars of the past) said in Al Insaaf page 33 "know that believing (iman) in Allah is: believing by the heart" Shaykh Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said "as for Al Ashari (Abu Al Hasan), what's known about him and his companions (the Asharis) is that they agree with Jahm (the belief of the Jahmis) in Iman. And that it's only belief in the heart or knowing in the heart" Al Fatawa (7/439) Similar was said by Ibn Hazm in Al Fasl (2/188) before Ibn Taymiyyah and also shaykh Al Babateen in Al Dorar Al Sunniyyah 1/364 also affirmed the same. So it is said that the adopted position of the Ashari aqeedah is that Iman is believe in the heart only and this is the position of the Jahmiyyah as well) This is also a false statement since the disbelievers (kuffaar) testify in their hearts, they know that the Quran is True and that the Messenger

(sal Allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) is True, and the Jews and Christians know that. (Allah says) Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him (Muhammad sal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) as they recognise their sons; but verily, a party of them conceal the truth while they know it [i.e. the qualities of Muhammad sal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam which are written in the Tawraat and the Injeel]. (Surah Al Baqarah: 146) And they testify to it in their hearts. Allaah Ta'aala says regarding the Mushrikoon: We know indeed the grief which their words cause you (O Muhammad sal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam); it is not you that they deny but it is the Ayaat of Allaah that the Dhaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) deny. (Surah Al Anaam: 33) So these people did not state upon their tongues nor did they act with their limbs, yet they did testify in their hearts so they did not become people of iman (muminoon). THREE: The statement of those who are the direct opposite of the Ashaairah - and they are the Karaamiyah. Those who say that eemaan is statement on the tongue even if the person does not truly believe in his heart. Without doubt, this is a false statement since the hypocrites (munaafiqoon) those who are in the lowest depths of the Fire say We bear witness that laa ilaaha ill Allaah and that Muhammad rasool ullaah with their tongues and they act (accordingly) with their limbs, but they do not truly believe in that nor do they testify to it in their hearts.

This is just as Allaah Ta'aala says: When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad sal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) they say: We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allaah. And Allaah knows that you are indeed His Messenger and Allaah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed. They have made their oaths a screen (for their hypocrisy). In this way they hinder (men) from the Path of Allaah. Verily, evil is what they used to do. (Surah Al Munaafiqoon: 1-2) And He says, Subhaanahu wa taaala: They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. (Surah Al Fath: 11) FOUR: The statement of the Murjiah al fuqahaa, and they are the lightest of the groups in terms of irjaa - those who say that iman is belief (itiqaad) in the heart and statement upon the tongue, but action does not enter into it. This is the statement of the Murjiah al-Fuqahaa and this is a statement which is also incorrect since there is no iman without action. The correct understanding of iman (faith) according to Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah is made of: saying of the heart, actions of the heart, saying of the tongue and actions of the limbs. 1. Saying of the heart are: Resolute belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day and in everything that the Messenger came with, 1b. Actions of the heart are submission, love, fear, reverence, glorification and other than these from the actions of the heart,

2. Saying of the tongue are the pronouncement of the two testimonies of faith (the shahhadah) and uttering it with faith (iman), 3. Actions of the limbs are the prayer, zakat, fasting and other than these from amongst the apparent actions. Imam Al-Lalikai has narrated with an authentic chain from alBukhari who said: I met more than one thousand men from the scholars of al-Amsar and I did not see anyone from amongst them differ regarding Iman being saying (of the tongue) and action (of the limbs and the heart)... Sharh Usul Itiqad Ahlus-Sunnah walJamaah by Abu Qasim al-Lalikai (5/889) and this is as Ibn Hajr has mentioned it in Fath ul-Bari (5/889) with this meaning. Imam Al-Lalikai also narrated from Yahya bin Salim who said: I asked ten of the Islamic Jurists regarding Iman. They said: (It is) speech and action. And from amongst those who he mentioned were: Malik bin Anas, Ibn Jurayj and the two Sufyans, ath-Thawr and Ibn Uyaynah. Al-Lalikai narrated it (5/848) and al-jurri in ash-Shariah (131) and others besides them. Imam Abu Amr bin AbdulBarr stated in at-Tamhd: The people of Fiqh and Hadeeth are united upon the fact that iman is statement (of the tongue) and action (of the limbs and the heart) and there is no action without intention (in the heart) At-Tamhid, vol.9, p.238 Imam Al Barbahari said "and whoever says Iman is saying (of the tongue) and action (of the limbs and the heart), increases (with good actions) and decreases (with sinful actions) he has departed from Irjaa' altogether, top to bottom" Sharh Al Sunnah, page 123, No. 161