. J '-Ɵ  (cont.)

Commenting on the Jahmites, ibn Abu al-Izz wrote, Al-Jahm ibn Safwaan and Abu 1-Husayn al-Saalihi, a leading Libertarian (Qadari), believe that Imaan is a kind of knowledge in the heart... [This] implies that the Pharaoh and his people were believers since they knew that Moses and Aaron, peace and blessings of Allah be on them, were true prophets even though they denied them. This is clear from what Moses said to the Pharaoh, "You know very well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence" (al-Israa 1 02). The People of the Book knew that Muhammad (peace be on him) was the Prophet just as they knew their own sons, but they were not believers in him. In fact, they were his deniers and opponents. Abu Taalib too would be among his believers according to their view, for he is reported to have said [in lines of poetry], "I know that the religion of Muhammad, is the best of all the religions of mankind. Were I not to be scolded and abused, I would have confessed it openly." Actually even Iblis, also, would be a perfect believer according to al-Jahm's view. He did not plead ignorance of Allah. He knew Him well as he said, "My Lord, give me then respite till the Day the dead are raised" (al-Hijr 36), "My Lord, because you have put me in the wrong ... " (al-Hijr 39), and "Then, by Your Power, I will put them all in the wrong" (Saad 82). For al-Jahm, kufr is ignorance of Allah. No one, however, is more ignorant of Allah than him, for he reduces Allah to a Being as such and strips Him of all His attributes. There can be no greater ignorance than this. He is therefore a disbeliever (kafir) according to his own testimony.' The view of the Karramites: According to this view, the locus of imaan is the tongue only. In other words, a person who states the testimony of faith is considered a complete and true believer regardless of what is in his heart. Ibn Abu al-Izz said about them, 1 Ibn Abu al-Izz, vol. 2, pp. 459-462. 1 74 Hadith #2: The Hadith of Jibreel According to their view, the hypocrites are perfect believers. Nevertheless, they believe that the hypocrites will suffer the punishment which Allah has promised for them. Thus they contradict themselves.' With respect to the views of the Asharites, Maturidis and Murjiites, it is very important to realize that lmaan is not simply faith or belief in something, which is the opposite of disbelieving in something.2 That is not the correct concept of Imaan whatsoever, as is clear from the verses of the Quran and sunnah. On this point, ibn Abu al-Izz wrote, Imaan is not in contrast to takdheeb (to deny) but tasdeeq (to affirm, to believe) is. Imaan, however, is in contrast to kufr, which is not necessarily just takdheeb. If I say, "I know that you are truthful (saadiq), but I will not follow you, rather I will oppose you and hate you," I will be guilty of a greater kufr. Hence it is clear that Imaan is not simply tasdeeq, nor is kufr simply takdheeb. Kufr is sometimes takdheeb but sometimes more than that, where it includes opposition and hostility. On the other hand, Imaan is not only tasdeeq; it is more than that, wherein it includes assent (muwaafaqah), love (muwalaat) and submission (inqiyaad). Tasdeeq does not give the whole meaning of Imaan; and islam (submission) is only a part of Imaan. If, however, tasdeeq is regarded as a synonym [of Imaan ], then it should be taken in a wider sense which includes action also. For this wider meaning of the term one can refer to a hadith of the Prophet (peace be on him), "The eyes fornicate, and their fornication is to look; and the ears fornicate, and their fornication is to hear... and the private parts confirm (yusaddiqu) it or deny (yukadhdhibu) it."3 Hasan al-Basri, may Allah bless him, said, "Imaan is neither formal conformity nor vain expectation; it is what settles in the heart and is confirmed by action."4 If it is tasdeeq, it is a particular kind of tasdeeq ... 5 lbn Uthaimeen has also emphasized the fact that imaan is not simply composed of "belief' in the heart, in the sense that one affirms that there is no 1 lbn Abu al-Izz, vol. 2, p. 460. 2 lbn Taimiya states that it is very easy to affirm the existence of something and then to hate that thing. For example, people affirm the existence of disbelief and devils while they hate disbelief and devils. This affirmation obviously cannot be considered equivalent to imaan. See ibn Taimiya, Majmoo, vol. 7, p. 541. 3Recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. 4Recorded by Abdullah lbn Abi Shaybah, al-Musannnaf (Beirut: Daar al-Fikr, 1989), vol. 1 1, p. 22. 5 lbn Abu al-Izz, vol. 2, pp. 471-475.