Part 38

In his book, al-Asma Wa al-Sifat (Names and Attributes), Abu Ishaq [al-Isfarayini] said that he who is judged as a believer has many attributes, although there was no agreement either on some details of these traits or on some additions that do not correspond to the general belief. Examples of what have to be abandoned are: the attempted killing of the Messenger, inflicting harm on him, and worshiping idols. Examples of what have to be done are: supporting and defending the Messenger. All this constitutes what Iman implies, belief plus all the

"2 In the texts of the editions of MI.2 and MZ of Kitab al-Iman only the first part of verse 2 is given, after which the citation picks up with the first portion of verse 4. For the reader's convenience, these verses are cited in their entirety.

' The reference here is to people who cannot speak or hear. Signals and compliance are accepted from them in place of normal utterances of speech.

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above-mentioned conditions. Others have said that committing a major sin does not exclude one from the domain of Iman, although it makes his Iman incomplete.

I have stated that neither of these two views reflects those of Jahm. Rather, whoever takes either stance has acknowledged that belief is not mere assent in the heart, nor does it consist of just one thing. Moreover, he [Abu Ishaq] stated that Islamic law introduced changes into the meaning of belief that destroys the foundation for the claims of the Jahmites. And for this reason the leading thinkers among them, such as Jahm, al-Salihi, Abu Hassan [al-Ash‘ari], and Judge Abu Bakr [al-Baqillani] stated that Iman will not be denied a person except with the vanishing of knowledge from his heart.

In his chapter entitled “On the Mention of Names and Judgements,” Abu al-Ma‘ali stated that our purpose in this chapter requires that we just make mention of the true nature of belief, for this is a matter on which there have been differing doctrines among Muslim thinkers. He then proceeded to relate the views of the Khiarijites, the Mu‘tazilites, and the Karramites. Abu al-Ma‘ali said that for the views of our followers, Iman is tasdiq, assent, and our Shaykh Abu al-Hassan [al-Ash‘ari], may Allah have mercy on him, is of the same opinion. But he had a different interpretation of tasdiq, which he defined once as a knowledge of Allah’s Existence, His Eternity, and His Deity. At another time he defined tasdiq as a qawl, utterance, as part of one’s inner self, except that it includes knowledge and it is not right to exist without it. This is its requirement; for tasdiq and disbelief, truthfulness and untruthfulness apply most directly to things that one says, rather than to things one simply knows. Hence, tasdiq is an utterance made inwardly that is then expressed outwardly with the tongue. This being the case, worship may be described as a kind of tasdiq, since it is an expression of assent. Moreover, some of our own supporters have stated that tasdiq is only realized through both verbal expression and truthfulness; if these two occur together, they represent a single instance of tasdigq. Some of our followers have said that tasdiq, assent, cannot be achieved except by acknowledging it with al-qawl, speech, and truthfulness simultaneously. If these two come together they form one tasdiq.

Some of them have said tasdiq can be defined as an abstention from what is prohibited. Hence, he [al-Ash‘ari] did not consider iqrar, verbal confession, as one of the two pillars of Iman, but said that Iman is assent in the heart and abstention from what is prohibited, in accordance with the laws of Allah. Based on this, an

unbeliever may know Allah but does not abstain from what is prohibited, because he has abandoned the most important pillar of Iman.

Based on this interpretation, the Jews were aware of Allah and the prophecy of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), yet in spite of this, they disbelieved stubbornly, unfairly, and jealously. As our Shaykh Abu al-Hassan said, of each individual whose unbelief we judge, we say: He does not know Allah to start with, and he does not know His Messenger or His religion.

His disciple Abu Qasim al-Ansari'* stated that it is as if the meaning were that the Islamic teachings acknowledge neither his belief nor his knowledge. To this I have replied that the view we are discussing is not that which al-Ansari summarized, but rather the view of those who stated that whoever obstinately resists Allah and His Messenger is an unbeliever according to Islamic teachings. Thus, sometimes unbelief is defined as the absence of inward belief, while at other times it is defined as obstinate resistance. In the latter case, one who obstinately resists Allah and His. Messenger is considered an unbeliever according to Islamic teachings even if in his heart he possesses the essence of Iman, which is tasdiq. He must be reckoned an unbeliever according to the teachings, even if he has belief like that of the Prophets and the Angels. Skilled proponents of this view, such as al-Salihi, Abu al-Hassan, Judge Abu Bakr, and the followers of Jahm who preceded them, knew that this represented a contradiction that struck at the heart of their doctrine. As a result they added that no one shall be judged an unbeliever unless he ceases to have any belief in his heart. Moreover, they held that anyone judged by the teachings to be an unbeliever must be someone in whose heart there is no knowledge whatsoever of Allah and His Messenger. On account of this they were renounced by the vast majority of prudent Muslim theologians, who accused them of engaging in sophistry and clinging stubbornly to their own inconsistent opinions.

They argued in favor of their stance by citing Allah’s saying: “You [Oh, Muhammad] will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such

'* Al-Ansari, Abu al-Qasim Salman Ibn Nasir Ibn ‘Imran (?-512 A.H), was a scholar of figh and a commentator on the Quran. [Kitab al-fman MZ, p. 144 and al-Zirikli, vol. 3, p. 200.]

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has He written belief in their hearts . . .” (58:22). Concerning this verse they said that one may understand that whoever does not act in accordance with belief’s requirements does not have belief written in his heart.

If they claim that according to his interpretation, those mentioned in this citation do not have belief of the sort that will be acknowledged and rewarded, or that they do not perform the duties of those professing to have belief, then we would reply: This is a general statement that may be applied more specifically only on the basis of evidence.

Against this, the author argues: This verse denies Iman of those who love those who resist Allah and His Messenger. Furthermore, those who do not love those who resist Allah and His Messenger, Allah will instill Iman in their hearts and will strengthen them with a spirit from Himself. This emphasizes the doctrine of the earlier Muslims that says that in order to have Iman, you must have love in your heart for Allah and His Messenger, and hatred for those who resist Allah and His Messenger. Also, this verse of the Qur’an does not demonstrate that the knowledge that is in their hearts indicates that Muhammad, who is the Messenger of Allah, will ascend and nothing will remain of him, Iman, which is considered obligatory, certainly is not mere knowledge and tasdiq. In fact, it is both tasdiq of the heart and work of the heart. Allah says: “. .. And strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein [forever]. Allah will be pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah that will achieve Success” (58:22).

Allah has promised them Paradise, and it is agreed by all that the promises of Paradise go to those who adhere to the rules of Allah and abstain from what is prohibited. It is known that those whose hearts are filled with Iman and whom Allah strengthens with a spirit from Himself have already performed their religious duties, for which they deserve what Allah has promised the pure and the religious. This also indicates that sinners are not included in this promise. Also this verse of the Qur’dn indicates that no (true) believer would love the unbelievers. Some people who have tasdiq in their hearts believe in the Messenger even though they still befriend the unbelievers. The pious ancestors said that abandoning overt obligations is evidence of a lack of belief that radiates out from the heart. But the elimination of the heart’s work, which is the love of Allah and

His Messenger, and the fear of Allah, does not require that the heart be void of any tasdiq. But according to them [the Ash‘arites], if someone is proven by al-shar‘ Islamic law not to have Iman, this means that his heart is void of tasdiq to start with. The majority of the knowledgeable consider this to be sophistry.

Ibn Farak,'* on the authority of Abu al-Hassan [al-Ash‘ari], related the view that belief is the belief in the truthfulness of a report that someone has given, a belief so strong as to be tantamount to certain knowledge; however, it may also include a belief that is below the level of certainty. As for Iman in Allah, it is the belief in Allah’s truthfulness, and this only applies to someone if he is certain about reporting Allah’s truthfulness correctly. Moreover, this is so only if the individual is certain that Allah speaks. And the knowledge that Allah speaks depends on the knowledge that He is living, while the knowledge that He is living depends on the certainty that He acts; and the certainty that He acts depends in turn on certainty conceming the act itself, namely that the creation of the world is an act of Allah. He also said that belief includes the certainty that Allah is Almighty, and belief in His Almighty power; the certainty that Allah knows, and that Allah’s knowledge exists; and that Allah wills and possesses a will. In other words, all the qualities one must know in order to be said to know Allah are included in the requirements of Iman.

To this we reply: This is among the questions on which al-Ash‘ari has held different views, namely, whether or not ignorance of certain attributes of Allah is tantamount to ignorance of the one possessing those attributes. Al-Ash‘ari himself took both positions [at different times]. However, the more valid of the two views—which is also the view accepted by the majority—is the second, namely, that ignorance of some attributes of a given entity does not necessarily entail ignorance of that entity itself. Moreover, one of the points on which al-Ash‘ari differed with Jahm concerned whether establishing the divine attributes is a requirement of Iman; for Jahm went to extremes in denying not only the divine attributes, but the divine names as well.