Part 55

The counterpart to this would be to say that an Orthodox Muslim was told: “Seek to please Abu Bakr and “Umar,” yet he refused to do so until he was killed in spite of his love for both Caliphs, and in spite of the fact that he had no excuse that would prevent him from seeking to win their approval. No one whatsoever would conduct himself in this way. An equally impossible scenario would be to assume that there was someone who bore witness both outwardly and inwardly that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, yet although he was asked to give this testimony he refused to do so, despite the fact that there was no compulsion or desire on account of which he should refrain from doing so. It is for this reason that the verbal utterance of one’s belief was considered by the majority of the pious ancestors, as well as by later Islamic scholars, to be part of that without which a servant of Allah may not escape perdition. The only group to disagree with this position were the Jahmites. So if it is assumed that someone is excused from voicing his belief because he is mute, or because he is fearful of people who might do him harm were he to manifest outwardly that he is a Muslim, then it would be possible for him not to speak of his belief even though he does have belief in his heart. The latter situation would apply to someone who uttered a statement of disbelief under duress. Allah says: Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is addressed with belief, but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a great torment” (16:106). This verse clearly shows the falsity of Jahm’s view, for according to the Qur’an, everyone who utters words indicating unbelief is to be considered an unbeliever under threat of divine retribution, unless he is among those who have been compelled to utter such words while their hearts are firm in belief.

If someone says, as Allah says: “But he whose heart is content in unbelief,” the answer would be: this is in harmony with its beginning. For someone who of his own accord utters words manifesting unbelief is likewise someone who is content to be an unbeliever; otherwise, the last part of the verse would contradict the first part. Moreover, if the unbeliever is the person who is content in his unbelief and who voices such unbelief without compulsion, then an exception is made not only for the person who has been compelled to make such an utterance; rather, such an exception would apply both to the person who is compelled and to the person who is not compelled, yet feels no inward contentment upon making such an utterance. If, however, one voluntarily utters a declaration of unbelief, then one has gained some sense of satisfaction therefrom, and is thus an unbeliever. The proof of this is in the following saying of Allah: “The hypocrites fear lest a seerah [from the Qur?an] should be revealed about them, showing them what is in their hearts. Say: ‘[Go ahead and] mock! But certainly Allah will bring to light all that you fear.’ If you ask them [about this], they will declare: ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say: ‘Was it at Allah, and His Verses and His Messenger, that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you have believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were criminals” (9:64-66). This statement affirms that after becoming believers, they [the hypocrites] turned again to unbelief. They acknowledged that they spoke words of unbelief without actually being convinced of what they were saying. Rather, they claimed only to have been jesting. However, these verses make clear that mocking the signs of Allah, which could only come from someone who gained some degree of satisfaction from doing so, is tantamount to unbelief. For if someone had true belief in his heart, he would be unable to utter such words.

The Qur?n indicates that Iman of the heart necessitates overt work, according to Allah’s saying: “They [the hypocrites] say: ‘We believe in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey,’ but even after that, some of them turn away, they are not [really] believers. When they are summoned to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, behold, some of them decline [to come]. But if the right is on their side, they come to Him with all submission. But if the right is with them, they come to him willingly with submission. Is there a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest Allah and His Messenger should wrong them in

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judgment. No, it is they themselves who are wrongdoers. The answer of the believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that he may judge among them, is no other than this: They say, ‘We hear and we obey’: and such are the successful ones” (24:47-51).'? Accordingly, Allah refuses to attribute Iman to those who turn away from the obedience of the Messenger. And He notes that the believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger in order that He may judge among them, hear and obey, thus indicating that hearing and obeying are among the requirements of Iman.

” The author cited only verses 47 and 48, indicating the omission of verses 49 and 50 with the phrase "to His saying." He then cited verse 51. For the reader’s convenience, the translators have cited and translated the complete verses in sequence.

Iman Either Increases or Diminishes

If it is said: If absolute Iman includes all that Allah and His Messenger commanded, then, if some of the Iman diminishes, the sinners must be charged with unbelief, as the Kharijites claimed, or abide forever in Hell and be deprived of Iman, as the Mu‘tazilites claimed. The claims of the Kharijites and the Mu‘“tazilites were more erroneous than the claims of the Murji’ites. For there is a group among the Murji”ites who were considered good and praiseworthy people. However, the Kharijites and the Mu‘tazilites were condemned by the consensus of the Orthodox Muslim community.

It is said: It should be known that the views of Mu‘tazilites and Kharijites, with which none of the Orthodox Muslims agreed, implied that the people who committed major sins would abide forever in Hell. This claim was one of the important innovations because the Companions and Successors of the Prophet (pbuh), their followers, and all religious Muslims agreed that whoever has an atom’s weight of Iman in his heart will not abide forever in Hell. They also agreed that our Prophet (pbuh) would be among those who would intercede to seek Allah’s permission for His intercession for the major sinners from his community. Indeed, both Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhri relate that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Every prophet is allowed one answered prayer. As for me, I delayed my request in order to intercede for my community on Judgment Day.” This hadith will be mentioned in its proper place. However, some people have falsely related some sayings on the authority of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh). For example, it was falsely related on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that there is no repentance for anyone who intentionally kills, and this is a further false claim about the Companions. For none of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) ever related that the Prophet (pbuh) either said that he does not intercede for major

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sinners or that he said that they [major sinners] will abide eternally in Hellfire. However, it was recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas, in one of his two narrations said: “There is no repentance for anyone who intentionally kills [a Muslim].” A similar error was related on the authority of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. However, the debate over repentance is different from the debate over eternal punishment in Hell. For killing involves a human right; that is why it was debated.

However, the saying, “If part of it [Iman] is lost, then the whole of it is lost,” is tejected, and it represents the essence from which many innovations concerning Iman emerged. Moreover, Mu‘tazilites and Kharijites argued that if part of Iman is lost, the whole of it is lost as well; and thus, the major sinner will abide forever in Hell, In contrast, the Murji?ites argued that neither committing a major sin nor abandoning an obligatory deed results in losing Iman. The sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions indicate that part of it is lost while the other part remains, as illustrated in the Prophet’s (pbuh) saying: “He [Allah] will remove from Hell whoever has an atom’s weight of belief.” That is why the Orthodox Muslims said: “Iman exists in varying degrees among different people. It also may increase and diminish.” However, some of their followers said: “Iman increases but does not decrease,” as related on the authority of Malik in one of two accounts. Some [namely, ‘Abd Allah Ibn al-Mubarak] said: “Iman exists in varying degrees.” But all the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned both the increase and the decrease of Iman. For example, people related on the authority of Hammad Ibn Salamah,' on the authority of Abu Ja‘far, on the authority of his grandfather ‘Umayr Ibn Habib al-Khatmi, one of the Companions of the Messenger (pbuh), that he [the Prophet] said: “Iman increases and diminishes.” He was then asked: “How does it increase and diminish?” He replied: “If we hold Allah in remembrance, praise Him, and glorify Him, our Iman increases. But, if we hold Allah little in remembrance, our Iman diminishes. Similarly, Isma‘Tl Ibn “Ayyash relates on the authority of Jarir Ibn ‘Uthman, on the authority of al-Harith Ibn Muhammad, on the authority of Abual-Darda’, who said: “Iman increases and diminishes.”

According to Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, who said that Yazid related, on the authority of Jarir Ibn “Uthman: “Some or of all our scholars heard Abu al-Darda? saying:

‘Hammad Ibn Salamah (2-167 A.H.) wasa trustworthy compiler of hadith and a grammarian, [AlZiriklf, vol. 2, p. 302.]

“Indeed, it is a part of a man’s growth in knowledge to improve his Iman, make up for any decrease, know whether his Iman increases or diminishes, and know when and where Satan’s temptations may come.”” Also, Isma‘il Ibn “Ayyash narrated, on the authority of Safwan Ibn ‘Amr, on the authority of ‘Abd Allah Ibn Rabi‘ah al-Hadrami, on the authority of Abu-Hurayrah, who said: “Iman increases and diminishes.” Ahmad Ibn Hanbal related, on the authority of Yazid Ibn Harin, on the authority of Muhammad Ibn Talhah, on the authority of Zubayd, on the authority of Dharr,” said: “Umar Ibn al-Khattib used to say to his companions: ‘Let us increase our Iman [they hold Allah in remembrance].”” In the book of Gharib al-Hadith, Abu ‘Ubayd related the hadith of ‘Ali which says: “Iman resembles a white spot on the heart; whenever Iman increases, the white spot increases as well.” It was related on the authority of ‘Uthman Ibn ‘Abd Allah and ‘Amr Ibn Hind al-Jumali that al-Asma‘i said: “A lamzah, spot, is like a speck or something similar.”