قَالَsaidإِسْمَاعِيلُIsmailبْنُson ofسَعِيدٍSaid::سَأَلْتُI askedأَحْمَدَAhmadعَنْaboutالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالإِيمَانِand faithفَقَالَhe said::الإِيمَانُfaithقَوْلٌis a statementوَعَمَلٌand actionوَالإِسْلَامُand Islam,,الإِقْرَارُis affirmationوَقَالَand he saidوَسَأَلْتُI askedأَحْمَدَAhmadعَمَّنْabout whoقَالَsaidفِيinالَّذِيthat whichقَالَsaidجِبْرِيلُGabrielلِلنَّبِيِّto the Prophetﷺ. (peace be upon him)إِذْwhenسَأَلَهُhe asked himعَنْaboutالإِسْلَامِIslamفَإِذَاifفَعَلْتَyou didذَٰلِكَthat,,فَأَنَاthen I amمُسْلِمٌ؟a Muslim?فَقَالَhe said::نَعَمْ،yes,فَقَالَthen saidقَائِلٌa speaker::وَإِنْand ifلَمْnotيَفْعَلdoالَّذِيwhatقَالَsaidجِبْرِيلُGabrielلِلنَّبِيِّto the Prophet,,فَهُوَhe isمُسْلِمٌa Muslimأَيْضًا؟also?فَقَالَhe said::هَذَاthisمُعَانِدٌis opposingلِلْحَدِيثِthe hadith.فَقَدْFor indeedجَعَلَhe consideredأَحْمَدُAhmadمِنْwhoجَعَلَهُhe made himمُسْلِمًاa Muslimإِذَاifلَمْnotيَأْتِcameبِالْخَمْسِwith the fiveمُعَانِدًاopposingلِلْحَدِيثِ،the hadith,مَعَwithقَوْلِهِhis saying::إِنَّthatالإِسْلَامَIslamالإِقْرَارَ،is affirmation,فَدَلَّwhich indicatesذَٰلِكَthatعَلَىonأَنَّthatذَاكَthatأَوَّلُthe firstالْدُّخُولِentryفِيintoالإِسْلَامِ،Islam,وَأَنَّهُand that heلَاnotيَكُونَbeقَائِمًاestablishedبِالإِسْلَامِwith Islamالْوَاجِبِthe obligatoryحَتَّىuntilيَأْتِيhe comesبِالْخَمْسِ،with the five,وَإِطْلَاقِand the namingالْاسْمِthe termمَشْرُوطٌis conditionalبِهَا،upon it,فَإِنَّهُfor heذَمَّblamedمَنْwhoeverلَمْdid notيَتْبَعْfollowحَدِيثَthe hadithجِبْرِيلَ،of Gabriel,وَأَيْضًاand alsoفَهُوَhe isفِيinأَكْثَرَmostأَجْوِبَتِهِof his answersيُكَفِّرُhe considers disbelieverمَنْwhoeverلَمْdid notيَأْتِcomeبِالصَّلَاةِwith prayerبَلْratherوَبِغَيْرِهَاand with othersمِنْofالْمَبَانِيthe pillarsوَالْكَافِرُand the disbelieverلَاdoes notيَكُونُbeمُسْلِمًاa Muslimبِاتِّفَاقِby agreementالْمُسْلِمِينَ،of the Muslims,فَعُلِمَand it is knownأَنَّهُthat heلَمْdid notيَرِدْintendأَنْthatالإِسْلَامَIslamهُوَisمُجَرَّدٌmerelyالْقَوْلُthe statementبِلَاwithoutعَمَلٍ،action,وَإِنْand ifقَدَّرَhe consideredأَنَّهُthat itأَرَادَis intendedذَٰلِكَ،that,فَهَذَاthisيَكُونُwould beأَنَّهُthat heلَاdoes notيُكَفِّرَconsider a disbelieverبِتَرْكِby abandoningشَيْءٍanythingمِنْofالْمَبَانِيthe pillarsالْأَرْبَعَةِ،the four,وَأَكْثَرَand mostالرِّوَايَاتِnarrationsعَنْهُfrom himبِخِلَافِare contraryذَٰلِكَ،to that,وَالَّذِينَand those whoلَاdo notيُكَفِّرُونَconsider disbelieversمِنْwhoeverتَرَكَabandonedهَذِهِtheseالْمَبَانِيpillarsيَجْعَلُونَهَاthey consider itمِنْofالإِسْلَامِIslamكَالشَّافِعِيِّlike Al-Shafi'iوَمَالِكٍ،and Malik,وَأَبِيand Abuحَنِيفَةَ،Hanifa,وَغَيْرِهِمْ،and others,فَكَيْفَso howلَاdo notيَجْعَلُهَاconsider itأَحْمَدُAhmadمِنْofالإِسْلَامِ؟Islam?!وَقَوْلُهُand his sayingفِيinدُخُولِهَاits inclusionفِيinالإِسْلَامِIslamأَقْوَىis strongerمِنْthanقَوْلِthe sayingغَيْرِهِ،of others,وَقَدْand hasرُوِيَit was narratedعَنْهُfrom himأَنَّهُthat heجَعَلَconsideredحَدِيثَthe hadithسَعِيدٍof Sa'dمُعَارِضًاas opposingلِحَدِيثِthe hadithعُمَرَ،of Umar,وَرَجَّحَand preferredحَدِيثَthe hadithسَعِيدٍof Sa'd.قَالَSaidالْحَسَنُAl-Hasanبْنُson ofعَلِيٍّAli::سَأَلْتُI askedأَحْمَدَAhmadبْنُson ofحَنْبَلٍHanbalعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِfaithأَوْكَدَis more definiteأَوْorالإِسْلَامِ؟Islam?قَالَ:He said:جَاءَcameحَدِيثٌthe hadithعُمَرَof Umarهَذَا،this,وَحَدِيثُand the hadithسَعِيدِof Sa'dأَحَبُّI preferإِلَيَّto me,كَأَنَّهُas if heفَهِمَunderstoodأَنَّthatحَدِيثَthe hadithعُمَرَof Umarيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىthatأَنَّthe actionsالأَعْمَالَare the meaningهِيَareمَسْمَّىthe designationالإِسْلَامَ،of Islam,فَيَكُونُso it isمَسْمَّاهُits designationأَفْضَلَ،better,وَحَدِيثُand the hadithسَعِيدٍof Sa'dيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىthatمَسْمَّىthe meaningالإِيمَانِof faithأَفْضَلَ،is better,وَلَكِنَّbutحَدِيثُthe hadithعُمَرَof Umarلَمْdid notيُذْكَرْmentionالإِسْلَامَIslamإِلَّاexceptأَمَّاas forحَدِيثُthe hadithعُمَرَof Umar:فَهُوَit isفِيinمَجِيءِthe comingجِبْرِيلَof Gabrielعَلَيْهِupon himالسَّلَامُpeaceفِيinصُورَةِthe formأَعْرَابِيٍّ،of a Bedouin,وَفِيand inآخِرِهِ:the end:هَذَاthisجِبْرِيلُGabrielجَاءَكُمhas come to youيُعَلِّمُكُمْto teach youدِينَكُمْyour religionوَقَدْand hasتَقَدَّمَ،been mentioned,وَأَمَّاas forحَدِيثُthe hadithسَعِيدٍ،of Sa'd,فَهُوَit isأَنْthatرَسُولَthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahأَعْطَىgaveرَهْطًاa groupوَسَعِيدٌand Sa'dجَالِسٌ،was sitting,فَتَرَكَand he leftرَسُولَthe Messengerاللَّهِ ﷺof Allah (peace be upon him)رَجُلًاa manهُوَwho isأَعْجَبَهُمْmost pleasing to them,إِلَيَّ،to me,فَقُلْتُ:so I said:يَاOرَسُولَMessengerاللَّهِ،of Allah,مَاwhatلَكَis for youعَنْaboutفُلَانٍ؟so and so?فَوَاللَّهِBy AllahإِنِّيI indeedلَأَرَاهُsee himمُؤْمِنًا،believer,فَقَالَ:he said:«أَوْ"orمُسْلِمًا»a Muslim" . . . the hadith.الْحَدِيثُthe hadith.أَخْرَجَهُreported byالْبُخَارِيُّAl-Bukhari.[وَقَدْ[and hasتَقَدَّمَ أَيْضًا].also been mentioned].
Ismail Ibn Said said: I asked Ahmad about Islam and faith, and he said: Faith is a statement and action, and Islam, is affirmation. I also asked Ahmad about someone who referred to what Gabriel said to the Prophet ﷺ when he asked him about Islam: 'If I do that, am I a Muslim?' He said: 'Yes.' Then someone said: 'And if he does not do what Gabriel said to the Prophet, is he also a Muslim?' He said: 'This is opposing the hadith. For Ahmad considered one who does not come with the five obligatory acts as opposing the hadith, along with his saying: 'Islam is affirmation.' This indicates that this is the initial entrance into Islam, and that one is not considered to be fulfilling the obligatory Islam until he comes with the five; the naming (of a Muslim) is conditional upon it, for he condemned the one who did not follow Gabriel's hadith. Furthermore, in most of his answers, he considers someone who does not come to prayer, and also others of the foundational acts, to be a disbeliever, and the disbeliever is, by the agreement of the Muslims, not a Muslim. Therefore, it is clear that he did not intend that Islam is merely the statement without action. Even if he intended that, it would mean that he does not consider someone who abandons any of the four foundational acts to be a disbeliever, and most of the narrations from him are contrary to that. Those who do not consider those who abandon these foundational acts as disbelievers regard them as part of Islam, like Al-Shafi'i, Malik, Abu Hanifa, and others. So why does Ahmad not consider them part of Islam?! And his statement concerning their inclusion in Islam is stronger than the statements of others. It has also been narrated from him that he considered the hadith of Sa'd to be opposed to the hadith of Umar and preferred the hadith of Sa'd. Al-Hasan Ibn Ali said: I asked Ahmad Ibn Hanbal whether faith is more definitive or Islam. He said: The hadith of Umar is this, and the hadith of Sa'd is more beloved to me, as if he understood that the hadith of Umar indicates that actions are the denominate of Islam, and thus its meaning is superior, while the hadith of Sa'd indicates that the denominate of faith is superior. However, the hadith of Umar did not mention Islam except... As for the hadith of Umar: it relates to the coming of Gabriel ﷺ in the form of a Bedouin, and at its end: 'This is Gabriel who has come to you to teach you your religion,' which has already been mentioned. As for the hadith of Sa'd, it is that the Messenger of Allah was giving to a group while Sa'd was sitting, and the Messenger of Allah left a man who was the most pleasing to them, and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, why do you leave so and so? By Allah, I indeed see him as a believer.' He said: 'Or a Muslim'... the hadith. It was reported by Al-Bukhari [and has also been mentioned].