جَاءَcameبِهِwith himالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetﷺ(peace be upon him)أَيَكُونُis it possibleمُؤْمِنًاa believerبِهَذَاwith thisالإِقْرَارُdeclarationقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَجِيءَcomesوَقْتُthe timeعَمَلٍ؟of action?
Did the Prophet ﷺ come with this declaration before the time of action comes?
قِيلَIt was saidلَهُto himإنَّمَاIndeedيُطْلَقُthe name is givenلَهُto himالِاسْمُthe nameبِتَصْدِيقِهِby his beliefأَنْthatالعَمَلُthe actionعَلَيْهِupon himبِقَوْلِهِby sayingأَنْthatيَعْمَلَهُhe works on itفِيinوَقْتِهِits timeإِذَاifجَاءَ،it comes,وَلَيْسَand he is notعَلَيْهِupon himفِيinهَذَاthisالْوَقْتِtimeالإِقْرَارِthe declarationبِجَمِيعِof allمَاwhatيَكُونُisبِهِwith himمُؤْمِنًا،a believer,وَلَوْeven ifقَالَhe saidأَقَرَّI declareوَلَاand notأَعْمَلُI workلَمnotيُطْلَقُthe name is givenعَلَيْهِto himاسْمٌnameالإِيمَانِ).of belief.)
It was said to him: the name is only given to a person by his belief that the action is upon him by saying that he should work on it in its time if it comes, and he is not required at this time to declare all that makes him a believer, and even if he said: 'I declare and do not work,' he would not be given the name of belief.
قُلْتُI saidيَعْنِيthat meansالإِمَامَthe ImamأَبَاAbuثَوْرٍThaur--رَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercyاللَّهُon him.ـ-أَنَّهُthat heلَاdoes notيَكُونَbeمُؤْمِنًاa believerإِلَّاexceptإِذَاifالتَزَمَhe committedبِالْعَمَلِto the actionمَعَwithالإِقْرَارِ،the declaration,وَإِلَّاand otherwiseفَلَوْifأَقَرَّhe declaresوَلَمand does notيَلْتَزِمْcommitبِالْعَمَلِto the actionلَمnotيَكُنْbeمُؤْمِنًا،a believer,فَهَذَاthisالاِحْتِجَاجُargumentالَّذِيthatذَكَرَهُhe mentionedأَبُوAbuثَوْرٍThaurهُوَisدَلِيلٌa proofعَلَىforوُجُوبِthe necessity ofالأَمْرَيْنِ:the two matters:الإِقْرَارِthe declarationوَالْعَمَلِ،and the action,وَهُوَand it isيَدُلُّevidenceعَلَىforأَنَّthatكِلَاbothمِنْهُمَاof themمِنْareالدِّينِthe religionوَأَنَّهُand that heلَاdoes notيَكُونَbeمُطِيعًاobedient toاللَّهَ،Allah,وَلَاnorمُسْتَحِقًّاworthy ofلِلثَّوَابِ،the reward,وَلَاand norمَمْدُوحًاpraisedعِندَwithاللَّهِAllahوَرَسُولِهِand His Messengerإِلَّاexceptبِالْأَمْرَيْنِwith the two mattersجَمِيعًا،together,وَهُوَand it isحُجَّةٌan argumentعَلَىagainstمَنْwhoيَجْعَلُmakesالأَعْمَالَthe actionsخَارِجَةًoutsideعَنْfromالدِّينِthe religionوَالْإِيمَانِand beliefجَمِيعًا.altogether.
I said: the Imam Abu Thaur - may Allah have mercy on him - means that a person is not a believer unless he commits to action along with the declaration; otherwise, if he declares but does not commit to action, he would not be a believer. This argument mentioned by Abu Thaur is proof of the necessity of the two matters: declaration and action; it indicates that both are part of the religion and that he cannot be obedient to Allah, nor worthy of reward, nor praised by Allah and His Messenger except by both together. This is a proof against those who consider actions outside of religion and belief altogether.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forمَنْthose whoيَقُولُونَsayإِنَّهَاthat it isمِنْfromالدِّينِ،the religion,وَيَقُولُونَand sayإِنَّthatالْفَاسِقَthe sinfulمُؤْمِنٌis a believerحَيْثُas he holdsأَخَذَsome ofبِبَعْضِthe religion and the beliefالدِّينِand leavingوَتَرَكَsome of it,فَهَذَاthisيَحْتَجُّargumentعَلَيْهِagainst himبِشَيْءٍwith somethingآخَرَ،else,لَكِنَّbutأَبُوAbuثَوْرٍThaurوَغَيْرَهُand othersمِنْofعُلَمَاءِthe scholarsالسُّنَّةِof Sunnahعَامَّةًgenerallyاحْتِجَاجُهُمْtheir argumentمَعَwithهَذَاthisالصَّنْفِ،type,وَأَحْمَدُand Ahmadكَانَwasأَوْسَعَwiderعِلْمًاin knowledgeبِالْأَقْوَالِof the sayingsوَالْحُجَجِand argumentsمِنْthanأَبِيAbuثَوْرٍ،Thaur,وَلِهَذَاand for thisإِنَّمَاhe saidحَكَىrather he narratedالإِجْمَاعَthe consensusعَلَىagainstخِلَافِthe disagreementقَوْلِof the sayingالْكَرَامِيَّةِ،of the Karamis,ثُمَّthenإِنَّهُhe
As for those who say: 'It is part of the religion,' and say: 'The sinful one is a believer as he holds some of the religion and leaves some of it,' this can be countered with another argument. However, Abu Thaur and other scholars of Sunnah generally argue with this type, and Ahmad had much wider knowledge of the sayings and arguments than Abu Thaur. Therefore, he narrated the consensus against the statement of the Karamis,
ثُمَّthenإِنَّهُheتَوَرَّعَhesitatedفِيinالنُّطْقِspeaking--عَلَىas is his habitعَادَتِهِhabit -وَلَمand did notيَجْزِمْmake a decisive statementبِنَفْيِto negateالْخِلَافِ،the disagreement,لَكِنَّbutقَالَhe saidلَاI do notأَحْسِبُthinkأَحَدًاanyoneيَقُولُwould sayهَذَا،this,وَهَذَاand thisفِيinرِسَالَتَهُhis messageإِلَىtoأَبِيAbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحِيمِal-Rahimالْجَوْزَجَانِي،al-Jawzajani,ذَكَرَهَاhe mentioned itالْخَلَّالُal-Khalalفِيinكِتَابِthe book«السُّنَّةِ»"Sunnah"وَهُوَand it isأَجْمَعُthe most comprehensiveكِتَابٌbookيَذْكُرُthat mentionsفِيهِin itأَقْوَالَthe sayingsأَحْمَدَof Ahmadفِيinمَسَائِلِissuesالأُصُولِof the fundamentalsالدِّينِيَّةِ،of the religion,وَإِنَّand althoughكَانَhe hadلَهُfor himأَقْوَالٌsayingsزَائِدَةٌextraعَلَىthanمَاwhatفِيهِ،is in it,كَمَاjust asأَنَّthatكِتَابَهُhis bookفِيinالْعِلْمِscienceأَجْمَعُis the most comprehensiveكِتَابٌbookيَذْكُرُthat mentionsفِيهِin itأَقْوَالَthe sayingsأَحْمَدَof Ahmadفِيinالأُصُولِthe fundamentalsالْفِقْهِيَّةِ.of jurisprudence.
Then he hesitated in speaking - as is his habit - and did not make a decisive statement to negate the disagreement, but said: 'I do not think anyone says this.' This is in his message to Abu Abd al-Rahim al-Jawzajani, which al-Khalal mentioned in his book "Sunnah," which is the most comprehensive book that mentions the sayings of Ahmad on the issues of religious fundamentals, and although he had other sayings beyond what is in it, his book on science is the most comprehensive regarding his sayings on the fundamentals of jurisprudence.
قَالَAl-Murudi saidالمُرُودِيُّAl-Murudi:: رَأَيْتُI sawأَبَاAbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحِيمِal-Rahimالْجَوْزَجَانِيal-Jawzajani,عِنْدَwithأَبِيAbuعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِ،Allah,وَقَدْand he hadكَانَwasذَكَرَهُmentionedأَبُوAbuعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahفَقالَand saidكَانَwasأَبُوهُhis fatherمُرْجِئًاa Murji'.أَوorقَالَhe saidصَاحِبَa proponent ofرَأْيٍ،opinion,وَأَمَّاas forأَبُوAbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحِيمِal-Rahimفَأَثْنَىhe praisedعَلَيْهِ،on him,وَقَدْand he hadكَانَbeenكَتَبَwritingإِلَىtoأَبِيAbuعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahمِنْfromخُرَاسَانَKhorasanيَسْأَلُهُasking himعَنْaboutالإِيمَانِbeliefوَذَكَرَand mentionedالرِّسَالَةَthe messageمِنْfromطَرِيقِينَtwo waysعَنْfromأَبِيAbuعَبْدِAbdالرَّحِيمِ،al-Rahim,وَجَوَابُand the answerأَحْمَدَ:of Ahmad:
Al-Murudi said: I saw Abu Abd al-Rahim al-Jawzajani with Abu Abd Allah, and he had mentioned that Abu Abd Allah said: His father was a Murji' or he said he was a proponent of opinion, and as for Abu Abd al-Rahim, he praised him. He had written to Abu Abd Allah from Khorasan asking him about belief and mentioned the message in two ways from Abu Abd al-Rahim, and the answer of Ahmad is:
بِسْمِIn the nameاللَّهِof Allahالرَّحْمَٰنِthe Most Graciousالرَّحِيمِthe Most MercifulأَحْسِنِMay He improveاللَّهُAllahإِلَيْنَاto usوَإِلَيْكَand youفِيinالْأُمُورِall mattersكُلِّهَا،all,وَسَلِمْنَاand keep us safeوَإِيَّاكَand youمِنْfromكُلِّeveryشَرٍّevil،بِرَحْمَتِهِby His mercyأَتَانِيHe sent to meكِتَابُكَyour bookتَذْكُرُyou mentionمَاwhatتَذْكُرُyou mentionمِنَofاحْتِجَاجِthe argumentمِنَfromحُجَجٍthose who argueمِنَof٣٠٥305
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, may Allah improve us and you in all matters, and keep us safe from every evil. By His mercy, your book reached me, in which you mention the arguments of those who argue.