فَإنَّSoالرَّجُلَthe manيَعْلَمُknowsمِنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfأَنَّهُthat heلَيْسَis notبِكَافِرٍa disbeliever,,بَلْbutيَجِدُfindsقَلْبَهُhis heartمُصَدِّقًاbelievingبِمَاin whatجَاءَcameبِهِwithالرَّسُولِthe messenger,,فَيَقُولُhe says::أَنَاI amمُؤْمِنٌa believer,,فَيُثَبِّتُand he confirmsأَنَّthatالإِيمَانَfaithهُوَisالتَّصْدِيقُthe belief,,لَأَنَّكَbecause youتَجْزِمُare certainبِأَنَّكَthat you areمُؤْمِنٌa believer,,وَلَاand do notتَجْزِمُare certainبِأَنَّكَthat youفَعَلْتَdidكُلَّallمَاwhatأُمِرْتَyou were commandedبِهِwith.
So the man knows from himself that he is not a disbeliever, but he finds his heart believing in what the messenger has brought. He says: I am a believer, and he confirms that faith is belief, because you are certain that you are a believer, and you are not certain that you have done all that you were commanded.
فَلَمَّاSo whenعَلِمَthe predecessors knewالسَّلَفُthe predecessorsمَقْصِدَهُمْtheir intent,,صَارُواthey becameيَكْرَهُونَthey dislikeالْجَوَابَthe answer,,أوorيُفَصِّلُونَthey specifyفِيinالْجَوَابِthe answer,,وَهَذَاand thisلِأَنَّbecauseلَفْظَthe termالإِيمَانِfaithفِيهِin itإِطْلاَقٌis generalوَتَقْيِيدٌand restricted,,فَكَانُواso theyيُجِيبُونَwould answerبِالإِيمَانِwith the faithالْمُقَيَّدِthat is restrictedالَّذِيthatلَاdoes notيَسْتَلْزِمُentailأَنَّهُthat heشَاهَدَwitnessedفِيَهِin itلِنَفْسِهِfor himselfبِالْكَمَالِin completeness,,وَلِهَذَاand for thisكَانَwasالصَّحِيحُcorrectأَنَّهُthat itيَجُوزُis permissibleأَنْtoيُقَالَsay::أَنَاI amمُؤْمِنٌa believerبِلَاwithoutاسْتِثْنَاءٍexceptionإِذَاifأَرَادَhe wantedذَلِكَthat,,لَكِنْbutيَنْبَغِيit is appropriateأَنْtoيُقْرَنَcoupleكَلَامَهُhis speechبِمَاwith whatيُبَيِّنُexplainsأَنَّهُthat heلَمْdid notيُرِدْmeanالإِيمَانَthe faithالْمُطْلَقَthe absoluteالْكَامِلَthe complete,,وَلِهَذَاand for thisكَانَwasأَحْمَدُAhmadيَكْرَهُdislikedأَنْtoيُجِيبَanswerعَلَىonالْمُطْلَقِthe absoluteبِلَاwithoutاسْتِثْنَاءٍexceptionيُقَدِّمُهُpresented..
So when the predecessors knew their intent, they became dislikes of the answer, or they specified in the answer, and this is because the term faith is both general and restricted. So they would answer with the restricted faith that does not entail that he witnessed for himself in completeness. Therefore, it was correct that it is permissible to say: I am a believer without exception if he intended that, but it is appropriate that he couples his speech with what explains that he did not mean the absolute complete faith. For this reason, Ahmad disliked to answer 'on the absolute' without prior exception.
وَقَالَAnd saidالمِّرْوَذِيُّAl-Marwudi::قِيلَIt was saidلِأَبِيto AbuعَبْدِاللهِAbdullahنَقُولُwe say::نَحْنُwe areالمُؤْمِنُونَthe believers؟?فَقَالَHe said:::نَقُولُwe say::نَحْنُwe areالمُسْلِمُونَthe Muslims.وَقَالَAnd saidأَيْضًاalso::قُلْتُI saidلِأَبِيto AbuعَبْدِاللهِAbdullah::نَقُولُwe say::إِنَّاIndeed we areمُؤْمِنُونَbelievers؟?قَالَHe said:::وَلَكِنَّbutنَقُولُwe say::إِنَّاIndeed we areمُسْلِمُونَMuslims.وَمَعَAnd withهَذَاthis,,فَلَمْdid notيُنْكِرْdenyعَلَىonمَنْanyone whoتَرَكَleftالِاسْتِثْنَاءَthe exceptionإِذَاifلَمْwas notيَكُنintendedقَصْدَهُhis intentقَصْدَهُpullingالْمُرْجِئَةَthe Murjitesأَنَّthatالإِيمَانَfaithمُجَرَّدٌis merelyالْقَوْلُa sayingبَلْbutتَرَكَهُleaving itلِمَاbecauseيَعْلَمُhe knowsأَنَّthatفِيinقَلْبِهِhis heartإِيمَانًاfaith,,وَإِنْeven ifكَانَhe was notلَاnotيَجْزِمُcertainبِكَمَالِin the completenessإِيمَانِهِof his faith؟?قَالَHe said:الْخَلَّالُAl-Khalal::أَخْبَرَنِيtold meأَحْمَدُAhmadبْنَbinأَصْرَمَAsramالْمُزَنِيُّAl-MuzaniأَنَّthatأَبَاAbuعَبْدِاللهِAbdullahقِيلَwas saidلَهُto him::إِذَاifسَأَلَنِيhe asks meالرَّجُلَthe man,,فَقَالَhe said::أَمُؤْمِنٌAre you a believerأَنْتَyou?؟?قَالَHe said:::سُؤَالُكَyour questionإِيَّايَto meبِدْعَةٌis an innovationلَاnoيَشُكُّdoubtفِيinإِيمَانِهِhis faith,,أوorقَالَ:لَاnoنَشُكُّwe doubtفِيinإِيمَانِنَاour faith..
And Al-Marwudi said: It was said to Abu Abdullah, 'Shall we say: We are the believers?' He said: We say: We are the Muslims. He also said: I said to Abu Abdullah, 'Shall we say: Indeed we are believers?' He said: But we say: Indeed we are Muslims. And with this, he did not deny anyone who left the exception if he did not intend the intent of the Murjites that faith is merely a saying. But he left it because he knows that in his heart there is faith, even if he is not certain of the completeness of his faith.
قَالَAl-Khalal said:::أَخْبَرَنِيTold meحَرْبٌHarbبْنَbinإِسْمَاعِيلَIshmaelوَأَبُوand AbuدَاوُدَDawood::سَمِعْتُI heardأَحْمَدَAhmadيَقُولُsaid:سَمِعْتُI heardسُفْيَانَSufyan--يَعْنِيmeaningابْنَson ofعُيَيْنَةَUyaynah--يَقُولُsaying:إِذَاIfسُئِلَaskedأَمُؤْمِنٌAre you a believerأَنْتَyou?؟?لَمْhe did notيُجِبْهُanswer him,,وَيَقُولُand he says::سُؤَالُكَYour questionإِيَّايَto meبِدْعَةٌis an innovationوَلَاand notأَشْكُI doubtفِيinإِيمَانِيmy faith.وَقَالَAnd he said:إِنَّIndeedقَالَifإِنَّifقَالَhe said::إِنَّIfشَاءَwillsاللَّهُAllah,,لَيْسَnotيَكْرَهُdisliked،,وَلَاand notيَدْخُلُenterالشَّكُّinto doubt,,فَقَدْindeedأَخْبَرَhe informedعَنْaboutأَحْمَدَAhmadقَالَsaid:لَاnoنَشُكُّwe doubtفِيinإِيمَانِنَاour faith,,وَأَنَّand thatالسَّائِلَthe questionerلَاdoes notيَشُكُّdoubtفِيinإِيمَانِthe faithالمَسْؤُولِof the responder.,,وَهَذَاAnd thisأَبْلَغُis more eloquentوَهُوَand heإِنَّمَاonlyيَجْزِمُis certainبِأَنَّهُthat heمُقِرٌّis a declarer,,مُصَدِّقٌbelievingبِمَاin whatجَاءَcameبِهِwithالرَّسُولِthe messengerلَاnotيَجْزِمُbe certainبِأَنَّهُthat heقَائِمٌis fulfillingبِالْوَاجِبَاتِthe obligations..
Al-Khalal said: Harb bin Ishmael and Abu Dawood told me: I heard Ahmad say: I heard Sufyan - meaning Ibn Uyaynah - say: If asked, 'Are you a believer?' he did not answer him, and he says: 'Your question to me is an innovation, and I do not doubt in my faith.' And he said: 'If he said: If Allah wills, it is not disliked and does not enter into doubt, indeed Ahmad informed that we do not doubt in our faith, and that the questioner does not doubt in the faith of the responder. And this is more eloquent, and he is merely certain that he is a declarer, believing in what the messenger brought; he does not speak of being certain that he is fulfilling the obligations.
فَعُلِمَAnd it is knownأَنَّthatأَحْمَدَAhmadوَغَيْرَهُand othersمِنَamongالسَّلَفِthe predecessorsكَانُواthey wereيَجْزِمُونَcertainوَلَاand notيَشْكُونَthey doubtفِيinوُجُودِexistenceمَاwhatفِيinالقَلْبِthe heartمِنَofالإِيمَانِthe faithفِيinهَذِهِthisالحَالِsituationوَيَجْعَلُونَand they makeالِاسْتِثْنَاءَthe exceptionعَائِدًاreturningإِلَىtoالإِيمَانِthe faithالمُطْلَقِthe absolute..
And it is known that Ahmad and others among the predecessors were certain and did not doubt in the existence of what is in the heart of faith in this situation, and they make the exception returning to the absolute faith.