Al-Murji’ah and Al-Kuffr !

And the people of the Sunnah have agreed that the Kuffr can be due to a statement, such as clear mockery (Istihza’) of the religion (Deen) and it can occur due to actions such as prostrating to an idol or the sun or the moon or slaughtering for other than Allah. 

And the evidences from the Book and the Sunnah are clear concerning the Kuffr of someone who commits something of Kuffr, and this is due to the statements or actions alone, without tying this to willful rejection (Juhud) or making it permissible (Istih’laal) as this is erroneous and no one from the companions (Sahabah) or the generation that came after them (Tabi’een) nor the known Imaams of the Sunnah have said this. 

Allah said: “And if you ask them (about this), they will declare: “We were only talking idly and joking.” Say: “Was it at Allah, and His Ayat (Proofs, Evidences, Verses, Lessons, Signs, Revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?” Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others (amongst you) because they were Mujrimin (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals, etc).” [9:65] 

And the cause of Kuffr was the statement, which they uttered alone. 

And Allah said: “They swear by Allah that they did not say (anything bad), but really they said the word of disbelief, and they disbelieved after their Islam, and they resolved that (plot to murder Prophet Muhammad) which they were unable to carry out, and they could not find any cause to do so except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His Bounty. If then they repent, it will be better for them, but if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a painful torment in this worldly life and in the Hereafter. And there is none for them on earth as a Wali (supporter, protector) or a helper.” [9:74]
 

So ultimately, anyone who says or does something, which is clear Kuffr, he disbelieves as long as nothing prevents that from the preventative factors such as compulsion (Ikrah) or misinterpretation (Ta’wil) or accidental mistakes (Khata’) like the slipping of the tongue or an ignorance, which is considered. 

And from the clear Kuffr is abandoning the category of actions (Jins Al-‘Amal) completely, without tying that to the actions of the heart, because the absolute abandonment of the category of actions (Jins Al-‘Amal) on its own is Kuffr Akbar, yet we use the absence of that which is nessecitated as evidence for the inside, without making this a condition for the judgment (Hukm) and this is clear from the Book and the Sunnah as the judgment is upon the actions of the body and not upon what lays in the hearts because this is for the Knower of the Unseen (i.e. Allah). 

And Al-Hafith Ibn Rajab mentioned in “Fat’h Al- Bari” 1/23, from Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah that he said, “The Murji’ah called abandoning the obligatory deeds (Al-Fara’idh) a sin at the level of performing the impermissible (deeds), but they are not equal, because committing the impermissible (deeds) intentionally while not making them permissible (Istih’laal) is a disobedience, while abandoning the obligatory deeds (Al-Fara’idh) while not being ignorant (of the duty to perform them) and without an excuse, is Kuffr.” 

And the clarification of that is in the issue of Adam and Iblis and the scholars of the Jews who accepted the Prophet’s being sent, upon their tongues, yet they did not act upon his legislations. 

And Harb narrated from Is’haq that he said, “The Murji’ah continued to go to extremes, until from their statements was that a people said, ‘Whoever leaves the prescribed prayers and the fasting of Ramadaan and the Zakaat and the Hajj and all of the obligatory deeds (Al-Fara’idh), without rejecting them (Juhud), we do not make Takfeer to him. His reckoning is left to Allah after he has become from those who accept them (i.e. the obligatory deeds).’ So those are the ones about whom there is no doubt; meaning the Murji’ah.” 

And Al-Khallal narrated in “As-Sunnah” 3/586, from ‘Ubayd-Allah Ibn Hanbal, who said, “Abi Hanbal Ibn Is’haq Ibn Hanbal narrated to me, he said, ‘Al- Humaydi said, ‘I was informed that there are people who say, ‘Whoever accepts the Salaat and the Zakaat and the fasting and the Hajj but does not do any of them until he dies, or prays leaning on his back facing the opposite direction of the direction of prayer (Qiblah) until he dies, then he is a believer (Mu’min) as long as he does not reject (their obligations). If he knows that his abandoning of those things with his belief, if he accepts the obligations and the facing towards the Qiblah.’ So I said, ‘This is clear Kuffr in Allah and contrary to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saws) the actions of the Muslims.” 

Allah said: “Hunafa’, and perform As-Salaat and give Az-Zakaat: and that is the right religion.” 

And Hanbal said, “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah, or I heard him saying, ‘Whoever says this, then he has disbelieved in Allah and rejected His Commands and upon the Messenger (saws) which he came with.” 

And Al-Imaam Ibn Battah said, “So anyone who abandons anything from the obligatory deeds (Al-Fara’idh), which Allah, the Powerful, the Mighty, prescribed in His Book or that His Messenger (saws) in his Sunnah, due to willful denial (Juhud) of it or inward disbelief (Tak’thib) in it, then he is a disbeliever (Kaafir) with clear Kuffr. No intelligent person, who believes in Allah and the Last Day, would doubt that. And whoever accepts it and declares this upon his tongue but abandons it (totally), due to negligence or playing or due to believing the opinion of the Murji’ah and following their school of thought (Math’hab), then he is an abandoner of the faith (Imaan). None of it exists; neither a small nor a large quantity in his heart. And he is in the group of hypocrites (Munafiqeen) who committed hypocrisy (Nifaaq) with the Messenger of Allah (saws) So Qur’an was revealed with their descriptions and what was in store for them and that they are in the lowest depths of the Hellfire. We seek refuge with Allah from the misguided schools of thought of the Murji’ah.” [Al-Ibanah Vol. 2/764] 

And the leaders (Imaams) among the predecessors (Salaf) have warned concerning them and made clear the error of their statements and the danger of their innovation (Bid’ah). 

Imam Az-Zuh’ri said, “No innovation (Bid’ah) was innovated in Islam that was more harmful to its people than this; meaning Al- Irja’.” [Al Ibanah Vol. 2/885] 

And Al-Awza’i said, “Yahya and Qatadah used to say, ‘There is nothing from the desires, which was more feared by them upon the nation (Ummah) than Al-Irja’.” [Al-Ibanah Vol. 2/885-886] 

And Shurayk said, “They are the worst of people. The extreme Shi’ites (Rawafidh) are sufficient in evil, but the Murji’ah lie against Allah, the Powerful, the Mighty.” [As-Sunnah Vol. 1/312] 

By Sheikh Sulaymaan bin Naasir al-‘Alwaan 

Extract taken from the book, Verily, the victory of Allah is near