Was Abu Hanifah a Murji ?

[Answered by Shaykh Nasir al-‘Aql on his website] 

Q: Was Abu Hanifah a Murji like what al-Bukhari said in “At-Tarikh al-Kabir”? 

A: Yes, Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was a Murji from the Murjiah al-Fuqaha. This scholar’s slip however does not diminish his ability and status but it is not permissible to follow along in the irja because it clashes with the Salaf. He agreed in manhaj and the rest of the usul. 

Note: The Murjiah are of different types:

1. The Murjiah al-Fuqaha who say Imaan is belief in the heart and a statement upon the tongue but actions are not included into “Imaan”.
2. The Ash’ariyyah who say Imaan is Tasdeeq, affirmation of the heart only.
3. The Karamiyyah who say the opposite and that Imaan is a statement of the tongue only.
4. The Jahmiyyah who say Imaan is merely knowledge.

All these are batil but the first is the least harmful and most of the Ahnaf are attributed to it. The Salaf are in agreed that Imaan is belief, saying and action. All of them form and enter into “Imaan”. Shaykhul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) said, “It is part of the usul of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah that ad-Din and al-Imaan is qawl (saying) and ‘amal (action); saying of the heart and tongue and actions of the heart, tongue and limbs” (al-‘Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah). Ibn Baz was asked: “There are some who say that it (actions) enters into Imaan, however it (actions) is a shart (condition) of completeness?” He replied: “No. No, it is not a shart of completeness, it is a juzz (a portion/part), a juz of Imaan, that (the question) is a statement of the Murjiah” (Al-Mishkah Magazine). Today you have many people who claim to follow the Salaf and “Salafiyyah” but go against this core principle of the Salaf or contradict themselves in their explanation. From them are those who say with their tongue the statement of the Salaf that Imaan is belief, sayings and actions but then explain that actions enter into Imaan from the angle of completeness and one does not leave Imaan to Kuffr through an action, ever. Also are those whose teachings and books speak and explain Imaan correctly but their stances and actions speak and explain themselves to be Jahmiyyah. Allahul-musta’an.