other than assent with the tongue constitutes faith. They maintained that the hypocrites who lived in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were truly believers. They also maintained that disbelief in Allah consists of denying and rejecting Him with the tongue.

He said: Some of the Murjiʾah say that an evildoer among those who pray toward the qiblah is not called an evildoer once his act has ended. Others say, “I do not call someone who commits major sins an evildoer without qualification; rather, he must be described as an evildoer in such-and-such a respect.” Others use the designation “evildoer” without qualification.

He said: The Murjiʾah differed over what disbelief is, dividing into six groups. The first group maintains that disbelief consists of a single trait residing in the heart: ignorance of Allah. These are the Jahmiyyah. The second group