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to change it.” If, by saying “if Allah wills,” he means that Allah is able to change it, this meaning is correct. But if he doubts whether it is a stone, he is feigning ignorance and should receive disciplinary punishment for doing so.
It is permissible to pray behind any Muslim whose inward state is unknown, by agreement of the four imams and all the other imams of the Muslims. Whoever says, “I will not perform Friday prayer or congregational prayer except behind someone whose inward beliefs I know,” is an innovator who opposes the Companions, those who followed them in righteousness, and the imams of the Muslims—the four imams and others. And Allah knows best.
(*) Here ends the text found of Mufassal al-i‘tiqād (Detailed Exposition of Creed), followed by Kitāb al-asmā’ wa-l-sifāt (The Book of Names and Attributes).
عَلَى تَغْيِيرِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُرَادُهُ بِقَوْلِهِ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى تَغْيِيرِهِ فَهَذَا الْمَعْنَى صَحِيحٌ؛ وَإِنْ كَانَ شَاكًّا فِي كَوْنِهِ حَجَرًا فَهَذَا مُتَجَاهِلٌ يُعَزَّرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.
وَتَجُوزُ الصَّلَاةُ خَلْفَ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ مَسْتُورٍ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْأَرْبَعَةِ وَسَائِرِ أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَمَنْ قَالَ:
لَا أُصَلِّي جُمْعَةً وَلَا جَمَاعَةً إلَّا خَلْفَ مَنْ أَعْرِفُ عَقِيدَتَهُ فِي الْبَاطِنِ فَهَذَا مُبْتَدِعٌ مُخَالِفٌ لِلصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ لَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانِ وَأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الْأَرْبَعَةِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
(*) آخِرُ مَا وُجِدَ مِنْ كِتَابِ مُفَصَّلِ الِاعْتِقَادِ وَيَلِيهِ كِتَابُ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالْصِفَاتِ