—may Allah curse him—was more severe than the disbelief of any other disbeliever, and that he certainly never knew Allah with His attributes or possessed genuine inward faith in Him, despite his words and acts of worship. Likewise, the Jews, Christians, Magians and other disbelievers do not possess genuine, valid faith in their hearts when we judge them to be disbelievers.

Allah Most High said:

“Had they believed in Allah, the Prophet and what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies.”

And He said:

“But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge concerning whatever disputes arise between them”—to the end of the verse.

Thus Allah made these matters conditions for the status of believer to apply. This establishes that faith is knowledge subject to conditions without which it has no validity.”

The reply is:

If you say that He added conditions to the heart’s knowledge before the status or designation of believer can apply, this would not be Jahm’s position. Rather, it would be the position of those who regard faith as analogous to prayer and pilgrimage: although these terms linguistically mean supplication and intention, the Lawgiver added further requirements, either for their religious status alone or for both their religious status and their designation. Whoever holds this position has conceded that the status of believer mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah is not established merely by the heart’s affirmation; those conditions must also be fulfilled.

Accordingly, he cannot regard a sinful person as a believer without evidence establishing this, merely by saying that the person possesses affirmation in the heart. Those who define faith as the heart’s affirmation say that no disbeliever in the Fire possesses any affirmation of Allah whatsoever—neither Iblīs nor anyone else.

Yet Allah Most High said:

“When they dispute in the Fire, the weak will say to those who were arrogant, ‘We used to follow you, so can you spare us any portion of the Fire?’ Those who were arrogant will say, ‘We are all in it. Allah has indeed judged between His servants.’”

And He Most High said:

“Those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups. When they reach it, its gates will be opened, and its keepers will say to them, ‘Did there not