among the most obstinate and transgressive of Allah’s creatures, because his will and purpose were corrupt, not because he lacked knowledge.
Allah Most High said:
“Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and divided its people into factions, oppressing a group among them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. Indeed, he was one of those who spread corruption.”
And He said:
“They denied them, though their souls were convinced of their truth, out of injustice and arrogance.”
The same applies to the Jews of whom Allah said:
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons.”
Likewise, many of the polytheists, of whom Allah said:
“It is not you they disbelieve; rather, the wrongdoers deny Allah’s signs.”
Thus, these people erred on “two fundamental points”:
First, they assumed that faith consists solely of assent and knowledge, unaccompanied by any action, state, movement, will, love or reverent fear within the heart. This is among the gravest errors of the Murjiʾah altogether. For the “deeds of the heart”—which some Sufis call states and stations, stages of those journeying to Allah, stations of those who know Allah, or other names—include matters that Allah and His Messenger have made obligatory, and these belong to obligatory faith. They also include matters that He loves but has not made obligatory, and these belong to recommended faith.
The first category is indispensable for every believer. Whoever confines himself to it is among the righteous, the people of the right; whoever fulfils it and also fulfils the second is among the foremost, those brought near to Allah.
These deeds include loving Allah and His Messenger—indeed, loving Allah and His Messenger more than anything else, and loving Allah, His Messenger and jihad in His cause more than one’s family and wealth. They also include fearing Allah alone rather than created beings, placing one’s hope in Allah alone rather than created beings, relying on Allah alone rather than created beings, and turning to Him