Section

If it is objected:

“If faith, understood without qualification, encompasses everything that Allah and His Messenger have commanded, then whenever any part of that is absent, faith is invalidated. This would require declaring those who commit sins to be unbelievers, as the Khawārij maintain, or holding that they will remain in the Fire forever and denying them the designation of faith altogether, as the Mu‘tazilah maintain. Both these positions are worse than that of the Murji’ah, for the Murji’ah include scholars and devout worshippers whom the Muslim community remembers favourably. As for the Khawārij and the Mu‘tazilah, Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā‘ah, across all their groups, unanimously condemn them.”

The response is:

First, it should be understood that the position on which no one from Ahl al-Sunnah has agreed with the Khawārij and the Mu‘tazilah is that those who commit major sins will remain in the Fire forever. This position is one of the well-known religious innovations. The Companions, those who followed them in righteousness, and all the other imams of the Muslims agreed that no one with an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will remain in the Fire forever. They also agreed that our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will intercede for those who commit major sins among his community for whom Allah permits him to intercede. In the two Sahīh collections, it is reported that he said:

“Every prophet has a supplication that is answered, and I have reserved my supplication as intercession for my community on the Day of Resurrection.”

These hadiths are cited in their respective places. Some people have attributed a contrary view on this matter to the Companions, as