and some of them did say that she was a believer; when she affirms that, she has the legal status of a believing woman. That is what it means.

I asked Abū ‘Abd Allāh, “Do you distinguish between faith and Islam?”

He replied, “People have differed over this. Hammād ibn Zayd, they reported, used to distinguish between faith and Islam.”

He was asked, “Who are the Murji’ah?”

He replied, “Those who say that faith consists of words without deeds.”

I say: Ahmad ibn Hanbal never meant that such a person had been stripped of all faith, leaving him with none, as the Khawārij and Mu‘tazilah maintain. Indeed, he explicitly stated in several places that those who commit major sins possess faith by virtue of which they will be brought out of the Fire. He cited as evidence the Prophet’s words, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Bring out of the Fire anyone in whose heart there is a speck’s weight of faith.”

That view is neither his position nor that of any of the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah. Rather, they all agree that sinful people who are not hypocrites possess some faith by virtue of which they will be brought out of the Fire. This is what distinguishes them from the disbelievers and hypocrites. Yet possessing some faith does not necessarily mean that a person comes within the unqualified, praiseworthy designation of “believer.” The bearer of the revealed Law denied this designation to such people, saying:

“No adulterer is a believer at the time he commits adultery.”

He also said:

“None of you believes until he loves for his brother the good that he loves for himself.”

And he said:

“He whose neighbour is not safe from his harm does not believe.”

He swore to this repeatedly. He also said:

“A believer is one whom people trust with their lives and property.”

The Mu‘tazilah, however, deny such a person the designation of faith altogether, as well as that of Islam. They say, “He possesses nothing of faith or Islam,” and, “We place him in a position between two positions.” They maintain that he will remain in the Fire forever and will not be brought out of it through intercession. This is precisely what they were reproached for.