guilty of those sins.” He offered arguments in support of this, then said:

“Most of Mālik’s followers hold that faith and Islam are one and the same.”

He said:

“As for the Mu‘tazilah, they hold that faith comprises all acts of obedience, and that whoever falls short in any of them is a sinner, neither a believer nor a disbeliever. These are the true adherents of Mu‘tazilism, who advocate the intermediate position between the two positions.”

Later he said:

“Faith increases and decreases: it increases through obedience and decreases through disobedience. This is the position of the scholars of transmitted reports and the jurists who issue fatwas throughout the lands. Ibn al-Qāsim reported from Mālik that faith increases, but that he withheld judgment concerning its decrease. ‘Abd al-Razzāq, Ma‘n ibn ‘Īsā, and Ibn Nāfi‘ reported from him that it increases and decreases. This is the position of the body of hadith scholars, and praise be to Allah.”

He then cited the arguments of the Murji’ah, followed by those of the people of the Sunnah. He refuted the Khawārij’s practice of declaring sinners disbelievers by citing the prescribed punishments for adultery, theft, and similar offenses, the right of mutual inheritance, and the hadith of ‘Ubādah:

“Whoever commits any of these offenses and is punished for it in this world, that punishment is an expiation for him.”

He said:

“Faith has degrees, some higher than others. Someone whose faith is deficient is not like someone whose faith is complete. Allah Most High says:

‘The believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the mention of Allah.’

“That is, those who truly believe. Hence He says:

‘It is they who are the true believers.’

“The same applies to the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

‘A believer is one from whom people feel safe, and a Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.’

“He means a true believer and a true Muslim. Another example is his saying:

‘The believers most complete in faith.’

“It is well known that one cannot be more complete unless another is less complete.