(Second): Their assumption that faith in the heart can be complete without outward deeds. This is the position of all the Murjiʾah.

(Third): Their claim that anyone whom the Lawgiver declares a disbeliever is declared so only because his heart lacks affirmation of the Lord, blessed and exalted is He. Many later scholars do not distinguish between the positions of the early generations and the views of the Murjiʾah and Jahmiyyah, because these are intermingled in the writings of many of them. Such a person inwardly holds the Jahmiyyah’s and Murjiʾah’s view of faith, yet venerates the early generations and the scholars of hadith. He therefore imagines that he can reconcile the two, or reconcile the statements of those like himself with those of the early generations.

Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazī said:

“A third group—the overwhelming majority of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah and the scholars of hadith—maintained that the faith to which Allah called His servants and which He made obligatory upon them is Islam, which He established as the religion, approved for His servants, and called them to embrace. It is the opposite of disbelief, which He abhors. He said:

‘He does not approve disbelief for His servants.’

And He said:

‘I have approved Islam as your religion.’

And He said:

‘Whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam.’

And He said:

‘What of one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, so that he follows a light from his Lord?’

Thus Allah praised Islam in the same way that He praised faith, making it a designation of praise and commendation. He stated that whoever embraces Islam follows a light and guidance from his Lord, and that it is His religion, which He has approved. Whatever He has approved, He has loved and praised. Do you not see that Allah’s prophets and messengers earnestly sought it from Him and asked Him for it? Abraham and Ishmael said:

‘Our Lord, make us both submissive to You, and from our descendants a community submissive to You.’

Joseph said:

‘Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.’

And He said: ‘And Abraham enjoined it