faith being divisible and consisting of multiple elements. Thus, the imams argued against them with evidence showing that faith is not a single thing, as they claimed. Abū Thawr appealed to what “the jurist Murji’ah” agreed upon: that faith consists of assent and deeds. Either the position of their theologians and the Jahmiyyah among them had not reached him, or he did not regard their dissent as carrying any weight.

Ahmad explained that knowledge and assent are indispensable alongside verbal profession. He said that anyone who denies the need for knowledge and assent has made a grave statement, for the falsity of this position is known from the religion of Islam. Hence, no one adopted it before the Karrāmiyyah. Yet the Karrāmiyyah do not deny that knowledge and assent are obligatory; rather, they say that these do not fall within the meaning of faith, lest faith be divisible and consist of multiple elements. They held that some of it could not disappear while the rest remained, since this would entail faith and arrogance coexisting in the heart. They believed there was a consensus ruling this out, as al-Ash‘arī and others reported.

This specious argument is what led them astray, despite the learning, devotion, and sound Islam and faith of many of them. Thus, a number of people whom the Muslim community recognizes as learned and religious adopted “the jurists’ doctrine of irjā’.” For this reason, none of the early generations declared any of “the jurist Murji’ah” to be unbelievers. Rather, they regarded this as an innovation in statements and deeds, not an innovation in beliefs, since much of the dispute over it concerns wording.

Nevertheless, the wording that accords with the Quran and Sunnah is what is correct. No one may speak contrary to the words of Allah and His Messenger, particularly since this became a means leading to the innovations of the speculative theologians among the Murji’ah and others, and to the spread of sinful conduct. That slight error in wording thus became a cause of grave error in beliefs and deeds. This is why irjā’ was condemned so severely, to the point that Ibrāhīm al-Nakha‘ī said:

“The trial they pose—meaning the Murji’ah—is more to be feared for this community than the trial posed by