Ibn Kullāb and al-Qalānisī. Al-Ash‘arī and his followers distinguish between the heart’s knowledge and its assent, for the heart’s assent is its affirmation. In their view, the heart’s affirmation is not knowledge but something of another kind.

For this reason, Ahmad said:
“Is knowledge needed alongside profession? Must one also assent to what one knows? If he claims that knowledge is needed alongside profession, he has claimed that faith consists of two things. If he claims that one must profess and assent to what one knows, then it consists of three things. But if he denies this and says, ‘Knowledge and assent are not needed,’ he has made a grave assertion. I do not think anyone would reject knowledge and assent.”

As for those who say, “Faith is profession,” profession by the tongue includes verbal assent. The Murji’ah have not disagreed that profession by the tongue includes assent. Thus, it is clear that he meant the heart’s assent and knowledge, together with profession by the tongue—unless it is argued that he meant assent by both heart and tongue, together with knowledge and profession, and that by profession he meant commitment, not assent, as Allah Most High says:

“And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: ‘Whatever I give you of Scripture and wisdom, should a messenger then come to you confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Have you acknowledged this and accepted My binding covenant?’ They said, ‘We have acknowledged it.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.’”

The covenant taken from them was that they would believe in him and support him; they had been commanded to do so. This acknowledgment is not assent to a statement, for Allah Most High had not conveyed a statement to them to be believed. Rather, He had obliged them to believe in that messenger and support him if he came to them. They affirmed this acknowledgment and committed themselves to it: this was their acknowledgment.

A person may acknowledge the Messenger in the sense of committing himself to what he commands, without knowing or assenting to the fact that he is Allah’s Messenger. Yet none of the Murji’ah has said that this acknowledgment constitutes faith.