concerning the increase of faith in several passages, as in His words:
“He is the One who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers so that they would increase in faith along with their existing faith.”
And He said:
“So that those who were given the Scripture may be certain, and those who believe may increase in faith.”
And He said:
“When His verses are recited to them, they increase them in faith.”
And He, Most High, said:
“Among them are those who say, ‘Which of you has this increased in faith?’ As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they rejoice.”
And He said:
“The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then do not doubt, and strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is they who are truthful.”
And He, Most High, said:
“But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then let them go their way.”
And He, Most High, said:
“But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion.”
And He said:
“They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting their religion sincerely to Him, inclining away from falsehood, and to establish prayer and give zakah. That is the upright religion.”
[Ahmad said: His position requires him to say that a person is a believer by virtue of his acknowledgment. Even if he acknowledges zakah in general but does not find five in every two hundred dirhams, he must still say that he is a believer. His position therefore requires him to say that if a person acknowledges, then ties a distinctive non-Muslim belt around his waist, prays to the cross, visits churches and houses of worship, and commits all the major sins, yet throughout this acknowledges Allah, he must regard him as a believer. These are among the most repugnant implications of their position] (*).
I say: What Imam Ahmad has mentioned is among the best arguments people have advanced against them. He brought together a number of arguments, only some of which others have stated. They have no way of escaping this implication. Thus, when their speculative theologians, such as Jahm and those who agreed with him, recognized that it necessarily followed from their position, they accepted it and said:
“If he were to do