Allah when it is a mark of success and a sign of salvation. If, however, its possessor—Allah forbid—is among the wretched in Allah’s judgment, then the faith with which he is presently adorned is merely held on loan.”

He said:

“Those who adopt this position see no difference between saying, ‘I am a believer, certainly destined for Paradise,’ and saying, ‘I am truly a believer.’”

I say:

This follows only according to those who understand faith to encompass fulfilling obligations and abstaining from prohibited acts. Whoever dies in this state is among the people of Paradise. But according to the position of the Jahmiyyah and the Murji’ah—the position defended by these advocates of Jahm’s doctrine—a person unquestionably dies in faith and, in their view, possesses perfect faith, yet they also count him among those guilty of major sins who enter the Fire. Thus, meeting his Lord with faith does not necessarily mean that he is among the people of Paradise. This consequence of their position demonstrates its falsity, for Allah has promised the believers Paradise.

They likewise said:

“Especially since Allah, glorified and exalted is He, says:

‘Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens’

—to the end of the verse.”

He said:

“These people—meaning those who make faith contingent upon one’s final state—have made perseverance in this assent and the faith we have described until the end, and remaining true to it at one’s final outcome, a condition of faith in religious law, though not in language or reason.”

He said:

“This is the position of the early hadith scholars and of the majority.”

He said:

“It is also the position chosen by Imam Abū Bakr ibn Fūrak. Imam Muhammad ibn Ishāq ibn Khuzayma went to great lengths in upholding it and used to say: ‘Whoever says, “I am truly a believer,” is an innovator.’”

As for the position of the early hadith scholars, such as Ibn Masʿūd and his companions, al-Thawrī