but denies the prophets is a disbeliever because of his denial of the prophets, yet possesses one quality of faith: his knowledge of Allah, glorified be He.

The ninth group of the Murjiʾah consists of those who affiliate themselves with Abū Hanīfah and his followers. They claim that faith consists of knowing Allah and the Messenger, and acknowledging what has come from Allah in general, without detailed specification.

The tenth group of the Murjiʾah consists of the followers of Abū Muʿādh al-Tūmanī. They claim that faith consists of avoiding the gravest major sins. It is a designation for qualities whose abandonment, whether altogether or individually, renders a person a disbeliever. Thus, any quality whose abandonment constitutes disbelief is faith. As for any act of obedience whose omission is not unanimously held by Muslims to constitute disbelief, it is one of the ordinances of faith. If that act is obligatory, the person who abandons it is described as committing sinful conduct: one says that he acts sinfully, but does not label him a sinner. Major sins do not exclude a person from faith, provided they do not constitute disbelief.

Whoever abandons obligations such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage out of denial, rejection, or contempt for them is a disbeliever in Allah. His disbelief is due to that contempt, rejection, and denial. But if he abandons them without considering their abandonment lawful, being distracted and procrastinating, saying, “I will pray shortly, when I have finished my amusement and my work,” he is not a disbeliever, even if he prays on a given day and at one of the prayer times. Nevertheless, we deem him guilty of sinful conduct.

Abū Muʿādh used to say: “Whoever kills or slaps a prophet becomes a disbeliever. His disbelief is not because of the slap itself, but because of his contempt, hostility, and hatred toward him.”