And this makes it clear that citing this as evidence that one who abandons prayer does not become a disbeliever is a weak argument. Rather, it indicates that one who fails to observe the prayers diligently does not become a disbeliever. Thus, if he performs a prayer after its prescribed time, he does not become a disbeliever. Hence the report concerning rulers who delay the prayer beyond its prescribed time:

“It was asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we not fight them?’ He replied, ‘No, so long as they pray.’”

Likewise, when Ibn Masʿūd was asked about Allah’s words, “They neglected prayer,” he said, “This means delaying it beyond its prescribed time.” He was told, “We thought it meant abandoning it.” He replied, “Had they abandoned it, they would have been disbelievers.”

The point is that an “unqualified term” may encompass many things, even though they may also be mentioned separately.

To someone who says, “Outward deeds are included in the term ‘faith’ only figuratively,” the response is: “Your disagreement is merely verbal. For if you concede that these deeds are necessary accompaniments and consequences of the obligatory faith within the heart, then the absence of a necessary accompaniment entails the absence of that which necessitates it. Thus, the absence of these outward deeds necessarily entails the absence of inward faith. If you acknowledge this, the disagreement is merely verbal.”

But if you assert what Jahm and his followers actually maintain—that the full measure of obligatory faith can remain firmly established in the heart while a person outwardly manifests disbelief and abandons all outward obligations—you are told: “This contradicts your statement that outward deeds necessarily accompany inward faith and are entailed by it.” Indeed, you are told: “What your position really amounts to is that outward deeds sometimes accompany inward faith and are sometimes absent from it. They are therefore neither its necessary accompaniment nor something it entails or causes. Rather, they are an indicator: when present, they indicate the presence of inward faith, but when absent, their absence does not indicate its absence. This is what your position really amounts to.”