“My intercession is for those of my community who commit major sins,”

and his hadiths concerning his bringing out of the Fire those who have entered it.

The purpose here is not to examine these principles in detail, but merely to draw attention to them. What led them into this error was that they heard the texts threatening punishment, understood them to be universal in scope, and said:

“They must apply to everyone they encompass. This is a statement of fact, and Allah’s statements are true. If He failed to carry out His threat, it would be like His failing to fulfil His promise, and it is impossible for Allah to lie.”

The extremists among the Murji’ah countered them with the texts promising reward, since these may encompass many who commit major sins. Each group thus reverted to its own unsound principle.

The former said: “The texts promising reward encompass only believers, and these people are not believers.”

The latter said: “The texts threatening punishment encompass only unbelievers.”

Both positions are mistaken. Texts such as His saying:

“Indeed, those who unjustly consume the property of orphans”

do not stipulate unbelief as a condition; rather, they concern those who profess Islam.

Likewise, his saying:

“Whoever’s last words are ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah’ will enter Paradise”

does not stipulate the fulfilment of religious obligations as a condition. Indeed, it is established in the authentic hadith collections:

“Even if he has committed unlawful sexual intercourse, even if he has stolen, and even if he has drunk wine.”

At this point, people became divided and confused. A group among the Murji’ah denied universal scope, saying: “There are no expressions of universal scope in language.” These are those who suspend judgment concerning universal scope, from among the Murji’ah and some of