in their teaching, namely that faith consists of assent in the heart and profession by the tongue. The Jahmiyyah said that it consists solely of assent in the heart. The Karrāmiyyah said that it consists solely of verbal profession. Thus, whoever makes this profession is a believer whose faith is complete. However, if he affirms it in his heart, he is among the people of Paradise; if he denies it in his heart, he is a hypocrite and a believer who belongs among the people of Hell.

This position is peculiar to the Karrāmiyyah, who invented it. No one before them held it, and it is the most recently introduced position concerning faith. Some people report that they hold that whoever professes faith with his tongue but not in his heart is among the people of Paradise. This misrepresents their position. Rather, they say that he is a believer whose faith is complete, yet belongs among the people of Hell. Their position therefore entails that a believer whose faith is complete will be punished in Hell—indeed, will remain there forever. Yet it is established through mass transmission from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that:

“Whoever has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will come out of it.”

If they say that he will not remain there forever, despite being a hypocrite, their position entails that hypocrites will come out of Hell. Yet Allah has said of the hypocrites:

“Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, and you will never find any helper for them.”

Allah also forbade His Prophet to offer funeral prayers for them or seek forgiveness for them, saying to him:

“Whether you seek forgiveness for them or do not seek forgiveness for them—even if you seek forgiveness for them seventy times—Allah will never forgive them.”

And He said: “And do not