complete. That is a denial of recommended completeness.

Likewise, a believer without qualification is one who fulfils the obligatory requirements of faith. His faith falling short of what is obligatory does not mean that it is invalid and nullified, just as in the case of Hajj. Nor does it mean that he possesses complete faith, as the Murji’ah claim. Nor should one say, “Even if he fulfilled what is obligatory, his faith would not be complete,” for the completeness denied in that case is recommended completeness.

This distinction dispels the confusion surrounding this issue and affirms the revealed texts as they stand. Likewise, concerning the Prophet’s saying:

“Whoever cheats us is not one of us,”

and similar statements, it is not permissible to say that this means, “He is not among the best of us,” as the Murji’ah claim. Nor may one say, “He has become a non-Muslim and is therefore a disbeliever,” as the Khawārij claim. Rather, the correct understanding is that this pronoun, when used without qualification, refers to believers who fulfil the obligatory requirements of faith, through which they deserve reward without punishment. They are entitled to unqualified allegiance and love, although some attain higher degrees of these through the recommended deeds they perform.

Thus, if someone cheats them, he is truly not one of them, because he falls short of the obligatory faith through which they deserve unqualified reward without punishment. Yet this does not necessarily mean that he is wholly outside their ranks. Rather, he possesses enough faith to deserve a share in their reward, while also bearing a major sin for which he deserves punishment.

This is like someone hiring a group of people to perform a task, with some of them working for only part of the time. When payment is due, it is appropriate to say:

“This one is not one of us, so he is not entitled to