1596 — Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Basir related to us: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn ⦗958⦘ Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Harrani related to us; Abu Zakariyya Yahya Hayyuwayh al-Naysaburi related to us, saying: I heard Abu Sa‘id al-Firyabi say:

I asked al-Muzani, during the illness in which he died, about faith. At that time, he was gravely ill: he would lose consciousness at one moment and recover at another. That night, people had cried out in lamentation over him, thinking that he had died. So I said to him, “You are my imam after the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. What is your position concerning faith? The people have differed concerning it. Some maintain that faith consists of speech and action, and that it increases and decreases. Others say that it consists of speech and action, and that it increases. Others say that it is speech, while actions are its prescribed observances.”

Despite the severity of his condition, he responded with a question: “Who says that it consists of speech and action?”

I said, “Malik, al-Layth ibn Sa‘d, Ibn Jurayj,” and I mentioned a group of others to him.

He said, “I do not approve—or, I do not wish—that anyone be declared an unbeliever. Rather, ask me about the name or the meaning of the name.” I was astonished that he questioned me despite his condition, for he would lose consciousness in the intervals between this. Then he said, “One who errs concerning the name is not like one who errs concerning the meaning; error concerning the meaning is more serious.”

He then said, “What does this speaker say about one who is ignorant of some of the actions? Is he like one who is ignorant of the knowledge”—meaning all of tawhid (monotheism)? He then said, “This is a subject upon which I have not applied my own thought, but I shall consider it for you.”

When he said this to me, he lost consciousness. I kissed his forehead, though he did not know of it or perceive me. Earlier in that gathering, I had kissed his hand, and he took my hand and kissed it. Later that same day, after the afternoon prayer, I returned to him. His nephew, Atiq, said to me, “He asked about you and said ⦗959⦘, ‘Tell him: faith consists of speech and action.’”

So I sat beside him, facing him. He opened his eyes with difficulty and said to me, “Al-Firyabi?”

I replied, “Yes, may Allah honor you.”

He said, “There is no disagreement among the people that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, circumambulated the House and said, ‘Believing in You and affirming the truth of Your Book.’ This proves that all actions are part of faith.”

Abu Sa‘id said: This was the last matter concerning which I asked al-Muzani. He died three days later.