1732 — Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Basir informed us; Uthman ibn Ahmad informed us. Hanbal said: Abu Abd Allah—that is, Ahmad ibn Hanbal—told me: Khalid ibn Hayyan narrated to us from Ma‘qil ibn Ubayd Allah al-Absi, who said:

Salim al-Aftas came among us advocating irja. Our companions recoiled from him vehemently, among them Maymun ibn Mihran and Abd al-Karim ibn Malik. As for Abd al-Karim ibn Malik, he made a covenant with Allah that no roof of a house, apart from that of a mosque, would shelter both him and Salim.

Ma‘qil said: I performed Hajj and, together with a group of my companions, went in to Ata ibn Abi Rabah, whom I found reciting Surah Yusuf. I heard him recite this verse with the lighter reading: “Until, when the messengers despaired and thought that they had been lied to” [Yusuf 12:110]. I said to him, “We have a matter to raise with you, so admit us.” He did so, and I told him that some people in our region had introduced innovations and made assertions, saying that prayer and zakat are not part of the religion.

He said, “Does not Allah, Exalted is He, say: ‘They were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting their religion sincerely to Him as people of pure monotheism, and to establish prayer and give zakat’ [al-Bayyinah 98:5]?”

I said, “They claim that faith does not increase.” He said, “Has Allah not said in what He revealed: ‘So that they may increase in faith along with their faith’ [al-Fath 48:4]? This is the faith that He increased for them.”

I then said, “They claim you as one of their own. I was told that Ibn Dirham came to you with his companions, presented their doctrine to you, and that you accepted it and adopted this view.” He replied, “No, by Allah, besides whom there is no deity,” repeating it two or three times.

He then said: I came to Medina and sat with Nafi‘. I said to him, “Abu Abd Allah, I have a matter to discuss with you.” He asked, “Privately or openly?” I said, “No, ⦗1025⦘ privately.” He said, “Leave me with private matters; there is no good in a secret matter.” I said, “It is not of that kind.” After we had prayed the afternoon prayer, he rose, took me by the hand, and left through the postern without waiting for the public preacher. He said, “What is your matter?” I said, “Let us have some privacy.” He said, “Step aside.” So I mentioned their doctrine to him.

He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I have been commanded to strike them with the sword until they say, ‘There is no deity but Allah.’ When they say, ‘There is no deity but Allah,’ they safeguard from me their lives and their property, except by its due right; and their reckoning is with Allah.”

I said, “They say: ‘We acknowledge that prayer is obligatory, yet we do not pray; that wine is forbidden, yet we drink it; and that marriage to one’s mothers is forbidden, yet we seek it.’” He pulled his hand free from mine and said, “Whoever does this is a disbeliever.”

Ma‘qil said: I met al-Zuhri and informed him of their assertions. He said, “Glory be to Allah! Have people entered into such disputes? The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘The fornicator does not commit fornication while he is a believer, nor does the drinker drink wine while he is a believer.’”

Ma‘qil said: I met al-Hakam ibn Utaybah and said to him, “Abd al-Karim and Maymun have heard that some Murji’ah came to you, presented their doctrine to you, and that you accepted it.” He said, “Was such a thing said of Maymun and Abd al-Karim?” I said, “No.” He said, “Twelve men came to me while I was ill. They said, ‘Abu Muhammad, have you heard that a man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with a black—or Ethiopian—slave woman and said: “Messenger of Allah, I am required to free a believing slave. Do you consider this woman a believer?”’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked her, ‘Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘And do you testify that Allah will raise you after death?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then set her free.’ They then left, claiming me as one of their own.”

Ma‘qil said: I sat with Maymun ibn Mihran and said, “Abu Ayyub, would you recite a surah for us and explain it?” He said, “Recite—or have it recited—‘When the sun is folded up’ ⦗1026⦘ until reaching, ‘Obeyed there and trustworthy’ [al-Takwir 81:21]. That is Gabriel; and ruined is the one who says that his faith is like the faith of Gabriel.”