and He, Exalted be He, says, “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with a sincere repentance” (Sūrah al-Taḥrīm, 66:8). But if, as the Murjiʾah claim, a person is already a true believer in every circumstance, from what exactly is he supposed to repent? Clearly, repentance is required only for that which Allah has prohibited and forbidden.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “A fornicator does not commit fornication while he is a believer, and a wine-drinker does not drink wine while he is a believer.” These Qur’anic passages and prophetic reports alike show that “believer” is a title of praise, earned by commendable deeds, whereas “open sinner” is a title of blame, incurred by reprehensible deeds.

This meaning is confirmed by the Almighty’s words:
“True believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith increases when His verses are recited to them, who put their trust in their Lord, who establish the prayer, and who spend out of what We have provided for them. Such people are the believers in truth; for them are ranks with their Lord, forgiveness, and an honorable provision” (Sūrah al-Anfāl, 8:2-4).

He also says, “Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, and splendid dwellings in the Gardens of perpetual residence. Yet Allah’s good pleasure is greater still—that is the supreme triumph” (Sūrah al-Tawbah, 9:72).

And He says, “If the People of the Book had believed and been mindful of Allah, We would surely have remitted their evil deeds and admitted them to the Gardens of Bliss” (Sūrah al-Māʾidah, 5:65).

By contrast, regarding the hypocrites He, Exalted is He, says, “Allah has promised the hypocrite men, the hypocrite women, and the disbelievers the Fire of Hell, wherein they will remain forever. That will suffice them. Allah has cursed them, and for them is an everlasting punishment” (Sūrah al-Tawbah, 9:68).