He then mentioned (7/254) that Imam Ahmad was asked about the disbelief referred to therein, and replied: “It is a disbelief that does not remove one from faith. Just as faith has degrees, so too does disbelief, unless it reaches a matter concerning which there is no disagreement.”

He also said (7/312): “Since it is part of the position of the Salaf that a person may possess both faith and hypocrisy, it is likewise part of their position that he may possess both faith and disbelief. This is not the disbelief that expels one from the religious community, as Ibn Abbas and his companions said concerning Allah’s statement: ‘And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—they are the disbelievers.’ They said: ‘A disbelief that does not expel one from the religious community.’ Ahmad and other imams of the Sunnah followed them in this.”

2553 — “Whoever sets out for Hajj and dies, Allah will record for him the reward of a pilgrim until the Day of Resurrection. Whoever sets out to perform Umrah and dies, Allah will record for him the reward of one performing Umrah until the Day of Resurrection. And whoever sets out to fight in the path of Allah and dies, Allah will record for him the reward of a fighter until the Day of Resurrection.”

Abu Ya‘la recorded it in his Musnad (4/1505): Ibrahim ibn Ziyad—Sablan—narrated to us: Abu Mu‘awiyah informed us; Muhammad ibn Ishaq informed us, from Jamil ibn Abi Maymunah, from Ata ibn Yazid al-Laythi, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it. He then cited the hadith.

Al-Tabarani, the hadith master, corroborated Abu Ya‘la in al-Awsat (2/24/2/5454): Muhammad ibn al-Sari narrated to us, saying: Ibrahim ibn Ziyad—Sablan—informed us the same. He said: “Abu Mu‘awiyah was alone in narrating it.” Ibn Abi Hatim recorded it through his route in al-‘Ilal (1/326–327), as did al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu‘ab (3/474).