Could the moderators be so kind to explain Irja to us?

[Idris16]

3. Actions are part of iman!

Actions are part of Īmān

This is the significant matter which is debated against the Murji'ah and a matter of disagreement with our opponents and that is weather action is part of Īmān or not. We say the evidences speak about actions of the limbs which are defined as Īmān, Just as Allah (swt) says: And Allah would never make your faith (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). Truly, Allah is full of kindness, the Most Merciful towards mankind. [EMQ al-Baqarah:143]

Here Allah (swt) mentions Īmān (وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَـٰنَكُمۡ ) and it is referring to Salāh and that is an action.

Imām Qurtubī in his Tafsīr 2/157 says regarding this ayah: Quoting Imām Mālik: Whenever I remember this ayah the statement of the Murji'ah comes to mind who say; 'Indeed Salāh is not part of Īmān'. In the Hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger saw was asked; 'Which action is the best?' the Messenger saw replied; 'To believe in Allah (swt) and his messenger. Here the Messenger saw defined Īmān as action and the best of it. It is narrated by Abu Hurayra that the Messenger saw said:

Īmān is seventy-some branches; the most virtuous of them is saying Lā-Ilāha-Ilallāh. The lowest of them is to remove a harmful thing from the walkway. And shyness is a branch of Īmān. [Collected by Muslim in his Sahīh 152]

In this Hadīth you can see that removing the harmful thing from the walkway is labelled as Īmān though we know this as an action.

And from the Hadīth of the Messenger saw when he met a delegation from the tribe of Qays, he saw said; I order you to have Īmān in Allah. He saw continued; Do you know how to have Īmān in Allah? The replied; Allah and his Messenger know best, the Messenger saw said; To bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is his messenger, to establish the Salāh, to give the Zakāt, to fast in Ramadhān and to give a fifth of the booty. [Agreed upon].

Again the Messenger saw explained Īmān by actions that are mentioned in the Hadīth. The Messenger (saw) said; By Allah he is not a believer, the one whose neighbour is not safe from his evil. [Bukharī] In this Hadīth the Messenger saw negated someone's Īmān because of harming his neighbour which we know is an action.

Imām Bukharī mentions in his Sahīh (regarding Īmān) that: It is sayings and actions. Somebody may ask that the Imām did not mention belief? We say; when he mentions Qawl It is that of the tongue and of the heart as well. When he says Amal he means actions of the heart and of the limbs.

Ibn Rajab in his Kitāb al-Qayim 'Jām'e Ulūm' states: The Salaf used to attack and reject those who used to exclude actions from Īmān. And from those who rejected this and labelled them as making new innovations are; Sa'īd Ibn Jubayr, Maymūn Ibn Muhrān, Qatādah, Ayūb Sakhtayānī, Ibrāhīm al-Nakh'eī, Zuhrī Ibn Abī Kathīr and other than them. (from the Tābi'īn)

Regarding the one expelling actions from Īmān: ath-Thawrī said: It is a newly invented thought, those from before where upon other then this.

Al-Awzā'eī said: Those from before (Salaf) concluded there was no differentiation between Īmān and actions. [Ibid]

Imām Shāfi'ī In his book Kitāb ul-Umm states: There is consensus from the Sahābah the Tābe'īn and from other than them, that Īmān is sayings, actions and intentions and one of them cannot exist without the other.

Ibn Rajab in his book Fath Bārī Sharh Sahīh Bukhārī 5/1 says: The majority of the Ulemā' say; it is sayings and actions, and this is a complete Ijmā' (agreement) from the Salaf and the Ulemā' of Ahlul-Hadīth, as Shāfi'ī narrates the Ijmā' of the Sahābah and Tābe'īn upon it and Abu Thawr narrates Ijmā' upon it also.

This is enough for us to agree that Īmān being actions is from the Qur'ān, the Sunnah and the agreement of the Salaf and the Sahābah before and that we should take understanding on this by evidence.

 

[user expired!]

Brother Idris the Neo-Murjiah of today will always agree to this but the argument they have is that which actions nullify ones Islam? Although they always bang on about being on the right Aqeedah, manhaj of the Salaf, Salafi, Methodology, Shiekh Ibn Taymiyyah, Shiekh Muhammed Ibn Abdul Wahab etc , yet they seem to lack the basics of understanding simple issues which they claimed to have studied, i.e. Ruling by other than the shariah of Allah and replacing the Shariah with new laws. It is surprising that they suddenly become Muqqalids on this issue even though bang on about Taqlid of the Ahnaaf. This is why i dislike them so much, their hypocrisy is quite deceiving especially to new Muslims and newly practicing Muslims.

The way of the Salaf is to follow the truth whatever it is, not following the Truth when it suits you.

 

[Idris16]

Very short video

..............................................

 

[user expired!]

Asalamualaykum wa rahmatullah,

The issue with Hanafis of today is that many of the are of the Deobandi School of thought unlike the traditional Hanafis, you would be surprised to see that the most in-depth book of Aqeedah (well one of the most indepth) is actually written by a Hanafi, and also the best Sharh of that book is also by a Hanafi, which are taught at many 'Salafi' (really Hanbali) Islamic Universities around the world, (not saying they are free from mistakes).

ps Many of the Athar relating to Imam Abu Hanifah have been doubted by the scholars of the past, but im no expect, and even if Imam Abu Hanifah did make a mistake, we are not going to blindly follow his mistake nor are we going to throw him under the bus and declare him an innovator.

 

[Idris16]

Continuing from 'Actions are part of Iman'

There are a number of different classifications or wordings and definitions we may find in the books of the people of knowledge regarding what Īmān is and some of them maybe deficient in some areas. Some scholars say that Īmān is conviction in the heart (Tasdīq ul-Qalb) speech of the tongue (Qawl bi-Lisān) and actions being conditions (Amalu bil-Arkān). Even though this definition is almost correct it is deficient in some understanding.

In Arabic there is a difference between Tasdīq (conviction) and Itiqād (belief). As we mentioned before Īmān is belief in the heart which encompasses all actions of the heart and not just Tasdīq which is conviction, rather it covers conviction, certainty, love, fear, hate etc not just to single it to Tasdīq only. Similarly with actions being part of Īmān we say all actions and not just the Arkān as mentioned which are referring to the five pillars.

The evidences are quite clear and explicit that the Messenger saw explains Īmān by actions in fact the words are intercalated i.e. actions being Īmān and Īmān being actions. After this how are people to come and say that actions are not part of Īmān when the Messenger saw stated otherwise. There are many evidences that speak about this matter and give evidence that all obedience to Allah and his Messenger are Īmān. Similarly the Ulemā' from the Salaf before have always mentioned that there is an agreement that Īmān is by belief sayings and actions.

With this understanding we can also appreciate the way that Īmān is affirmed by belief, sayings and actions, Kufr (disbelief) is also confirmed by belief, sayings and actions in accordance with the definition of Īmān. Unlike some who confirm the correct definition of Īmān but when it comes to Kufr they restrict it to taking place in the heart only, contradicting themselves completely and this is the problem today. When they come with the definition of Īmān they come with the understanding and evidences of Ahlus-Sunnah and when they come with their definition of Kufr they come with the understanding and evidences of the Murji'ah and Jahm Ibn Safwān and the likes.

We say action is part of Īmān, if we leave any action does that mean we negated the Īmān? Is every action a condition of Īmān or not? There are three opinions on the matter.

The Khawārij and Extremists; they say every single action comes under Īmān so if you fall into the Kabā'ir the major sins you have negated your Īmān.

The Murji'ah: Who believe you can do what you wish and your Īmān will never be effected. The best of the Murji'ah would say by dong actions you would complete your faith however leaving it does not negate faith.

Both of these are upon the incorrect paths and Ahlus-Sunnah are between the two.

Ahlus-Sunnah: There are some actions if you fall upon them you negate your Īmān and there are other actions which complete your faith and by doing them you increase your Īmān and by not doing them you decrease your Īmān but it does not negate your Īmān like what the Khawārij say. There are also actions such as Salāh which if you do not do will cause you to lose your Īmān.

I am sorry for the translation, I have noticed the English translation is not as good as it should be, but may Allah reward the unknown translator for the good he did and may He forgive him for the errors he committed.

 

[Idris16]

..................................

 

[Idris16]

A Clarification That Īmān Increases And Decreases

A Clarification That Īmān Increases And Decreases​

We say; Īmān is belief, sayings and actions and it increases with obedience to Allah (swt) and decreases with disobedience to Allah (swt).

Actions differ amongst the people as to how much they do and do not do depending on how much they act upon. People could do deeds of obedience and their Īmān will go up and do deeds of disobedience and their Īmān will do down.

He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquility) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. [EMQ al-Fath:4]

…and We increased them in guidance. [EMQ al-Kahf:14]

And whenever there comes down a Sûrah (chapter from the Qur'ān), some of them (hypocrites) say: "Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?" As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice. [EMQ-at-Tawbah:124]

So every time a Sūrah was revealed the Muslims would believe in it and follow it and by doing so their Īmān would increase.

In a Hadīth Shahīh, the Messenger saw said that: The fornicator does not fornicate while fornicating and he is a believer. And the thief does not steal while stealing and he is a believer. And no one drinks wine while drinking wine and he is a believer. And the gates repentance are open after that.[Bukhari & Muslim] So we see from this Hadīth how the sins effect, reduce and cause harm to the Īmān.

Imām Bukhāri said in his Sahīh: Īmān is sayings and actions, it increases and decreases.

Ibn Rajab in his book Fath Bārī Sharh Sahīh Bukhārī 1/8 says: The increase and decrease of the Īmān is the speech of the majority of the scholars. And this speech has been reported by a group of the Sahābah like Abi Dardā'a, Abi Hurayrah, Ibn Abbās and other than them from the Sahābah.

On one occasion Abi Dhar al-Ghafārī said: O Messenger of Allah, how did you know that you became a Prophet after you where chosen by Allah (swt)? The Messenger saw said; O Abā Dhar, two angels came to me when I was in a place in the desert of Makkah and one came down to the earth, and the other angel remained between the sky and the earth. One of the two angels said to the other; Is this him? The angel replied yes. The angel said to the other, lets weigh him against another man, so they weighed him and the Messenger saw outweighed him. So they said lets weigh him against ten people and the Messenger saw outweighed them. Then weighed the Messenger against a hundred then a thousand and the Messenger saw outweighed them all and they where all thrown of the scales as they where outweighed so much. The angel said; If we was to bring the whole Ummah and weigh them against the Messenger saw the Messenger saw would outweigh all of them. [Dhārimī & Al-Silsilah Sahīhah 2531]

What they are weighing here between the Messenger (saw) and other men is Īmān and this evidence is a refutation to those who say that the Īmān is equal in every person rather the evidence shows that there is no equality in it.

The Īmān is affected by two things, the first being the type of sin that is committed and the second is the size of the sin itself. There is no doubt that Shirk is the biggest sin that one can fall into which does what to Īmān? It negates Īmān completely and destroys any good actions that you have had from before.

Another point to mention is that the repetition of sin has a greater effect on Īmān then doing that sin just once. The one who drinks alcohol once that has effect on his Īmān but for the one who is alcoholic has a much greater damage. Likewise the one who does not rule by what Allah (swt) revealed once is on a completely different valley than the one who continuously does not rule by what Allah (swt) revealed.

 

[Idris16]

Every Mu'min (Believer) Is A Muslim But Not Every Muslim Is A Mu'min​

There is no difference of opinion on the fact that every true believer is Muslim. As the Messenger saw said in a Hadīth narrated by Bukhāri and others: Inside the body is a organ if it becomes good the whole body becomes good. If it becomes bad the whole body becomes bad and it is the heart.

Ibn Hajr in his Fath 1/128 says: That is specific to the Qalb (heart) due to it being the Amir (leader) of the body. With rectification of the Amir (leader) the flock is rectified. And if his (the Amir's) fasād (evils), (the flock) becomes evil."

The reason why we say not every Muslim is a Mu'min is because somebody may come and do all the actions of Islām but in reality he disbelieves like the Munāfiq (hypocrite), who may show that he is Muslim but in reality he is a disbeliever hence not a believer. We say they hide their Kufr but it does not mean that they do not show Kufr, as actions are a reflection of ones inner belief. Their Kufr may be shown to the ones who agree with them in it and to those close to them. Nobody can live their life as a lie and he will have to show his Kufr and does so as well however he hides it to others to show he is Muslim. As for the Kāfir he shows Kufr on the outside as it is the same as his inner.

The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." 49:14