Excerpts from the Book 'Masaailul 'Eemaan' by Shaykh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan: Who are the Murji'ah?

The Murji’ah  are of four types:

The first type: They are those who say that Emaan is mere ma’rifah (cognizance) even if it does not reach tasdeeq (attestation). This is the saying of Jahmiyyah. This is the worse and the most disgusting of statements of the Murji’ah. And this is Kufr (disbelief) in Allaah ‘Azza Wa-Jal since the foremost of the Mushrikeen (polytheists), Pharaoh, Haamaan, Qaaroon, and Iblees all had cognizance of Allaah ‘Azza Wa-Jal in their hearts, but they did not utter it from their tongue nor did they attest to it in their heart and nor did they act on it with their limbs. This cognizance did not benefit them.

The second type: They are those who say that Emaan is only the tasdeeq (attestation) of the heart, and this is the saying of Ashaa’irah. This is also a baatil (false) statement since the Kuffaar have attestation of the heart, they knew that the Qur‟aan is true and that the Messenger (sallalaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is true, and the Jews and Christians knew that.

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقاً مِّنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him (Muhammad [sallalaahu „alaihi wasallam]) as they recognize their sons. But verily, a party of them conceals the truth while they know it –which are written in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel)].” (Surah  Al-Baqarah  002:146)

So they (the Jews and Christians) attest to this in their hearts. And with regards to the Mushrikeen, Allaah said:

 

إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ

 

“We know indeed the grief which their words cause you (O Muhammad [sallalaahu „alaihi wasallam]): it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur‟aan) of Allaah that the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong doers) deny.” (Surah  Al-An’aam  006:033)

Indeed they did not utter it upon their tongues nor did they act upon it from their limbs though they attested to it in their hearts, so they were not considered as Believers.

The third type: The Ashaa’irah accepts the statement of this sect, and they are the Karaamiyyah. They are those who say the Emaan is statement of the tongue even without the belief of the heart. There is no doubt that this statement is Baatil since the Munaafiqeen (Hypocrites), those who are of the lowest level of Hell-fire, say from their tongues that they testify that “there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah”, and they act on this upon their limbs but they do not believe in it nor do they attest to it in their hearts as Allaah said:

 إِذَا جَاءكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَلَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

 

“When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad [sallalaahu „alaihi wasallam]), they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allaah." Allaah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allaah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed. They have made their oaths a screen (for their hypocrisy). Thus they hinder (men) from the path of Allaah. Verily, evil is what they used to do.” (Surah  Al-Munaafiqoon  063:001)

And Allaah said:

 يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

 

“They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.” (Surah  Al-Fath 048:011)

The fourth type: They are the Murji’atul Fuqahaa, and they are most hidden sect of ‘Irjaa. They are those who say that Emaan is belief of the heart and the statement upon the tongue only. They say that actions do not enter into Emaan. This is the saying of Murji’atul Fuqahaa and this is not correct either since there is not Emaan without action.