THE MURJI
ON THE MURJI’A [“THE POSTPONERS”]mstheme>
As for the Murji’a [“the Postponers”], their subsects are twelve in number: The Jahmiyya; the Salihiyya; the Yunusiyya; the Shamiriyya; the Yunaniyya; the Najjariyya; the Ghailaniyya; the Shabibiyya; the Hanafiyya; the Mu’adhiyya; the Marisiyya; the Karramiyya.
They have come to be called the Murji’a [“the Postponers”] for the simple reason that they professed the following doctrine: Provided that an individual, he being a responsible person [mukallaf], makes the statement: “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah [la ilaha illa’llah; Muhammadun rasulu’llah],” even if he then goes on to commit every possible sin of disobedience, he will definitely not enter the Fire of Hell.
They also maintain that faith [iman] is a matter of words, and does not depend on deeds. According to them, deeds are articles of the sacred law [shara’i‘], whereas faith is a verbal statement pure and simple [qawl mujarrad]. They hold the view that people are not distinguished, one as being superior to another, on the basis of faith. They maintain that their faith and the faith of the angels [mala’ika] and the Prophets [anbiya‘] is one and the same, without being subject to any increase, diminution or exception. As long as a person declares his faith with his tongue, even if he does not put it into practice, he is therefore a believer [mu’min].
? Baz Publications
