TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shaykh Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed’s foreword.................................................. 4

Translator’s introduction............................................................................................. 6
The definition of faith according to Islamic/theological schools............... 8
Who are the Murji’ah?................................................................................................... 9
Imām Abū Hanīfah's pushback against the Khawārij.......................................11
A debate of Imām Abū Hanīfah and the Khawārij............................................. 14
How do we tackle the accusations staggered against the Imām?...............17
Māturīdī scholars’ verdict on this matter........................................................... 22
Faith according to the Hanafī view........................................................................ 23
The authorship of this text........................................................................................24
The Biography of Imām ‘Uthmān Al-Battī........................................................... 26
Imām Zāhid Al-Kawtharī's biography of Imām ‘Uthmān Al-Battī.............. 28
The opening.....................................................................................................................30
The reason for writing the letter.............................................................................31
The people were a folk of polytheism before Islām......................................... 32
On the difference between faith and action.......................................................33
The faith of the inhabitants of the sky and earth is one............................... 35
An answer to Al-Battī’s explanation of faith...................................................... 38
The definition of hypocrisy....................................................................................... 40
Abandoning the excommunication nature of the Khawārij..........................41
The stance of the people of truth about the people of the Qiblah.............43
On what the Companions said about this matter.............................................44
The cause of being named ‘Murji’i’......................................................................... 46
Ending................................................................................................................................ 48

3
 Who are the Murji’ah?

Returning to the term ‘Murji’’, it is derived from ‘Irja’ which

linguistically means to delay or deter.

‫ حيث تحاول الأطراف المختلفة‬،‫ومن المرجح أن نسمع عن إرجاء بعد إرجاء في الأيام المقبلة‬

.‫اختيار ممثليها‬

We are likely to hear of delay after delay in the coming days, as

various sides try to choose their representatives.

However, in this contextualised discussion, the term refers to

delaying on excommunicating (Takfīr) someone from the religion
of Islām. For instance, if a person spews clear words of disbelief,
while also committing blasphemous actions; if the observer holds
back from excommunicating the person, then he will be
considered a Murji’ and has committed Irjā’. The act of delay is
not necessarily incorrect or classed as evil, however, I will
mention more in regards to this later on in this chapter.
Upon this, the Khawārij believe that actions fall within
the essential definition of faith. This means that action is a
necessary factor for faith and if one leaves an obligatory action,
he has indeed disbelieved as obligatory actions are considered
faith too. Likewise with sinful actions, if one commits a major sin,
he will be considered a disbeliever according to the Khawarij
because action is part of the essence of faith [according to them].
Whoever objects to this doctrine and philosophy, will be
considered a Murji’ according to the Khawārij.
As the reader should know, the methodology of Ahl
As-Sunnah is that a person is not excommunicated for leaving an
obligatory action, nor is he excommunicated for committing a
major sin. However, Ahl As-Sunnah agree that faith can be

10
 A debate of Imām Abū Hanīfah and the Khawārij

Imām Abū Hanīfah was known for debating. One of the debates
was with the Khawārij on the issue of faith and excommunication.
This debate is recorded in several Manāqib; I have relied on the
one written by Imam Az-Zaranjarī (d. 512 AH). However, one may
also find this debate in Kashf al-Āthār Ash-Sharīfah by Imām Abū
Muhammad Al-Hārithī (d. 340 AH).
Abū ‘Ismah Nūh b. Abī Maryam narrates from Hammād
b. Abī Hanīfah, that he said: When it reached the Khawārij that
Abū Hanīfah does not excommunicate anyone due to sin, forty
men with weapons [made their way to] come to him. When they
entered Kūfah they went to Abū Hanīfah while he was in a group
of people. They said:

“O Abū Hanīfah! Tell them to stand up from here [and leave you]!
For we have an issue [to discuss].”

So they stood up and they did not talk when they (the Khawārij)
had their swords drawn out. They then said to him:

“O enemy of this Ummah! O Shaytān of this Ummah! We would

rather kill you than have a [holy] war (Jihad) for seventy years. So
answer us on these two issues, and if [you do not want to answer]
then prepare yourself to be killed.”

So Abū Hanīfah said: “Put away your swords!”

So they said: “Why should we put them away when we want to

stain them with your blood?!”

So he said: “Let's discuss then, with the name of Allah.”

15
 How do we tackle the accusations staggered against the Imām?

Imām Abū Hanīfah was not the only one accused of Irjaā, rather,
his own students were accused in the same fashion, for example,
Imām Muhammad bin Al-Hasan Ash-Shaybānī. One should note
that this was generally the state with most Hanafī scholars. Due
to this, some jurists would begin saying: “If our position truly is
Irjā', then let it be so. However, our position is not dissimilar from
the position of those from Ahl As-Sunnah who accuse us of this.”
Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that many
accusations were initiated by the Khawārij. Amongst the most
famous, who was known to accuse Imām Abū Hanīfah of Irjā’, was
Shārik the Khārijī. He also accused Imām Muhammad of Irjā', as
recorded by Imām Ibn Hajar Al-’Asqalānī in the biography of the
Imām. He recorded that Shārik would not accept anyone to be a
believer, who does not view prayer [which is an action] to be an
essential part of faith. As one would expect, Imām Muhammad, in
a similar manner to his teacher, Imām Abū Hanīfah, opined that
prayer is not an essential pillar of faith. Rather, prayer and other
obligatory actions are fruits of faith, not the seed of faith
themselves.5 Ironically, Imām Abū Hanīfah also argued against the
Khawārij for this exact point, in his Wasiyyah:

“The action is other than faith, and faith is other than the action,
according to the evidence that actions [such as the obligatory ones
like prayer] are often raised from the believer. And one cannot say,
"Faith was raised from him." For verily Allāh has raised the prayer
from the menstruating woman (Hā'idh). And it is not permissible to
say: "Allāh has dismissed her from prayer and commanded her to
dismiss the faith." Whereas the Shāri' (Legislator) said to her: "Leave
the fast and repeat it [later]" and it is not permissible to say: "Leave
the faith and repeat it [later]", but it is possible to say: "The poor

5
Lisān Al-Mīzān 1/121

18
 Māturīdī scholars’ verdict on this matter

Imām Al-Hudā Al-Māturīdī states: “The Murji’ah are those who

delay on passing judgment in regards to sins.”11

He also states: “Abū Hanīfah (may Allāh have mercy on him) was
asked: ‘From where do you take [your] Irjā’? So he said: ‘I take it
from the action of the angels when it was said to them: “Tell me
their names, if you are right.” When they were asked about a
matter of which they had no knowledge, they would relegate the
matter to Allāh.”1213

The above indicates that Imām Al-Hudā also had the same
division of Irjā' which Imām As-Sālimī mentioned in his
At-Tamhīd.

Imām Abū Al-Mu’īn an-Nasafī states: “Abū Hanīfah (may Allāh

have mercy on him) was named a Murji' due to his delay in passing
a judgment about someone who committed a major sin, he did so
while relegating the matter back to the Will of Allāh. As for Irjā', it is
an act of delay.”14

Imām At-Taftāzānī said about the above reasoning: “Out of this

reason, Abū Hanīfah was made a Murji’ī.”15

11
Kitāb At-Tawhīd, 332.
12
Kitāb At-Tawhīd, 382.
13
This passage is from the book of Imām Abū Hanīfah, Al-’Ālim wa Al-Muta’allim.
14
Tabsirah Al-Adillah, 2/1037.
15
Sharh Al-Maqāsid, 2/238.

23
Faith according to the Hanafī view

24
28
Imām Zāhid Al-Kawtharī's biography of Imām ‘Uthmān Al-Battī

In demolition of what has come about from the accusations and

lies of Irjā' from the ignorance of foolish people:

Ibn Qutaybah said in Al-Ma'ārif: ‘'Uthmān Al-Battī— He is 'Uthmān

bin Sulaymān bin Jurmūz. He was from the people of Kūfah,
thereafter he moved to Basrah. He was the heir of Banī Zahrah.
He used to sell Al-Batūt, hence he was given the ascription
(Nisbah) to that (referring to 'Al-Battī').’ It is a thick type of cloth.

Adh-Dhahabī said: 'Uthmān Al-Battī the Faqīh, he is the son of

Muslim. He was a trustworthy Imām. It is also said that the name
of his father Aslam. And it is also said that it was Sulaymān.‘

In Al-Mushtabah he (Adh-Dhahabī) said: ‘The Faqīh of Basrah at

the time of Abū Hanīfah.’

He passed away before the passing of Abū Hanīfah by seven years.

Between them were exchanges of letters of which none were
historically recorded besides this letter. He was from the great
Mujtahidīn of this Ummah. He is also from those whose school of
thought went extinct. He had singular opinions which Imām
At-Tahāwī mentioned in his Ikhtilāf Al-'Ulamā, Abū Bakr ar-Rāzī in
his Mukhtasar and Ibn Al-Munthir in his Al-Ashrāf. However, Ibn
Jarīr [At-Tabarī] ignored him in his Ikhtilāf al-Fuqahā'. May Allāh
have mercy on him and all other scholars and may Allāh benefit
us through the blessings of their knowledge.

Al-Kawtharī

29
 The opening

ُ ‫ َأ َّما بَعْد‬:َ‫ِي ل َا ِإ لَه َ ِإ َّلا ه ُو‬

ْ ‫ك الله َ الَّذ‬
َ ْ ‫ فِإ َ ن ّي َأ حْمَد ُ ِإ لَي‬،َ‫ سلام ٌ عليك‬:ّ‫م ِنْ َأ بِي حَن ِيفة َ ِإ لى ع ُثمانَ البَـت ِ ّ ِي‬

‫ و َفَهِمْتُ الَّذ ِي ف ِيه ِ م ِن‬،َ‫ بلََغَنِي ك ِتَابُك‬.‫سي ْبًا وَج َازِي ًا‬ َ ِ ‫كفَى ب ِالله‬
ِ ‫ح‬ َ َ ‫ و‬،ِ ‫ك بتَِقْو َى الله ِ وَطَاع َتِه‬
َ ‫فَإن ّي أ ْوصِي‬

،ِ ‫ك عَلى الخَير ِ و َالن ّصِ ي ْحَة‬

َ ‫ص‬
ُ ‫ح ْر‬
ِ ُ ‫اب بِمَا كَتَب ْت َه‬
ِ َ ‫ و َق َد كَتَب ْتَ َأ ن ّه ُ د َعَاك َ ِإ لى الكِت‬.‫ك لَنَا‬
َ ِ ‫ح ْفظ‬
ِ َ‫ك و‬
َ ِ ‫نَصيحَت‬

.‫ضع َه ُ عِنْد َنا‬

ِ ْ ‫ك ك َانَ مَو‬
َ ‫و َعَلى ذَل‬

From Abū Hanīfah to ‘Uthmān Al-Battī: Peace be upon you, I

praise Allāh, the one to whom there is none worthy of worship
except He. I advise you with being God-Fearing in Allāh and with
obedience to Him. He alone is sufficient as a Reckoner and
compensator. Your writing reached me, and I have understood
what is in it, in terms of your advice and concern for us. You have
written that it was your eagerness for good and advising which
had pushed you to write the letter which you have written;
[likewise] in accordance to that it is [in the same] rank in our
eyes.

31
 The reason for writing the letter

َ ِ ‫ و َأ َّن ذَل‬،ٌ‫ن ضَال‬

‫ و َلَع َ ْمرِي م َا‬.َ‫ك يَش ُُّق عَلَيك‬ ٌ ِ ‫ م ُْؤم‬:ُ‫ وََأ ن ّي َأ ق ُول‬،ِ ‫ن المُرجَِئة‬
َ ِ ‫ك َأ ن ِ ّي م‬
َ ‫كتبتَ تذكر ُ أنه ُ بلغ‬

‫ وَل َا‬، ‫أمر يُهتَد َى ب ِه‬

ٌ ‫َّاس و َاب ْتَدَع ُوا‬ ِ َ ‫فِي ش َىء ٍ ب َاعَد َ ع‬
ُ ‫ وَل َا ف ِيم َا َأ حْد َثَ الن‬،ِ ‫ن الله ِ تَع َالى عذر ٌ لَِأ هلِه‬

َ‫ وَك َان عَليه ِ أصحابُه ُ حَت َّى تَف َر ّق‬، َ ‫ وَد َعا ِإ ليه ِ م ُ َّحمدٌ صَل َّى الله ُ عَلَيه ِ وَسَلم‬.ُ‫الأمرُ ِإ َّلا م َا ج َاء َ ب ِه القُر ْءَان‬

‫ك‬
َ ‫ و َاع ْل َ ْم أنه ُ لولا رجاء ُ أن ينفع‬،َ‫ فَافْه َ ْم ك ِتاَبِي ِإ لَيْك‬.‫َث‬
ٌ ‫محْد‬ َ ِ ‫ وََأ َّما م َا سِو َى ذَل‬،‫َّاس‬
ُ ‫ك فمُب ْتَدَعٌ و‬ ُ ‫الن‬

.َ‫ل ال َّشيْطَانُ عَليك‬

َ ُ ‫َّوف َأ ْن َّي ْدخ‬
ْ ‫ وَتَخ‬،َ‫سك‬
ِ ‫ك عَلَى ن َ ْف‬
َ َ ‫ فَاحْذ َ ْر رَْأ ي‬.َ‫الله ُ به لم َأ تَك َل ّْف الكتابَ إليك‬

.ِ ‫ك ب ِرَحْمَتِه‬
َ َ ‫ق لَنا وَل‬
َ ‫التو ْف ِي‬ َّ ُ ‫ و َنَسَْأ لُه‬،ِ ‫صمْنَا الله ُ وِإَ َّياك َ بِطَاع َتِه‬
َ َ‫ع‬

You mentioned in your writing that it has reached you that I am

from the Murji’ah and that I state the phrase: ‘a deviant Believer’.19
You also mentioned that this distressed you. I swear there is no
excuse for something which distances [one] from Allāh for its
people and neither for something which the people create and
innovate. There’s no [real] matter (guidance) except in what the
Qur’ān has brought, what the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬called to, and what his
noble Companions were upon until the people divided. As for
whatever comes from besides [those sources], then it is
innovative and new. Therefore, understand my writing to you.
And know that if it wasn’t for my hope that Allāh will benefit you
through this, I would not have burdened myself with writing to
you. Be careful about your opinion [turning] against you.20 Also,
beware that Shaytān may enter upon you. May Allāh protect us
and you by granting us his obedience and we ask Him for the
Tawfīq (enablement) and mercy for us and you.

19
The Imām will later expand on this in the epistle. He is referring to seeing one who
is sinful as a believer, likewise for the one who deviates in creed. Those types of
people are called ‘deviant believers’ or ‘sinful believers’.
20
Meaning, be careful that your view does not contradict the sacred texts which will
harm you in the hereafter.

32
 The people were a folk of polytheism before Islām

َ‫ فَبَع َث‬، ِ ‫س َّلم‬

َ َ ‫ل َأ ْن َّيبْع َثَ الله ُ تعالى مُحَمدا ً صَل َّى الله ُ عَليه ِ و‬
َ ‫ك قَب‬
ٍ ‫ل شر‬ َ ‫ث َُّم ُأ خب ِرُك َ أ َّن الن‬
َ ْ ‫َّاس ك َانُوا َأ ه‬

َ ْ ‫ ف َدعَاه ُم ِإ لى َأ ن ي َّشْهَد ُوا َأ ن ّه ُ ل َا ِإ له َ ِإ َّلا الله ُ وَحْدَه ُ ل َا شَر ِي‬،‫مُحَم َّدا ً ي َ ْدعُو ْه ُ ْم ِإ لى الِإ سْ لَا ِم‬
،ُ ‫ك لَه‬

َ ِ ّ‫ل فِي الِإ سْ لَا ِم م ُؤم ِنًا بَر ِيًئا م‬

ُ ‫ حَر َاما ً م َالُه‬،ِ‫ن الش ِّرك‬ ِ ‫ وَك َانَ ال َّدا‬.‫ن الله ِ تَع َالى‬
ُ ‫خ‬ َ ِ ‫و َالِإ ق ْرَارِ بِمَا ج َاء َ بِه ِ م‬

َ ِ ‫ك حِينَ د َعَا ِإ ليه ِ ك َاف ِرا ً بَر ِيئا ً م‬

ً ‫ ح َلَالا‬،ِ‫ن الِإ يْمان‬ َ ِ ‫ وَك َانَ الت َّارِك ُ لِذَل‬،‫َق المُسْل ِمِينَ وَح ُرمَتُه ُم‬
ُّ ‫ لَه ح‬،ُ ‫وَدَم ُه‬

‫ل‬ ُ ‫ل مِن ْه ُ ِإ لا ال ُد ّخُو‬

ُ ُ ‫ ِإ ل َا م َا ذَك َر َ الله‬،ِ‫ل فِي الِإ سْ لَا ِم َأ و القَتْل‬
ِ ْ ‫سب ْح َانَه و َتَع َالى فِي َأ ه‬ ُ َ ‫ ل َا يُقْب‬،ُ ‫م َالُه ُ وَدَم ُه‬

.‫اب م ِن ِإ ْعطَاء ِ الجِز ْيَة‬

ِ َ ‫الكِت‬

Moving on, I [must] inform you that the people were a folk of
polytheism before Allāh, the Most High sent Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬. He
sent Muhammad to call them towards Islām. Thus, he called them
to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh alone
and that He does not have a partner. [He also called them to]
testify [their acceptance of] that which comes through him from
Allāh, the Most High. Thus, the one who entered Islām was a
believer, free from polytheism. His blood and wealth were
impermissible (Harām), and He was given the right and protection
of the Muslims. However, the one who left it after being called
towards it is a disbeliever, free from faith. His blood and wealth
were permissible (Halāl). Nothing is accepted from him, except by
entering Islām or [giving] death. [Of course] with the exception of
what Allāh has mentioned about the people of the Book and them
paying the poll tax (Jizyah).

33