Imam Ash-Shafi’ee | by habib bhati

The Debate of Imam Ash-Shafi’ee with one of the
Murji’ah
Imam Shafi’ee said: “On what bases do you say
that actions do not enter into Imaan (faith)?”
The Murji said: "From the statement of Allah the
Most High:
'Verily those who believe AND they do righteous
actions.'
Therefore the ﻭ (meaning AND) became a
separator between Imaan and actions (in this
verse), so therefore Imaan is a statement (being
one thing) and actions are the legislations (being
another)."
So Imam ash-Shafi’ee said: “So you have the ﻭ
(AND) which separates (the two)?”
The Murji said: "Yes"
So Imam ash-Shafi’ee said: "Then you worship
two gods, a god in the east and a god in the west
because Allah said:
'Lord of the two easts AND Lord of the two
wests'"
The man became upset and said: "SubhanaAllah!
You have made me a pagan."
So Imam ash-Shafi’ee replied: "No! Rather you
have made yourself that."
The man said: "How?"
Imam ash-Shafi’ee said: “With your own thinking
that AND (in the verse) is a separator (between
the two statements)."
So the man said: ‘I certainly ask Allah for
forgiveness for what I have said. Rather I worship
only one Lord and I do not say after today that ﻭ
(AND) is a separator, rather I say Imaan is speech
and action, and it increases and decreases."
[110:9, ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺪﺭ : ﻛﺘﺎﺏ ﺣﻠﻴﺔ ﺍﻷﻭﻟﻴﺎﺀ ﻭﻃﺒﻘﺎﺕ ﺍﻷﺻﻔﻴﺎﺀ
ﻷﺑﻲ ﻧﻌﻴﻢ ﺍﻷﺻﺒﻬﺎﻧﻲ ]