Thread by @truthunveilled

Imam Bukhari on Imam Abu Hanifah and Irjaa explained! [🧵]

https://twitter.com/truthunveilled/status/1472559154686570501

Imam Bukhari's statement:

‌كَانَ ‌مُرْجِئًا، سَكَتُوا عَنْهُ، وعَنْ رَأْيِهِ، وعَنْ حَدِيثهِ

"He was a Murji', they (the people of knowledge) were silent upon him, in what regards his opinion and his (knowledge of) Hadith." [Tarikh al-Kabir]

Under the scope of Ahl as-Sunnah, we find many definitions of Iman. The Ahl al-Hadith would say:

“Imān is to be convinced with the inner heart, to affirm with the tongue and to carry out actions with various parts of the body.” This description has been

provided by the Ḥadīth Scholars (Muĥaddithīn).

Imam Bukhari would say:

“Imān is a declaration and an action.”

On other hand, Kalam theologians like Imam Abu Hanifah would define it differently, to what the Ahl al-Hadith defined it as. He also backs this with reasoning and arguments, through which we understand what Imam Abu Hanifah exactly means.

“Imān is to be convinced with the inner heart. Affirming [the faith] with the tongue is a condition (sharţ) to enforce the sacred law [upon a person] whereas doing righteous actions is the result of being convinced and among the fruits of Imān.”

The following scholars also stand by this nature of definition:

-Qadhi Abu Yusuf Ya'qub bin Ibrahim al-Ansari
-Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybani
-Imam Zufar
-Imam Hammad ibn Abu Hanifah
-Imam Muti' al-Balkhi
-Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi

-Imam Abu Mansur Muhammad al-Maturidi
-Imam Abu Layth as-Samarqandi
-Imam Al-Ustuwa'i an-Naysaburi
-Imam Bazdawi
-Imam Ghaznawi
-Imam Burhan ad-Din an-Nasafi
-Imam Sa'd ad-Din at-Taftazani
-Imam Ibn Kamal Basha
-Imam Mulla Ali Qari

and many more from the Shawafi' like Imam Nawawi, Imam Ghazali, Abu Bakr al-Baqillani, Imam al-Juwayni...

Imam Abu Hanīfa and Imam Ṭahāwī have also been recorded to have said that affirmation with the tongue is an integral pillar (rukn) of Imān. According to

another account Imam Abu Hanīfa and the Islamic Theologians (Mutakallimīn) have declared the verbal affirmation to be a condition (sharţ).

In any case the point that is being made is that the Islamic Theologians and Imam Abū Hanīfa have

described Imān as ‘being convinced with the inner heart’ and have deemed actions to be the result and the fruit of Imān.

Shaykh Al-Hind as given an explanation upon the reason of these differences in the definition:

mathabah.org/defining-faith…

When speaking about the other factor, for which Imam Abu Hanifah was named a Murji' by Imam Al-Bukhari, this factor was the decrease and increase of Iman. According to Imam Bukhari, Imam Abu Hanifah did not believe Iman increases and decreases, and he is right on this point.

However, he has misunderstood what Imam Abu Hanifah means by this.

There is two types of Iman:

1-That which you believe in (Mu'man Bihi)
2-The howness of this belief (Kayfiyyah)

The first type refers to the set-out articles of faith, for example, the belief in Allah, His angels, His prophets, His books, and e.t.c.

The second type refers to the howness of that belief. Does strongly believe in these things? Does the person sometimes feel weaker in belief (this is not referring to doubts). For instance, if one were to always carry out good deeds, we would assume that his Iman is strong

as he seems more god-fearing and convinced. In other words, we would say, 'with good deeds Iman increases and with bad deeds, it decreases.'

When the great Imam would say; Iman doesn't increase nor decrease, this was not the type he was referring to, rather it was the first

type (Mu'man bihi). This can be proven in other statements of his, for example , by looking into his Wasiyyah, he argues that one cannot be in the state of Kufr and Iman at the same time. He would only make such statement, if he was referring to the articles of faith, and not

how one believes in them. He says,

"A believer is a true believer, and a disbeliever is a true disbeliever. There is no doubt in faith (for a believer) just like there is no doubt in disbelief (for a disbeliever). Like the saying of The Most High, "They are true believers"

[Surah Anfal:4] and, "They are true disbelievers" [Surah Nisaa:151]. The Sinners are all from the Ummah of the prophet (may peace be upon him) and they are not the disbelievers." [Wasiyyah Al-Imam Abu Hanifah, Page 2]

I say: Since Abu Hanifah said, the sinners are all from the Ummah of the prophet ﷺ while they are believers, this shows when he said, a believer is a true believer and a disbeliever is a true disbeliever, that he was referring to the articles of faith if we connect it back to

the statement of "Iman does not increase and decrease". This is proven, because in the last sentence he states:

"The Sinners are all from the Ummah of the prophet (may peace be upon him) and they are not the disbelievers."

The fact that he mentions the sinners, shows that one can be a Muslim, while having some weakeness (not doubts). So in fact, Imam Abu Hanifah would say that everyone sins, which shows that we can become weaker and stronger at times in our Iman; thereafter he mentions,

one cannot be a believer and disbeliever in one state, meaning you cannot believe and disbelieve in somethings at the same time, as Allah states in Surah Nisaa:

"Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between - They are true disbelievers" [Surah Nisaa:150-151]

This is also from the verse the Imam cited in the statement. Therefore, it becomes evident that he was referring to the articles of faith, not the howness of the belief in them.

In summary, Imam Abu Hanifah did believe the howness in Iman can change, but the articles of faith, which we believe in do not change.

@Imam_Abu_Hanifa