Other than the two groups discussed above, there also arised other group that tended to have the attitude which ‘does not desire to involve’ into a post rebellion brouhaha and murder of Uthman bn Affaan. The attitude of this group then became the basis and embryo for the birth of Murji-ah مرجئة ideology.
1: In the atmosphere culminated in recrimination and mutually considered infidel of each other, then, there appeared a “neutral” group, that did not want to determine the attitude of whose wrong among those disputing parties. The “neutral” group does not want to support the oppressed over the oppressors; and seems not to blame the oppressors. They rather rendered the full decision to Allah.
Thereafter, the births of Murji-ah as counter of opinion of the previous two groups, with their opinion not to infidel either group. Murji-ah considered that, it is better to postpone (arja-a) the problem settlement up to the reckoning day before Allah.
2: Murji-ah is the earliest islamic sect to believe in the postponement (irja-u) of judgment on committers of serious sins; recognizing Allah alone as being able to decide whether or not a Muslim had lost his faith.
3: The Murji-ah flourished during the turbulent period of Islamic history that began with the murder of Uthman and the subsequent establishment of the Umayyad dynasty (as explained in previous episodes).
4: During that period, the Muslim community was divided into hostile factions, divided on the issue of the relationship of Islam and Eeman. The most militant were the Khawarij, who held the extreme view that major sinners should be ousted from the community and that jihad should be declared on them. This led the adherents of the sect to consider Muslims as infedels and later revolted against the Umayyads, whom they regarded as corrupt and unlawful rulers.
5: The Murji-ah by the way took the opposite stand, asserting that no one who once professed Islam could be declared kaafir (infidel), major sins notwithstanding. Revolt (even when necessary) against a Muslim ruler, therefore, could not be justified under any circumstances.
The Murji-ah remained neutral in the disputes that divided the Muslim world and called for passive resistance rather than armed revolt against unjust rulers. This point of view was blessed and encouraged by the Umayyads, who saw the political quietism and religious tolerance of the Murji-ah as support for their own regime. The Murji-ah, however, regarded their tolerance of the Umayyads as based only on religious grounds and on recognition of the importance of law and order.
6: Meanwhile, the quietist ideology is a monarchical device to strengthen and support authoritarianism and a justification for absolute submission. That is why the palace scholars always find legitimacy for despotism by citing Hajaj bn Yusuf and other despotic rulers of historical past.
The dark historical past of the tyranny of later- day Kings in Islamic history is not a legitimate reference point for the Ummah.
7: The companions spoke against the excesses and tyranny of Hajaj bn Yusuf; and those who kept quiet only did that for their personal safety because of Hajaj tyranny at killing those who oppose him, so the palace scholars of country should not select the silence of the others (Sahaabah) to misinform the Ummah into been perpetually quiet against tyranny.
Definitely the silence or quietness of some salaf due to their personal safety should not be misconstrued into an ideological reality or a religious obligation when the infallible Prophet had said the best of Jihad is confronting the tyrant with a word of truth.
The great Sahabiy, Abdullah Ibn Umar was initially silent, but later confronted Hajaj bn Yusuf publicly in the mosque and a guard of Hajaj bn Yusuf struck Ibn Umar with a spear which later caused his death; the incident was recorded by Ibn Kethir in his his book “Al Bidayah wal Nihayah”.
8: This was the basis of the Murji-ah, adopting silence when they are expected to condone the good and forbid the bad. Irjau is a tendency propagated by tyrant rulers yesterday and today. It is just a political tool wrapped with the garb of religiosity to protect the throne whom they have established a symbolic relationship. Rub my back and I rub your back.
9: Later, the Murji-ah drifted to the issue of Islam and Eeman. They opine external actions and utterances did not necessarily reflect an individual’s inner beliefs.
Even if you commit zina, it doesn’t affect your Eeman. Even if you drinks alcohol, Allah is oft forgiving and it doesn’t decreases your level of faith. They are leineint in the expectation/hope (Irjaa-u) of Allah’s forgiveness.
10: Some of the extremists of the Murji-ah regarded faith as purely an inward conviction, thus allowing a Muslim outwardly to profess other religions and remain a Muslim, since only Allah could determine the true nature of his faith. And certainly by this, they have given hope for all ill-doers that their bad deeds are not in conflict with their Faith.
11: The conclusion as believed by Murji-ah is that the deeds and the faith are not related whatsoever, and that deeds have no effect on faith neither positively nor negatively.
12: The Khawarij claimed that all the Sahabah (who participated/sanctioned the arbitration) are Kuffar (infidels), while some Shiites claimed that Uthman, Mu’aawiyah, Aaisha and many others, are Kuffar; and at the same time they gave Ali a status much higher than any human. In between these two positions, a third group emerged claiming not to abide to either side by putting off any judgment on either side. This group is definitely in contradiction with the righteous position which believe in and respect all companions of the prophet and condemning evil no matter from who it occurred.
13: Many factions like the Jabariyyah also appeared from the Murji-ah, and differences in their beliefs emerged as well.
But all of them meet and agree on one thing that represented in their belief, that faith does not increase or decrease and they all agree that deeds do not affect the faith in anyway and that nothing hurts whether it is a large sin or a small one. With these believes they have given support to the tyrant rulers and encourage the sinners and evil doers to sin more.
14: This loss of values have subsequently led the people to slowly pull away from their religion, while at the same time making them believe that they will enter Heaven along the best of the companions.
15: Those who said that Eeman is one entity and that it does not increase nor decrease are Murji-ah, who differed between themselves about the reality of Eeman. Some of their dominations, known as Al-Jahmiyah, declared that it is enough to know Allah in your heart, and hence all people are faithful, except someone who says that he does not know Allah. By this illogical argument, they judged that Christians, hypocrites, Jews and other Kuffar to be all people of faith.
16: Other factions of Murji-ah said that Eeman is knowledge in the heart and confession by the tongue. So, if a person knows his religion in his heart and testifies this by his tongue, then he is a Muslim who accomplished Eeman and Islam, and deeds cannot be classified as Eeman, rather they are the codes of Eeman. Even if he doesn’t pray or fast.
17: Right from their evolution during the time of Uthman, Ali, and coupled with when they left out the deeds and did not include them as part of the Eeman, the rest of Muslims labelled them as Murji-ah. They did not call themselves Murji-ah as well. They were labelled such due to their proclaiming and visible tendencies.
18: Today, there is no certain Islamic group that can be called Murji-ah in particular, which means they seem not to exist as a group anymore. But these tendencies of Irjaa-u can be found in many other Islamic groups today. Right from those who claim Salafiyyah, Sufism and many others
19: In contemporary time, the unjustified criticism of laudable Islamic movements triggered a phenomenon of Irjaa-u. Irjaa-u is simply the separation of action from Eeman (belief/Taoheed) . Eeman is a belief in the heart, on the tongue and in action. One’s action is an expression of one’s belief; However the Murji-ah argue that belief is found only in the heart.
The doctrine of Irjau is an effective tool to maintain an unfavorable status quo, that is why despotic rulers in the Islamic history had always advocated the doctrine.
20: Imam Ibn Kethir recorded in his book Al Bidayah wal Nihayah that the Jurist Scholar Nadru bn Shumail (d 203A.H) said:
ﺩﺧﻠﺖ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﺄﻣﻮﻥ ﻓﻘﺎﻝ :ﻛﻴﻒ ﺃﺻﺒﺤﺖ ﻳﺎ ﻧﻀﺮ؟ ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻗﻠﺖ: ﺑﺨﻴﺮٍ ﻳﺎ ﺃﻣﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﺆﻣﻨﻴﻦ. ﻓﻘﺎﻝ:ﻣﺎ ﺍﻹﺭﺟﺎﺀ؟ ﻓﻘﻠﺖ: ﺩﻳﻦ ﻳﻮﺍﻓﻖ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻮﻙ ﻳﺼﻴﺒﻮﻥ ﺑﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺩﻧﻴﺎﻫﻢ ﻭﻳﻨﻘﺼﻮﻥ ﺑﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺩﻳﻨﻬﻢ .ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺻﺪﻗﺖ.
Meaning: “I entered upon the (Caliph) Al Ma’moon, and so he said : How have you awoken oh Nadru? So I said : In goodness Oh Ameer al-Mumineen ‘He asked : What is Irjaa-u? I replied: A religion that agrees with the Kings, they gain from the world with it, and lose from their religion, so he said: You have spoken the truth.”
21: The manifestation of Irjaa-u tendency in recent times began with Sh. Al-Albani’s criticism of laudable Islamic movements efforts and activism. He propounded the Tasfiyah and Tarbiyah (Purification and Education) policy which will be an alternative to the activism of these Islamic movements.
Sh. Al-Albaani believed that the primary emphasis of Salafi should be promoting Salafi Aqeedah, and combating Bidiah; until the religion is purified, any activism or political action will likely lead to corruption. He based is view on an analogy to the Meccan period when the prophet began his mission.
22: This analogy has been used to discourage apparent activism of an kind, even under condition of repression; Albani’s idea held political implication for the Palestinian question, and other areas where Muslims were oppressed.
When he was asked whether Palestinians in the west bank should leave their land for Israel to escape repression, Sheik al-Albani replied that “It is Obligatory for them for leave a land in which they have no power to expel the unbelievers for a land in which they are able to establish the Islamic observance.”
23: Sh. Albani advised that preaching Tawheed is most Paramount as every other thing will naturally fall inline. Sh.Albani emphasized that an individual Muslim is not obliged to establish an Islamic state or seek to incorporate Islam into modern institutional development, as this is solely the responsibility of the Muslim ruler if he deems necessary. So criticism of current rulers or any form of peaceful political engagement or public opposition to government leaders are tantamount to theological deviations.
24: Albani’s campaign for Tasfiyah and Tarbiyyah coincidentally also fits neatly with the aims of monarchical Arab rulers who see it as a direct criticism of Islamic agitation and a potent force to neutralizing the political challenge they face from Islamic activists. Which this is the basis of the yesterday Murji-ah.
25: The resultant prominence of this Albani’s Irjaa-u idea, and its implication on Islamic revivalism prompted Sh. Safar Hawaali to allude to Irjaa inclination of Sh. Nasirudeen Albani in his Ph.d thesis at Ummul Quraa university in 1986.
He accused Sh. Albani of manifesting Irjaa-u tendencies. The thesis Hawaali titled:
ظاهرة الإرجاء في الفكر الإسلامي
“The Phenomenon of irjaa-u in contemporary Islamic thought.”
26: While the idea of Sh. Albani was gaining prominence and followership, some vibrant salafi scholars like Sh. Safar Hawali, Sh. Salman Audah, Sh. Nasir Umar and others championed the cause of expanding Salafiyah beyond rituals and combating Bidiaj in society. They believe Salafiyah entails a moral responsibility to discuss politics, critique unislamic rulers and policies, so they formed a pressure group for social justice and continue their act of activism against these Irjaa-u tendencies.
27: The Irjaa syndrome manifested in the passivism and indifference to Muslims problems. These groups of portentous Salafi made section of the youth heartless. They see Muslims die everyday, women and children in the hands of their oppressors, and their response is “they deserve it, they should go and learn Tawheed and Aqeedah.” which Tawheed and Aqeedah exactly?!
28: And up till today, for every tyrants and oppressors, there are palace scholars who deceptively twist the religious teachings to justify the tyrant’s action.
We all have to wake up and fight these Irjaa-u tendencies (in all its forms) in our midst, and return the faith and actions of people to the social justice, spiritual well-being, and physical commandment of good/forbidance of bad, as entrenched in the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.