Adherence to the Sunnah
Abdul Majid ibn Imam Abdul Aziz ibn Abi Rawwad, the Scholar, the Pious Exemplar, the Truthful Preserver of Hadith, the Shaykh of the Haram, Abu Abdul Majid al-Makki.
Ibn Adi said: “What was generally criticized about him was his leaning toward Irja’ (the doctrine of the Murji’ah).”
Harun ibn Abdullah al-Hammal said: “I have never seen anyone more humble before Allah than Waki’, and Abdul Majid was even more humble than him.”
I say: The humility of Waki’, combined with his leadership in following the Sunnah, made him superior. This is unlike the humility of this Murji’i (follower of Irja’)—may Allah forgive him.
May Allah protect us and you from opposing the Sunnah. Indeed, many scholars of the Ummah held the views of Irja’, so why is it not considered a school of thought?
Their belief is: ‘We are true believers in the sight of Allah at this moment,’ while acknowledging that they do not know whether a Muslim will die upon faith or disbelief. This is a lenient stance. However, the more extreme view of the Murji’ah is that faith is merely belief in the heart, and that those who abandon prayer, zakat, drink alcohol, kill, commit adultery, and others like them are still complete believers, will not enter Hell, and will never be punished. They rejected the well-established hadiths on intercession and emboldened every sinner and highway robber to commit grave sins. We seek refuge in Allah from being forsaken.
It is said: Azhar ibn Sa’d was a companion of al-Mansur Abu Ja’far before he became caliph. When al-Mansur assumed the caliphate, Azhar came to congratulate him. Al-Mansur said, “Give him a thousand dinars and tell him not to return.” He took the money but returned the following year. He was denied entry but managed to enter during a public gathering. Al-Mansur asked, “What brings you here?” Azhar replied, “I heard you were ill, so I came to visit you.” Al-Mansur said, “Give him a thousand dinars. You have fulfilled the duty of visiting the sick, so do not return, for I am seldom ill.” The following year, Azhar returned and entered during a public gathering. Al-Mansur asked, “What brings you here?” Azhar replied, “I heard a supplication from you and came to memorize it.” Al-Mansur said, “O man, it is not answered. Every year I supplicate that you do not come to me, yet you keep coming.”
(Siyar A’laamin Nubalaa: 9/442)
