Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad

Murji’ites
 
 
The Murji‘ites began as a political group but, like the other sects, they began to mix politics with the 
principles of the 
deen
. The basis of their difference was a negative view of a matter which preoccupied many 
Muslim minds at the time: the question of the status of someone who commits a major sin. This question 
animated the Kharijites, Shi‘ites and Mu‘tazilites. However, as they began politically, we consider them to be 
a political group. 
The first seed which produced this group was sown in the time of the Companions, at the end of the rule of 
‘Uthman when there was unrest about his rule which ultimately culminated in his murder. A group of 
Companions remained silent and refused to participate in the civil war which shook the Muslims profoundly. 
They held to the 
hadith
reported by Abu Bakr from the Prophet: “There will be civil strife in which those who 
sit will be better than those who walk, and those who walk will be better than those who run. When it comes, 
whoever has camels should stay with his camels; whoever has sheep should stay with his sheep; and whoever 
has land should cling to his land.” A man said, “Messenger of Allah, what about someone who has neither 
camels, sheep or land?” He replied, “He should go to his sword and blunt its edge with a stone and then save 
himself if he can.”
They refused to become involved in the war between the Muslims and did not concern themselves with 
ascertaining who was in the right. They included Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Bakra, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Imran and 
many others. They refused to make a judgement about either group and left the matter to Allah while other 
parties were quick to apportion blame. 
Then, when there was a lot of discussion about people who commit a major sin and the Kharijites claimed 
that such people were unbelievers and made war on all Muslims, some such people refused to take sides in the 
argument and withheld (
irja’
) judgement as they had withheld judgement on other occasions. Hence they were 
called Murji’ites (“deferrers”). This time the deferment of judgement was not a political one as the first had 
been but a doctrinal one, implying that belief consists of affirmation, assent, belief, and knowledge, that an act 
of disobedience does not impair faith, that faith is distinct from action.
So the term “Murji’ite” was applied to two groups: one who refused to take sides in the disagreement 
between the Companions and which continued into the Umayyad period and a second group who thought that 
Allah would forgive all sins except disbelief and so an act of disobedience did not harm faith just as an act of 
obedience was of no benefit without faith. Unfortunately, there were corrupt people within this school who 

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used the position as an open door to evil. That is why Zayd ibn ‘Ali said about this, “I am free of the 
Murji’ites who appease the profligate by the promise of Allah’s pardon.”
The Mu‘tazilites used the term “Murji’ite” for all those who did not think that someone who committed a 
major sin would be eternally in the Fire and held the position that such people would be punished for a time 
and then pardoned by Allah. This is why it was applied to Abu Hanifa and his companions, may Allah be 
pleased with him. This is why ash-Shahrastani states in 
al-Milal wa’n-Nihal
: “Abu Hanifa and his companions 
are called ‘Murji’ites of the 
Sunna’
. A number of those who wrote treatises counted him among the Murji’ites. 
Perhaps the reason for that was that he used to say, ‘Belief is affirmation with the heart; it does not increase or 
decrease.’É There is another reason for this. He was an opponent of the Qadarites and Mu‘tazilites who 
appeared early on, and the Mu‘tazilites nicknamed all who opposed them in the question of Qadar 
‘Murji’ites.’” 
Many others beside Abu Hanifa and his companions are considered Murji’ites by this definition, including 
al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Talq ibn Habib, Muqatil ibn Sulayman, Hammad ibn Abi 
Sulayman, and others. All of them were Imams of 
fiqh
and 
hadith
who did not say that those who committed 
major sins were unbelievers or deemed that they would be in the Fire forever.