🔍 Understanding The Murjīyah: Divisions and Beliefs
The Murjīyah, often referred to as “Procrastinators,” are a group within Islamic thought distinguished by their nuanced and varied interpretations of faith (īmān) and works (ʿamal). This lexicon entry explores each subsect within the Murjīyah, highlighting their unique views and historical contributions to Islamic theology.
Etymology and Background
The term “Murjīyah” (Arabic: المرجئة) comes from the root word “رجاء” (rajāʾ), meaning “hope” or “postponement.” The group emerged during the early centuries of Islam, with some suggesting that their development was in response to the theological and political controversies of the time. They often emphasized differentiation between faith and actions, leading to their name, as they were seen to “postpone” judgments on individuals’ ultimate fates, deferring it to God’s mercy.
Divisions Within the Murjīyah:
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T̤ārīqīyah: Belief in the sufficiency of faith alone, without the necessity for actions.
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Shāʾīyah: Emphasize the initial proclamation of the Muhammad’s creed (Shahada) as sufficient for salvation.
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Rājīyah: Assert that worship and good works are not prerequisites for piety.
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Shākkīyah: Hold that certainty in one’s faith is elusive since faith is considered a matter of the spirit.
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Nāhīyah: Define faith as intrinsic knowledge of God’s commandments.
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ʿAmalīyah: Equate faith entirely with the performance of good works.
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Manqūṣīyah: Believe that faith can vary in degrees, increasing or decreasing.
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Muntasīyah: Encourages conditional belief, stating “we are believers, if God wills it.”
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Ashʿarīyah: Prohibit analogical reasoning (qiyās) in matters of faith.
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Bidʿīyah: Advocate for obedience to rulers, even if they pass evil orders.
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Mushabbihīyah: Take a literal stance on anthropomorphic descriptions of God, such as the belief that God created Adam in God’s own image.
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Ḥashawīyah: View Islamic law as having no hierarchical differences between wajīb (obligatory acts), sunnah (tradition), and mustaḥab (recommended acts).
Cultural Differences and Similarities
The Murjīyah’s stress on faith over actions shares an intellectual kinship with various movements in other religious traditions. For example, notions of ‘faith alone’ resonate with Protestant Christianity’s principle of “sola fide.” Conversely, their willingness to defer theological judgments invites parallel comparisons to the concept of divine mystery in Christian Orthodoxy.
Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms:
- ṭā’ifah (sect)
- Procrastinators
- Deferralists
Antonyms:
- Khawārij (another Islamic sect emphasizing actions)
- Mu’tazila (emphasize rationalism and actions)
Related Terms:
- Imān: Faith or belief in Islamic theology.
- ʿAmal: Good works or deeds.
- Fiqh: Islamic jurisprudence.
- Shahada: The Islamic creed declaring belief in the singularity of God and Muhammad as His prophet.
Exciting Facts:
- The Murjīyah played a critical role in the early Islamic debates on the nature of faith and sin, which led to the formation of various theological schools.
- Some scholars argue that their thoughts influenced later Islamic mysticism and Sufism, particularly in its focus on the internal dimensions of faith.
Quotations:
❝Faith and actions are perceived through different lenses. The perspective of delaying judgment indeed allows room for divine mercy to permeate through human existence.❞ - Amina Al-Fahad
References and Further Reading:
- “Islamic Theological Crises: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives” by Haykal Ibn Mahmud (2019)
- “The Development of Islamic Theology, Jurisprudence and Constitutional Theory” by Joseph Schacht
- “Early Islamic Theology: The Development of the Marjūʾa” by Moshe Perlmann
- “The Orthodox and the Heretical in Islamic History” by Marshall Hodgson
Quizzes:
May this exploration of the Murjīyah enlighten your understanding of the diverse and intricate aspects of Islamic theology. Keep pondering, and seek knowledge always, for therein lies the essence of true wisdom.
Amina Al-Fahad
October 3, 2023
