What is the meaning of Irjaa’?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In Arabic, Irjaa’ means postponement. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {They said, “Postpone [the matter of] him and his brother”.} [Quran 7:111] Irjaa’ may also refer to giving (false) hope.

The Murji’ah, which is a sect that commits innovations, is named after the first understanding because it postpones practice after belief is achieved, or it believes in the postponement of the punishment of sinners, or, according to another opinion, it denies postponement of the punishment altogether since, according to their rationale, no one can defer the command of Allaah: He either punishes or He forgives. This is in harmony with their statement that committing a sin is harmless once there is faith, and that doing an act of obedience is useless once there is disbelief. This statement, despite its fame, is not ascribed to a certain sect or leader of the Murji’ah, as pointed out by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah .

The Murji’ah have three famous statements regarding Eemaan:

First, Eemaan is mere belief and knowledge in the heart. This is also advocated by the Jahmiyyah and their supporters.

Second, Eemaan is a mere utterance, even if there is no actual belief. This is also held by the Karraamiyyah.

Third, Eemaan is both a statement made by the tongue and a belief in the heart. This is said by the jurists who belong to the Murji’ah school of thought.

According to all of them, practice is separate from the concept of Eemaan, and faith is constant - it neither increases nor decreases.

This, however, is contrary to the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa‘ah, (the Sunni mainstream) who perceive Eemaan as consisting of belief, statement and practice - and that it increases and decreases.

May Allaah The Almighty grant us safety and guide us to sound belief.

Allaah Knows best.