The scholars have taken different approaches regarding the Jahmiyyah sect. This sect has always been criticized by scholars due to its deviant and incorrect beliefs, and various fatwas have been issued about them.
Abdullah bin Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, one of the great scholars of this Ummah, comments on the Jahmiyyah sect: “We express the sayings of Jews and Christians; but we cannot express the sayings of the Jahmiyyah group.” Darami, may Allah have mercy on him, elaborates on Ibn Mubarak’s words: “Ibn Mubarak is telling the truth because some of Jahmiyyah’s views on the attributes of Almighty Allah are much more dangerous than the sayings of Jews and Christians.”
Abdul Hamid bin Abdul Rahman Hamani, may Allah have mercy on him (202 AH), states: “Jahm bin Safwan has disbelieved in Allah Almighty.” Ali bin Abdullah Madini, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “The only goal of Jahm bin Safwan was to lead people into his disbelief.”
Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “I examined the words of Jews, Christians, and Magi, and I did not find any group more misguided in their disbelief than the Jahmiyyah sect. In my opinion, whoever does not regard them as infidels is ignorant unless he is unaware of their infidelity. It does not concern me whether I pray behind the Jahmi and Rafezi or behind the Jews and Christians.”
Salam bin Muti, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “The Jahmiyyah are disbelievers; prayers are not accepted behind them.” Abu Saeed writes: “I have been informed by Yazid bin Harun, may Allah have mercy on him, that he said: ‘The sect of Jahmiyyah are infidels.'”
An important issue to consider is whether it is permissible to label the Jahmiyyah group as infidels. Many Salaf scholars and religious leaders have deemed them infidels, to the extent that it is mentioned in some books that hundreds of scholars agree on this point. Numerous texts have been written against this group. Since we do not want our discussion in this section to be too lengthy, we will not delve into these texts; however, those seeking more information on this matter should refer to the book “A Response to the Jahmiyyah and Heretics Regarding Their Doubts About the Similarity of the Qur’an and Their Interpretation of It,” by the honorable Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him; the book “The Consensus of the Sunnis of the Prophet on Expiating the Obstructionist Jahmiyyah”; and the letters of a group of scholars. Additionally, the book “Reply to Al-Jahmiyyah,” authored by Imam Uthman bin Saeed Al-Darami, provides an extensive discussion on the disbelief of the Jahmiyyah and presents numerous reasons for this stance.
