972 - Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi informed us that Harun ibn Humayd al-Wasiti mentioned to them, on the authority of Rawh ibn 'Ubadah, who said: A man wrote to al-Awza'i: 'Are you a believer in truth?' He wrote back to him: 'Have you written asking me if I am a believer in truth? The inquiry into this is an innovation (bid'ah), and debate regarding it is disputation. Our predecessors did not explain it to us, nor have we been burdened with it in our religion. You asked: "Are you a believer in truth?" By my life, if I am upon faith, then my refraining from testifying to it does not harm me; and if I am not upon it, then my testifying to it does not benefit me. So, stop where the Sunnah has stopped you, and beware of being overly pedantic in religion; it is not part of being firmly grounded in knowledge. Indeed, those firmly grounded in knowledge said when their knowledge reached its limit: "We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord."'
٩٧٢ - وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْمَرُّوذِيُّ، أَنَّ هَارُونَ بْنَ حُمَيْدٍ الْوَاسِطِيَّ ذَكَرَ لَهُمْ، عَنْ رَوْحِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ، قَالَ: كَتَبَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْأَوْزَاعِيِّ: أَمُؤْمِنٌ أَنْتَ حَقًّا. فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: " أَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي أَمُؤْمِنٌ أَنْتَ حَقًّا، فَالْمَسْأَلَةُ فِي هَذَا بِدْعَةٌ، وَالْكَلَامُ فِيهِ جَدَلٌ، لَمْ يَشْرَحْهُ لَنَا سَلَفُنَا، وَلَمْ نُكَلَّفْهُ فِي دِينِنَا، وَسَأَلْتُ أَمُؤْمِنٌ أَنْتَ حَقًّا؟ فَلَعَمْرِي لَإِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ، فَمَا تَرْكِي شَهَادَتِي لَهَا بِضَائِرِي، وَإِنْ لَمْ أَكُنْ عَلَيْهَا، فَمَا شَهَادَتِي لَهَا بِنَافِعِي، فَقِفْ حَيْثُ وَقَفَتْ بِكَ السُّنَّةُ، وَإِيَّاكَ وَالتَّعَمُّقَ فِي الدِّينِ، لَيْسَ مِنَ الرُّسُوخِ فِي الْعِلْمِ، إِنَّ الرَّاسِخِينَ فِي الْعِلْمِ قَالُوا حَيْثُ تَنَاهَى عِلْمُهُمْ: آمَنَّا بِهِ، كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا "
