Part 6

"Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu ‘Abd Allah (164-241 A.H.), was a celebrated theologian, a jurist, and a traditionalist. He was the founder of the Hanbalf School of law. [EV 2, vol. 1, p. 192.] He is cited frequently in Kitab al-Iman and his name may appear either as Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Ahmad only, and sometimes Abu ‘Abd Allah.

" Al-Marwazi, ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Nasr Ibn al-Hajjaj (?-294 A.H.), was a preferred disciple of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. He played an important role in transmitting the hadiths that were collected by Ibn Hanbal. [Kitab al-Jman MZ, p. 30.]

'’ “Abd Allah Ibn ‘Amr (Ibn al-‘As) (2-63 A.H.) was a Companion of the Prophet and one of the first compilers of hadith. His book is entitled a/-Sahifah al-Sadiqah. Some people objected to his collecting and writing hadith. He requested the Prophet’s permission to do so, and the Prophet granted it to him. [M. M. Azami, p. 43.]

'* Fudalah Ibn “Ubayd al-Ansari (?-53 A.H.) was one of the Companions of the Prophet, participated in several of the expeditions, and was appointed Judge of Damascus during the Caliphate of Mu‘awiyyah. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 30.]

In the hadith of ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Ubayd Ibn‘Umayr’’ on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather, the Prophet (pbuh) was asked: “What is Islam?” The Prophet replied: “Providing food and saying gracious words.” The inquirer asked: “What is Iman?” The Prophet replied: “Tolerance and patience.” The inquirer asked: “Who among the Muslims is the best?” Upon this the Prophet replied: “The one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.” The inquirer asked: “Who among the believers possesses superior Iman?” The Prophet answered: “The one with the best morals.” The inquirer asked: “Which hijrah is the best?” The Prophet replied: “Forsaking what Allah prohibits.” The inquirer asked: “Which prayer is best?” The Prophet answered: “Til al-qunit, a /ong silent prayer in which one is completely devoted to Allah.” The inquirer asked: “Which sadaqah, alms, are best?” Upon this the Prophet said: “Jahdu muqill, when a man who possesses little property can afford to give in payment the poor rate as required by law.” The inquirer asked: “Which jihad is best?” The Prophet replied: “To strive in the Cause of Allah with your property and life until your horse is wounded and your blood is spilled.” The inquirer asked: “Which of al-sa‘at, (the hours) the time, are best?” The Prophet answered: “The last part of the night.”

It is well known that the various maratib, ranks, are arranged one above the other. Thus, every muhajir, forsaker, is a believer and so is a mujahid, striver for the sake of Allah. For the Prophet said conceming Iman: “It is tolerance and

* ‘Ubayd Ibn “Umayr (?-74 A.H.) was born during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) and was considered one of the trustworthy Successors. He was interested in hadith and tafsir, Qur’anic interpretations. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 31.]

” ¢Abd Allah “Ubayd Ibn ‘Umayr (2-113 A.H.) was a man of hadith and transmitted hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas and ‘A?ishah. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 31.]

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMAN, ISLAM AND IHSAN 23

patience,” and concerning Islam: “It is providing food and saying gracious words.” Indeed, Iman is considered a prerequisite of Islam but not the reverse. Accordingly, a believer, as opposed to a Muslim, is patient and tolerant. Sometimes a Muslim may pretend to behave like a believer, but his actual manner is not tolerant and patient. The Prophet also said: “The best of Muslims is one from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.” He added: “The best of believers is the one with the best morals.” It is well known that the latter [Islam] implies the former [Iman], for if one has good morals, then other Muslims are safe from his hand and tongue.

ExpLicit DEEDS ARE PART OF IMAN

Al-Hassan al-Basri* was asked: “What are good morals?” He replied: “Badhlul-

nada, generosity, kafful-adha, refraining from doing harm, and talagatul-wajh, cheerfulness.” Thus, he considers refraining from doing harm as a part of good morals. The following are some of the ahadith sahthah, sound sayings, of the Prophet in which he considered al-a‘mal al-zahirah, explicit deeds or behaviors, as a manifestation of Iman. He said, for example: “Iman has over seventy branches, the highest of which is saying: ‘There is no god but Allah,’ and the lowest is the act of removing what is perilous from the road.” And the Prophet said to a delegation of the people of ‘Abd al-Qays: “I command you to have Iman only in Allah. Do you really know what Iman only in Allah is? It is testifying that there is no god but Allah, that He is alone and has no partner, performing prayers, giving zakah, and paying one-fifth of the spoils you acquire.”

It is well known that nothing has been reported to signify that deeds, tolerance, and patience can constitute Iman in Allah unless one has a believing heart. For it has been narrated, by many authorities, that having a believing heart is a necessity for having Iman in Allah. In the Musnad of Anas [Ibn Malik]'? narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Islam is explicit and Iman is implicit in the heart.” The Prophet also said: “There is a mudghah, small piece, in the human body. If it is

Anas Ibn Malik, Abu Hamzah(?-93 A.H.), was one of the Companions of the Prophet and a compiler of hadith. [Al-Zirikli, vol. 1, p. 365 and E/2, vol. 1, p. 282.]

pure, the whole body becomes pure. However, if it is corrupt, the whole body becomes corrupt. Indeed, it [the mudghah] is the heart.” Thus, he whose heart is pure certainly has a pure body, but not the reverse.

Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah” said: “Scholars used to write to each other the following words of advice: ‘He who purifies his inner thoughts, may Allah purify his outer thoughts and actions. And he who purifies the relationship between himself and Allah, Allah may purify the relationship between him and other people; and he who works for the Hereafter, may Allah reward him in his worldly affairs.”” This hadith was narrated by Ibn Abi al-Dunya” in the book of al-/khlas.

Therefore it is well known that, if the heart is purified by Iman, then the body is purified by Islam, which is part of Iman. This is indicated in Gabriel’s hadith where the Prophet said [to his Companions]: “This is Gabriel, who has come to instruct you in matters of your religion.” He [the Prophet] regarded religion as Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. Thus, it is obvious that our religion is a combination of the these three concepts. But they are arranged into three ranks: Muslim, Mu*min, and Muhsin. As Allah, the Exalted, says: “Then We have given the Book for inheritance to such of Our servants as We have chosen. But there are among them some who wrong their own souls, some who follow a middle course, and some who are, by Allah’s permission, foremost in good deeds . . .” (35:32)."* He who follows a muqtasid, middle course, and he who is foremost in good deeds, but not he who wrongs his own soul, will enter Paradise without punishment. Hence, whoever applies the outward obligation of Islam with tasdiq, assent, of the heart but fails to perform the obligation of al-Iman al-batin, inward belief, will be subject to future punishment, as will be illustrated later, in sha’a Allah.

Thsan is a more inclusive concept than Iman, but it also has a more specific sense than Iman. Iman, in turn, is a more inclusive concept than Islam. Thus, Ihsan includes Iman, which in turn, includes Islam. Consequently, al-muhsiniin, the

2! Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Abu Bakr ‘Abd Allah Ibn Muhammad (208-281 A.H.), was an ascetic, a scholar, and one of the compilers of hadith. [Kitab al-/man MZ, pp. 32-33; al-Zirikli, vol. 4, p. 260; and al-Fihrist, vol. 2, p. 982.]

* Ibn Taymiyyah often selects only a certain portion of a Qur’anic verse to document the point under discussion. The quoted portion could be taken from the beginning, middle. or end of the verse. In such cases the translators have inserted three dots to signify missing parts.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMAN, ISLAM AND IHSAN 25

people of Ihsan, are more distinguished than al-mu’minin, the believers, and the believers are more distinguished than the Muslims. The same analogy can be applied to the concepts of Message and Prophethood. Prophethood is encompassed in the Message, when the term Prophethood is used in a generalized sense. On the other hand, this term has more restrictive sense when it is used by itself. Therefore every messenger is a prophet, but not the reverse. Prophets are more generalized than messengers. Prophethood is part of the Message because the Message includes Prophethood plus other matters, but not the reverse.

Indeed, the Prophet (pbuh) interpreted Islam and Iman through his answers to the questions put to him. For example, when he was asked: “What is ghibah, backbiting?” He replied: “Mentioning something about your brother in his absence that he abhors.” The Prophet also said in another hadith: “Arrogance is disdaining the truth and despising people.” Disdaining the truth means denying it, and despising people means looking at them with disrespect and contempt. In sha’a Allah, it will be reported later why the Prophet produces diverse answers to suit different situations and why all of them are haqq, rue.

However, what is meant by the Prophet’s saying: “Islam is built on five [pillars],” is similar to [the meaning of] his saying: “Islam is the five [pillars],” as indicated in Gabriel’s hadith. Namely, if a matter is composed of parts, its collective structure is naturally built on those parts and composed of them. That is, Islam is built on, as well as composed of, these pillars. We will explain later, in sha’a Allah, that these five [pillars] form the essence of Islam and Islam is built on them. It will also be explained why, among the duties, these pillars are especially designated.