Part 76

And he [Muhammad Ibn Nasr] mentioned many hadiths that require the inclusion of works in the definition of belief. For example, we have the hadith of Abu Dharr, in which the Prophet (pbuh), when asked about belief, recited the verse that says: “Tt is not al-birr, piety, that you turn your faces to the East and the West . . .”

Then Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Nasr said: “Our friends differed over the interpretation of the Prophet’s (pbuh) hadith, which reads: “The fornicator who

The author of Kitab al-Iman cites the beginning portion verse 27 and then he cites the end of verse 30.Here we chose to provide the full text of the verse. >

Qurrah Ibn Khalid (?-154 A.H.) was a compiler of hadith and transmitted hadith from both alHassan al-Basri and Ibn Sitin, [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 280.]

Abu Jamrah, Nasr Ton ‘Imran (?-128 A.H.), was a compiler of hadith and died in Sarkhas. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 280.]

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fornicates is not a believer so long as he commits it [fornication.}” Some say that by this hadith the Prophet (pbuh) meant that the Iman [but not the Islam] of such a person is negated. That is, he is no longer a believer, though he is a Muslim. Thus they differentiated between Iman and Islam. Moreover, they have stated that if someone commits fornication, he is not a believer even though he is a Muslim, using this as an argument in favor of their distinction between Iman and Islam. To support their interpretation, they used the following verse, which starts: “The desert Arabs say: ‘We believe . . .”” (49:14), which differentiates between Iman and Islam. It has been said that Islam is a general concept referring to belief in the Oneness of Allah and secession from unbelievers’ sects, while Iman is a specific concept referring to works, and to belief in the Oneness of Allah. Proponents of this view support it by citing the story of Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqas, in which the Prophet (pbuh) gave [gifts] to some but not to all of a particular group of men. Among those who were not given [gifts] was a man whom Sa‘d thought was the best believer of all of them. When Sa‘d asked the Prophet (pbuh) why he did not give that man anything although he was a believer, the Prophet (pbuh) replied [three times]: “. . . or a Muslim.” Then he added: “Indeed, I give to some people but not to others [although they are dearer to me than those to whom I gave] fearing that they will be in Hellfire with their faces down.” Al-Zuhri said: “Hence we conclude that Islam is kalimah (Shahadah), verbal profession [that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger], and Iman is works.”

Muhammad Ibn Nasr said: “It has been argued that someone who disobeys ceases to be a believer, and becomes only a Muslim.” To support his argument he cited “Abd Allah Ibn Mas‘id’s disapproval of someone who testified to his Iman by saying: “I am a believer,” without adding the term, istithan’, exception (if Allah wills). And so was the opinion of his followers and most of the scholars of Kiifah. Hence, Iman is dependent on future works. That is, one may do them or he may not. Therefore, he has to say: “if Allah wills,” thereby indicating that works are a condition of Iman. Further support for their argument comes from a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah, which says: “If the disobedient person turns away from his disobedience, Iman returns to his heart.” They also cited accounts on the authority of al-Hassan and Muhammad Ibn Sirin, who used to say: “this is a Muslim” but would hesitate to say: “this is a believer.” They so argued their position using the statement of Abu Ja‘far, which was related to us by Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim that we were informed by Wahb Ibn Jarir Ibn Hazim who said that my

father related to me, on the authority of Fudayl Ibn Yassar, on the authority of Abu Ja‘far Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali, that he was asked about the saying of the Prophet (pbuh): “A fornicator who fornicates is not a believer so long as he commits fornication.” Abu Ja‘far replied: “This is Islam,” and he made a large circle with his hands and then said: “This is Iman,” and made a smaller circle within the larger circle. Thus, if someone fornicates or steals, he will exit from the circle of Iman to the outer circle of Islam. However, this will not make him exit from the circle of Islam unless he commits unbelief in Allah. Other people use the argument based on what was narrated from the Prophet (pbuh), who said: “[Other] people became Muslims, but ‘Amr Ibn al-‘As became a believer.” It was related to us by Yahya Ibn Yahya’ and Ibn Luhay‘ah,’ on the authority of Mashrah Ibn Ha‘an, on the authority of ‘Uqbah Ibn ‘Amir al-Juhani, that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “[Other] people became Muslims, whereas ‘Amr Ibn al-‘As became a believer.”

Muhammad Ibn Nasr mentioned that Hammad Ibn Zayd used to distinguish between Islam and Iman. He perceived Islam as general and Iman as specific. He also said that the examples of these people are the best ones to follow. For Allah made the name “believer” a name of mercy and praise that deserves Paradise, as is evident from the following verses. Allah says: “... And He is ever Merciful to the believers. Their salutation on the day they meet Him will be: Peace. And He has prepared for them a generous reward ” (33:43-44). Allah also says: "Then give the glad tidings to the believers, that they shall have from Allah a very great bounty" (33:47); and “. . . Then give the glad tidings to the believers, that they shall have with their Lord the reward of their good deeds . . .” (10:2); and “One day you shall see the believing men and the believing women—how their light runs forward before them and by their right hands . . .” (57:12); and “Allah is the protector of those who have belief: from the depths of darkness, He will lead them forth into light . . .” (2:257); and “But give glad tidings to believers, men and women, that their portion is Gardens under which rivers flow . . .” (2:25).

He [Hammad Ibn Zayd] mentioned that Allah prepared Hell for major sinners, thus indicating that the name “believer” does not apply to them. On the other hand,

+ Yahya Ibn Yahya, Abu Zakariyyah, was a famous religious scholar of hadith in Khurasan. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p.282.]

> Tbn Luhay‘ah, ‘Abd Allah (2-174 A.H.), was a judge and a very well-known religious scholar in Egypt. [Kitab al-Iman MZ, p. 282.]

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Allah did not prepare Paradise for Muslims, hence indicating that the name Muslim still applies to major sinners (a major sinner is one who no longer has Iman but has Islam). This is one aspect of the difference between Islam and Iman.

One might have said to al-Marwazi’s companions [mentioned previously] that in their claim that Iman, but not Islam, is negated of a major sinner so long as he commits a sin, Iman is not the opposite of unbelief. In response, they would say that unbelief opposes the essence of Iman, which has both a root and branches. Hence, unbelief cannot take root until Iman is uprooted. One might ask them: those of you whose Iman you claim the Prophet (pbuh) negated, do they still have any Iman? In reply they would say that yes, the essence of their Iman remains; otherwise they would be unbelievers. Did you not hear Ibn Mas‘id reproaching the one who said: “I am a believer,” [simply] because he believed in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, and in His Messengers? Indeed, Ibn Mas‘id remarked that one does not deserve the name “believer,” for a believer is someone who fulfills his religious obligations and refrains from committing sins that lead to Hell.

Some have said that Allah declares that the name “believer” applies to one who deserves compassion, mercy, and Paradise from Allah; moreover, when we know that we believe and trust in Allah, we know that we believe. And when we know that we have disobeyed Allah, we know that we deserve a penalty; and this is the opposite of reward with which Allah judges the believers with the name Iman. Then we realized that we believed and we held onto the name Iman, whose judgment Allah affirms in Paradise, and this Iman that purifies and praises is from Allah. Allah also forbids us to purify ourselves. He alone commands us to fear ourselves and He stipulates punishment when we rebel. Hence Allah makes it incumbent for those who commit grave sins to go to the Hellfire, and for those who follow His commands and seek His praise, blessings, and mercy to be rewarded by Paradise. Consequently, these are two opposing ordinances.

Someone may ask: Why did you not deserve the name “believers,” although you claim that the essence of Iman remains in your hearts, which is the assent that Allah is just and what He says is true? In response they said that Allah, His Messenger, and Muslims [in general] name things by their associations. They call the fornicator a sinner, the slanderer a sinner, and the drinker of alcohol a sinner, but they do not call any of them believers or faithful, although they possess the essence of Iman. For they fear Allah, do not associate any others with Him, pray,

do not have sexual desires toward their mothers, and so on. It follows that they have the essence of Iman, which may be strengthened by increasing the number of the branches of Iman. However, they are called sinners rather than believers because they have committed sins.

Therefore they [the group of al-Marwazi’s companions] do not call a fornicator a believer, but rather a sinner, although he has the essence of Iman in his heart. For Iman is a name that Allah attributes to believers and purifies them with it for which they are promised Paradise. Then we say Muslim and not “believer.” They said: “If it were one of the Muslims whose heart contained neither Iman nor Islam, he would be one of the people who would enter Hellfire.” However, when we found that the Prophet (pbuh) said that Allah says: “Take out of the Fire whoever has [in his heart] an atom’s weight of Iman,” we became certain that even the worst Muslim has some Iman [in his heart]. And when we found that the Islamic community judges him as a Muslim rather than as an unbeliever, who does not deserve Paradise, we ascertained that he was indeed a Muslim. So they have the consensus of opinion to apply the Islamic ordinances on them and they do not deserve to be called believers, since Islam is a proof that makes a person [who is a Muslim] different from all other communities. Consequently, he will not be designated to be part of any community other than the community of Islam. Thus, he will adhere to Islamic ordinances, and none of the ordinances of other communities will apply to him.