Part 86

THE CONCEPT OF IMAN AND RELATED ISSUES 357

the term Islam is the same as the term Iman. But what is well known about the pious ancestors and their successors is that the believer who deserves the promise of Allah is the Muslim. Hence every Muslim is a believer and every believer is a Muslim. This fact is agreed upon by the pious ancestors and their successors, as well as all Islamic sects, who said: “A believer who is promised Paradise must be a Muslim; and a Muslim who is promised Paradise must be a believer; and whoever enters Paradise without punishment is a believing Muslim.”

Orthodox Muslims say that whoever comes out of Hell and enters Paradise has some Iman, but the dispute is over that term—that is, whether to call them believers or not. The ancestors narrated that Iman is words and works, but they did not state such a thing concerning Islam. However, since the great majority of Muslim jurists say that Islam is the whole religion, not merely the utterance of the two testimonies of belief (which is in conflict with al-Zuhri’s view), and that prayer, giving zakah, fasting, pilgrimage, and other similar obligations are part of Islam as well as of Iman, al-Marwazi took them to be one thing. However, this is not so. For Iman requires Islam; this is unanimously agreed upon, but it does not mean that they are one thing. There is no single piece of evidence that indicates that Islam requires Iman (contrary to al-Marwazi’s argument that there is no difference between [slam and Iman]. But does Islam require the obligatory or perfect Iman? Indeed, this is a controversial question. Al-Marwazi does not cite any evidence in support of the claim that Islam requires Iman. However, the prophets whom Allah described as Muslims were [true] believers, and Allah described them as such. Yet even if He did not mention this, we would know for certain that all prophets are believers.

The foremost Muslims were also believers. And if it happens that Islam necessitates Iman, then we can say that they are inseparable, or that every Muslim is a believer and every believer is a Muslim. This is true if it means that a Muslim who enters Paradise has the required Iman or that a Muslim who is rewarded for his worship must have the essence of Iman. Hence, every Muslim is a believer, although it might not be the Iman that our Prophet (pbuh) negated of the one who does not desire for his brother [in Islam] what he desires for himself, or one who commits major sins, or the desert Arabs and others. If it is said that [slam and perfect Iman are inseparable, this does not imply that one is the other. In this regard they are like the soul and the body, since there is no soul without a body, and there is no living body without a soul; but one is not the other. Iman is like the

soul that exists in a body, and Islam is like the body, which cannot live without a soul. For they are inseparable, but the referents of the two terms are not the same thing. On the other hand, the Islam of hypocrites is like the dead body: a corpse without a soul. For there is no living body without a soul. But souls vary widely, as illustrated in the Prophet’s (pbuh) hadith: “Souls of the same type flock together.” It is not that every one who prays [using his body] has a heart enlightened by fear and remembrance of Allah and understanding of the Qur’an, even if he is rewarded for his prayer. So overt Islam is like overt prayer; and Iman is like the knowledge of Allah, reverence, and the understanding of the Qur’4n that are found in the heart at the time of prayer. So whoever has a humble heart has a humble body, but not the reverse. That is why it is said: “Avoid the humility of hypocrites.” That is, do not show reverence with your body if it is not in your heart as well. But if the heart is pure, the whole body is also pure.

PEOPLE’S LEVELS WITH RESPECT TO IMAN AND ISLAM

With respect to belief and Islam, people are to be found on three different levels: one who wrongs himself, one who adopts a middle course, and one who outdoes others in bringing blessing. The person who is a Muslim, both outwardly and inwardly, yet who is wronging himself must have some measure of belief; nevertheless, he has not performed his [religious] obligations. Neither, however, has he turned back [from belief]. The same is true of the other levels. A discussion of this will follow, if Allah wills.

Indeed, the verses that Muhammad Ibn Nasr cites indicate the obligation to embrace Islam, which is the religion chosen by Allah. This is entirely correct. However, it does not indicate that Islam is Iman itself, nor does it indicate that a man enters Paradise by merely being a Muslim [as Muhammad Ibn Nasr claims in his first argument]. Allah promises the believers Paradise in many verses, but He does not use the term Muslims therein. But Allah’s praise and love [for Islam] indicate that it is part of Iman. This is agreed on among Orthodox Muslims, who say that every believer is a Muslim and that whoever fulfills the required Iman has also fulfilled the required Islam. But the controversy is over the opposite situation [that is, whether every Muslim is a believer]. In other words, although Allah desires and commands Muslims to pray, this does not indicate that prayer is Iman

THE CONCEPT OF IMAN AND RELATED ISSUES 359

itself; rather, it is implied in Iman. Hence, every believer is someone who prays, but it does not necessarily follow that every one who prays is a believer.

Indeed, all the evidence al-Marwazi cites from our Prophet’s (pbuh) sayings differentiates between Iman and Islam, as for example in the hadith concerning Gabriel, which indicates that if the term Iman is used alone, Islam will be implied in it.

ABU ‘ABD ALLAH IBN HAMID EXPLAINS THE VIEWS OF MUSLIM SCHOLARS CONCERNING IMAN AND ISLAM

In his book entitled a/-Munsif fi Usual al-Din [On the Foundations of Religion] Abu “Abd Allah Ibn Hamid said: “We have mentioned that Iman is words and works. But Islam [in Ahmad’s opinion] bears two meanings: (1) Islam is as Iman; (2) Islam is words without works.” The same opinion is stated by Isma‘il [bn Sa‘id {al-Shalinji], who said that the correct narration is that it is words and works. As for Ahmad Ibn Hanbal’s statement that Islam is words only, what he meant is that embracing Islam does not require what belief does by way of works, which are a condition of its reality. Prayer, for example, is not a necessary condition for one to be a Muslim, since according to the statement attributed to [Ahmad Ibn Hanbal], one does not become an unbeliever by neglecting prayer.

Ibn Hamid continues that we have judged that Islam and Iman are two terms with two different meanings, and we have mentioned the jurists’ dispute over this. Malik, Shurayk, and Hammad Ibn Zayd likewise differentiate between Islam and Iman. However, the followers of al-Shafi‘i and Abu Hanifah have argued that they are two names with one meaning. He [Ibn Hamid] adds that at the time of committing a major sin, Iman ceases to be found in one’s heart, so one ceases to bea believer and becomes only a Muslim. But if he repents, he becomes a believer even if he may commit minor sins. Then he (Ibn Hamid] cites some evidence for this, but what he quotes refutes the view that Islam is merely the utterance of the two testimonies of belief. For there are many pieces of evidence that indicate that works are part of Islam. For example, we have the hadiths that state: “A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe;” and “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger, to pray, to give zakah, to fast during the month of Ramadan, and to perform the

pilgrimage, if you can bear the expense of the journey.” Accordingly, whoever says that overt deeds that Allah commands are not part of Islam is wrong. By contrast, there is no authorized evidence to indicate that the heart’s acceptance is part of Islam. The Prophet (pbuh) interpreted Islam to mean turning one’s face and surrendering one’s heart to Allah. Thus, sincerity to Allah is Islam, but not the acceptance that refers merely to the heart’s knowledge.

Although Ahmad Ibn Hanbal states in one place that Islam is the two testimonies of belief, he states elsewhere that works are part of Islam, and in this he agrees with al-Zuhri. If by saying that Islam is the two testimonies of belief one means that by uttering these two testimonies of belief one enters into Islam without fulfilling perfect Islam, then he is correct. However, if he means that by uttering the two testimonies one fulfills perfect Islam, then he is absolutely wrong. Indeed, Ahmad denied such an interpretation. It follows then that one should be called a Muslim even if he does not perform the works. This is in accordance with the hadith of the Angel Gabriel. Thus, the statement of Ahmad should have been mentioned in its totality.

Isma‘il Ibn Sa‘id [al-Shalinji] said that when he asked Ahmad about Islam and Iman, he said that Iman is words and works, while Islam is verbal testimony. He {Isma‘il] also said that when he asked Ahmad about him who said “If I do what Gabriel told the Prophet (pbuh) when he [the latter] asked him about Islam, am I Muslim?” he [Ahmad] said, yes. To this the man replied that if one does not do what Gabriel told the Prophet (pbuh), is he also a Muslim? No, he [Ahmad] replied, for this contradicts what is in Gabriel’s hadith.

Accordingly, Ahmad considers the one who does not fulfill the five pillars of Islam to be a non-Muslim, although he also says that Islam is verbal testimony. In other words, verbal profession is made at the time of conversion into Islam, though the required Islam is incomplete unless one fulfills the five pillars. However, Ahmad criticizes the one who does not follow what is in Gabriel’s hadith. Moreover, in many of his answers he charges him who does not pray with unbelief, and Muslims unanimously agree that an unbeliever is not a Muslim. Hence it is clear that Ahmad Ibn Hanbal did not mean that Islam is merely the two testimonies of faith without works. And if one thinks that by Islam Ahmad meant the two testimonies alone, this means that even if one abandons the four other pillars [of Islam], he will not be charged with unbelief. However, most statements