Part 88

THE CONCEPT OF IMAN AND RELATED ISSUES 365

might say: “I am truly a believer,” or “I am a believer in the eyes of Allah,” just as someone might say: “I truly have a head,” or “I truly have a head in the eyes of Allah.” For whoever makes such an unequivocal statement has excluded all works, both inward and outward, from the definition of belief. However, this is a reprehensible thing to say, as well as being a falsehood in the view of the Prophet’s Companions, their Successors, and all other Muslims. As for the question of when and whether one is required to make the exception, people have voiced various opinions, which shall be discussed later.

THE REPLY TO THOSE WHO DO NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN IMAN AND ISLAM

On this subject there are two extreme views. The first says that Islam is solely uttering the words [the testimony] and that overt works are not part of it. The second view states that the meanings of Islam and Iman are the same. However, both views are weak and contradict the hadiths of Gabriel and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). So although Muhammad Ibn Nasr al-Marwazi agreed with the second view, he did not have evidence to support it. However, he did cite evidence that refutes the first view. This evidence is found in the story of the desert Arabs, where Allah says: “. .. Say, do not count your [slam as a favor upon me: No, Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the belief, if you are true and sincere” (49:17). He [al-Marwazi] said that this verse indicates that Islam is the same as Iman. However, some hold that this verse indicates exactly the reverse of what al-Marwazi claims. For the desert Arabs did not say: “We have submitted our wills to Allah.” Rather they said: “We believe,” whereupon Allah ordered them to say: “We have submitted our wills to Allah.” Then He called them Muslims, saying: “. .. Say, do not count your Islam as a favor upon me: No, Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the belief, if you be true and sincere” (49:17). This was in response to their saying: “We believe.” If Islam were Iman itself, He need not have said: “If you be true and sincere,” for surely they were true and sincere in saying: “we submitted our wills to Allah,” although they did not actually state this. But Allah says: “They impress on you as a favor that they have embraced Islam. Say, * Do not count your Islam as a favor upon me: No, Allah has conferred a favor upon you . . .”” (49:17). That is, they consider that they have done Allah a favor by submitting their wills to Him. Allah calls their deeds Islam, though there is no evidence in this verse that indicates that they

called it Islam. Rather they said “We believe.” Then Allah says that He has conferred a favor upon them by His guiding them to Iman. As for Islam that does not have Iman with it, if they only submit their wills to Allah out of fear of the sword, yet without believing, they confer a favor upon no one. And if Allah had not guided them to Iman, then their Islam would be like that of hypocrites, which Allah does not accept. However, if they were true and sincere in saying “We believe,” Allah is the One Who has conferred a favor upon them in that He guides them to Iman and to the Islam that is included in Iman. In this verse Allah denies their Iman and makes His favor dependent on their being true and sincere, indicating that it was possible for them to be thus. It is said that they became true and sincere after this. It is also said that something tied to a condition does not entail the presence of the condition itself. It is likewise said that they had a degree of Iman, but what kind of Iman is it that he described the second time? Is it that they have a branch of Iman?

Muhammad Ibn Nasr pointed out that Allah says: “And they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion . . .” (98:5); and “The religion in the Sight of Allah is Islam . . .” (3:19). Accordingly, Allah refers to the establishment of prayer and the giving of zakah as Islam. He also refers to din, religion, as Islam. Hence, whoever does not give zakah has abandoned a part of religion, which is Islam. Muhammad Ibn Nasr then cites [as support for his opinion] the argument of the group that differentiates between Islam and Iman by saying that Iman is words and works; and that prayer and zakah, which: Allah calls religion, are part of Iman; moreover, the religion accepted by Allah is Islam. Accordingly, Allah refers to Islam and Iman as the same thing. Similar opinions are attributed to the Prophet (pbuh). But whoever claims that Islam is mere verbal testimony and that works are not part of Islam has violated the Book and the Sunnah. Indeed, such a person is no different from the Murjiites, who claim that Iman is verbal testimony without works.

He [al-Marwazi] said that Allah makes prayer and zakah part of religion, which is Islam, and it is a commendable view, which agrees with the saying of Gabriel. So is his refutation of the claim that works are not part of Islam. However, he also said that Allah refers to Islam and Iman as one and the same, which is untrue. For Allah says: “The religion in the Sight of Allah is Islam . . .” (3:19). However, He did not say, “the religion in the Sight of Allah is Iman,” but rather, “this religion is of Iman.” For the essence of Iman is knowledge of the heart and affirming it.

THE CONCEPT OF IMAN AND RELATED ISSUES 367

Al-Marwazi claims that works follow from such knowledge, and that assent is inseparable from this knowledge. Moreover, a servant of Allah cannot be a believer without both of them [works and assent]. However, Islam is mere work with words, and knowledge and assent are not part of it, although Islam necessarily entails this very assent. For there is no work without knowledge. But Islam does not require the detailed Iman that Allah declares in His sayings: “Only those are believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah: Such are the sincere ones” (49:15); and “For believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His signs rehearsed, find their belief strengthened, and put [all] their trust in their

All the [religious] texts [of Islam] negate the Iman of those who do not possess the qualities of a believer. And indeed, many individuals are Muslims both outwardly and inwardly with total assent, yet they are not characterized by Iman. Allah says: “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him...” (3:85); and “. . . And I have chosen for you Islam as your religion . . .” (5:3). However, He does not say that if anyone desires knowledge, assent, and Iman other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him. Nor does he say that He has chosen for you Islam as your assent and knowledge. For Islam is implied in religion, works, obedience, and submission. So, whoever desires a religion other than Islam, his religion will not be accepted. Iman, by contrast, is tranquility and assurance, the origin of which are knowledge, assent, and understanding. And from Iman, religion follows. Accordingly, it is said: “I believed in Allah,” and “I submitted to the will of Allah.” Allah says: “Moses said: ‘Oh, my people! If you do [really] believe in Allah, then in Him put your trust if you are really Muslims’” (10:84). If this is what is meant by both of them [Iman and Islam, then it will be repetitious. Allah also says: “For Muslim men and women—for believing men and women. . .” (33:35). He also says in this same verse: “True men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves.” Hence, a believer possesses all these qualities; but these qualities do not correspond to the general or the specific requirements of Iman. Whenever the Prophet worshiped Allah in the middle of the night he would say: “Oh, Allah, 1 have submitted my will to You, believed in You, put my trust in You, turned to You in repentance, fought for Your Sake, and relied on You for settling all my

affairs.” It is also recorded in the two Sahihs that whenever the Prophet (pbuh) prostrated himself at night in prayer to Allah he would say: “Oh, Allah, I have bowed down to You, believed in You, and submitted my will to You.” And when he bowed down, he used to say: “Oh, Allah, I have bowed down to You, submitted my will to You, and believed in You.” When the Prophet (pbuh) clarified the qualities of both a Muslim and a believer, he said: “A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe, whereas a believer is he whom people trust with their persons and property.” And it is well known that safety from being wronged by someone differs from trusting him with one’s person and property. Indeed, the latter ranks higher than the former, for whenever people trust someone with their persons and property, they feel safe from the danger of his tongue and hand; otherwise, they would not do so. But the reverse is not necessarily true. And based on this one may see the distinction between Islam and Iman.

Muhammad Ibn Nasr said that whoever claims that Islam is verbal testimony and that works are not part of it has violated the Qur’an and the Sunnah. For all Qur’anic texts indicate that works are part of Islam. He said: “There is no distinction between this view and that of the Murji?ites, who claim that belief is merely verbal testimony apart from works.”

Hence someone might say that there is a distinction between them, since Orthodox Muslims, such as al-Zuhri and others, who held similar views have said that works enter into the definition of belief, whereas Islam to them is also a part of belief. Hence, they see belief as being more complete than Islam and this is in total agreement with the Book and the Sunnah. They also hold the view that people possess varying degrees of belief. Both of these views are consistent with the Qur?n and the Sunnah. As for the Murji’ites, they say that belief represents part of Islam, Islam being the more perfect and superior of the two entities. They also hold that everyone who possesses belief possesses it to the same degree; hence, the belief of one of the Companions of the Prophet and that of the most iniquitous, sinful individual would be equal. A corresponding view of theirs is that no one can have partial belief, which is in conflict with both the Qur’an and the Sunnah.