Part 96

Those who consider Islam and Iman to be one thing either say that the two words are synonymous, which means that there is a repetition, while in fact the two

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words have different meanings; or they may say: “Indeed, one of the two words designates a characteristic that could not be designated by the other word, as in the case of the names of Allah and the names of His Book.” However, even this interpretation does not require that we be commanded to fulfill both of them. Rather, it requires that it be described sometimes with one word and sometimes with the other. One should not say, for example, that Allah commands you to establish five prayers and the obligatory prayer. Moreover, conjunction by adjectives takes place if we intend to highlight characteristics that are praiseworthy or blameworthy, as in Allah’s saying: “Glorify the Name of the Guardian Lord, most High, Who has created and further given order and proportion, Who has ordained laws and granted guidance” (87: 1—3). So, it cannot be said that you pray to your Lord, most High, as well as to your Lord who has created and given order and proportion [as if these were two different activities].

Muhammad Ibn Nasr al-Marwazi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said that Allah declared in His Book and the Sayings of His Messenger that Islam and Iman are not distinct entities. Hence, whoever has submitted himself to Allah believes in Him, and whoever believes in Allah submits himself to Allah and embraces Islam. And whoever fasts, prays, and fulfills the religious obligations that Allah commands, and forbids what Allah prohibits, fulfills the required Islam and Iman. And if anyone fails to perform some of the obligatory acts or commits what is prohibited, he will not cease to be called a believer or a Muslim. However, he will have less Iman or Islam than someone else. For his Islam and Iman have decreased, but his acknowledgment that “Allah is Truth and says nothing but the truth” has not decreased. However, his Iman, which is the glorification of Allah, submission to His Majesty, Bounty, and Honor, and obedience to the One in Whom he believes [Allah], has decreased.

What al-Marwazi mentioned above indicates that whoever fulfilled the required Iman has fulfilled the required Islam. However, this does not mean that whoever has fulfilled the required Islam has fulfilled the required Iman. His [al-Marwazi’s} claim that whoever believes in Allah and has submitted to Him is true, but this does not indicate that whoever submits to Allah has Iman in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, and in the Resurrection after death. Moreover, al-Marwazi’s claim that Allah and His Messenger declared that Islam and Iman are inseparable is true, if he meant that Allah commands both of them and forbids

us to separate them. However, his saying is untrue, if he meant that Allah made the terms Iman and Islam refer to the same reality. For the Book and the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) oppose this meaning. Besides, there is no evidence that indicates that the referent of the term Iman and the referent of the term Islam are the same.

Moreover, al-Marwazi’s claim that “whoever performs what he is commanded to do and refrains from doing what he is forbidden to do has fulfilled Iman and Islam” is correct, if he performs what he is commanded to do both outwardly and inwardly. In this case it is true to say that he fulfilled the required Islam and Iman. However, his Iman and Islam are not necessarily equal to that of people with determination, such as al-Khalil Ibrahim, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Seal of the Prophets, and others of Allah’s Messengers.

Furthermore, al-Marwazi claims that if anyone fails to fulfill all of the required Iman and Islam, the terms Muslim and “believer” will not be taken away from him. To this the author replies that if he [al-Marwazi] meant that such a man would still have some Islam and Iman, then his claim is correct, for the texts support his claim and oppose the opinions of the Kharijites and Mu‘tazilites. However, if al-Marwazi meant that such a man would be called a Muslim and a believer without restrictions in a context of praise or promise of entering Heaven, then his claim is incorrect, for it opposes what is in the Book and the Sunnah. For if this is the case, then such a person would be included in Allah’s saying: “Allah has promised to believers, men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein . . .” (9:72), and with similar righteous people who were promised to enter Paradise without punishment.

In addition he [al-Marwazi] said that the Prophet denied, in numerous places, that such a name may be applied to them. In fact, he said [in one prophetic tradition): “To fight against a believer is unbelief,” and “Do not revert to being unbelievers after [having believed in me], seeking one another’s death.” And if one were to object on the basis of the verse where Allah says: “And if two parties among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight you [all] against the one that which rebels until it complies with the command of Allah; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Indeed! Allah loves those who are equitable” (49:9). One might reply that all these individuals were described with the use of a qualification indicating that they had done these things,

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as a reminder of what they themselves have been commanded to do, and what others have been commanded to do.

Someone might say that there could be no decrease with respect to their testimony that Allah exists and that what He says is truth. But rather one might reply that the decrease may exist in their inward belief as it pertains to their knowledge and understanding. Hence, their knowledge and their belief in Allah, the Divine Names, the Divine Attributes, and the things that Allah says by way of commands and prohibitions, promises and threats, would not be [exactly] like the knowledge and belief of others. It would not fully resemble it in its overall form and minute details, nor with respect to strength and weakness, or mindfulness and neglect. But all such things do enter into the definition of belief in Allah and the message He sent with His Messenger. This being the case, how could everyone’s inward belief in Allah, the Divine Names, or the Divine Attributes be identical? And how could one possibly claim that belief in Allah’s omniscience, omnipotence, forgiveness and mercy, almighty power and wisdom, and stern recompense of evil is not a part of belief in Him? For no Muslim may say that belief in such things forms no part of belief in Allah, nor would he claim that everyone’s belief in these matters is exactly the same.

Also, al-Marwazi’s statement that “Islam decreases just as Iman does” is correct, for it is supported by the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh). Hence, if someone’s prayer, zakah, fasting, or pilgrimage is not fulfilled completely, his Islam is likewise not complete. And whoever says, “Islam is mere verbal testimony, and does not increase or decrease,” is mistaken. Also, those who say that Islam and Iman are the same are mistaken. Indeed, their claim about Islam is similar to that of the Murji’ites about Iman.

Due to the above-mentioned dispute and discussion, the sect was divided into three distinct groups with regard to Iman and Islam. The first group, the Murji’ites, said that Islam is better [than Iman], for it implies Iman. The second group said that Iman and Islam are the same. This group included the Mu‘tazilites, the Khirijites, and a group of Orthodox Muslims and scholars of the hadith. It should be mentioned that Muhammad Ibn Nasr al-Marwazi attributed this claim to all the people of the hadith, which is incorrect. The third group said that Iman is better and more complete [than Islam]. This view, indeed, is supported by the Book and the Sunnah, as well as the sayings of the Companions and their Successors.

There are also some people who say that Islam is mere qawl, utterance [saying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger], and that works are not part of Islam. However, what is true is that Islam is all outward works. Ahmad [Ibn Hanbal] denied that istithna’, exception, is based on the statement by al-Zuhri, who said that it [Iman] is the kalimah, testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, which in turn was the opinion of al-Athram, al-Maymiini, and others. However, he [Ahmad] did. not choose the opinion of those who said that Islam is an utterance. This means that it is possible to apply “exception” to Islam in the same way it is applied to Iman. Thus, a person cannot decide whether he is able to do everything that he is commanded to do concerning Islam. If the Prophet (pbuh) said that a Muslim is someone from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are protected, and that Islam is built on five pillars, this indicates that Islam means performing the five pillars diligently. This is indeed supported by Allah’s saying: “Oh, you who believe! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly . . .” (2:208). That is, abide by all the laws of Islam.

Ahmad [Ibn Hanbal] and others among the pious ancestors have interpreted the statement that the term Iman is included in the term Islam. They said that if what is meant by Islam is mere kalimah, testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, then there is no need to add the words “if Allah wills” when one says that he is a Muslim, as stated by Ahmad and others. This will be discussed fully in the next chapter. However, if Islam means performing all the outward obligations, then one must add the words “if Allah wills” when stating that one is a Muslim, just as he must when he states that he is a believer. Therefore, he who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, becomes a Muslim, distinguished from the Jews and the Christians, and the rules of Islam become applicable to him, as they are to other Muslims. This is, indeed, the case with no exceptions. That is why al-Zuhri said that Islam is kalimah, the testimony, with which Ahmad and others agreed. However, when Ahmad agreed with this, he did not mean that obligatory Islam is a mere utterance of the creed (namely, without works]. For al-Zuhri was very knowledgeable concerning Islam, and such a matter would not be unknown to him. This was clarified in the saying of Ahmad that Islam is not a mere utterance of belief. It is also illustrated in the question al-Athram asked Ahmad, that if a man says, “I am a Muslim,” must he add “in sha’a Allah, if Allah wills?” Ahmad