Part 3

The meaning of eeman and Mu’min

Eeman, then, is sincere faith that develops from an individual’s belief system. This faith impacts the person’s thoughts, feelings,

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+ 7 hadith (hadith): a saying or action of Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) that was remembered and recorded by his Companions and followers * Angel Gabriel or Jibreel in Arabic: the archangel who transmitted the verses of the Quran and other communication from Allah to Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) (Editor)

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The title Nurturing Eeman in Children has been chosen for a particular purpose. As specified in this hadith, there is a distinction between Islam and eeman, and between Muslim and mu'min. In general, a Muslim is a person who declares that s/he believes in the message of Islam {s/he believes that there is none worthy of worship other than Allah and that Muhammad (328) is the Messenger of Allah]. A mu’ min, or a believer, on the other hand, is someone who truly and firmly believes in Islam and tries to implement it in his or her life. It can also be said that a Muslim is one who declares that s/he submits himself or herself to Allah, while a believer is one who fulfils the requirements of such submission in word and deed. A believer is one whose faith is complete and unwavering; one who entertains no doubts and is ready to strive hard, sacrificing his or her wealth and his or her life for Allah’s cause.

A person may claim to be Muslim and practice the pillars of Islam, but have very little or no eeman in his or her heart. S/he may, in fact, be a hypocrite who is pretending to be a Muslim. In this day and age, there are over one billion people who claim to be Muslims. How many of us are really true Muslims who submit to Allah and implement the basic pillars? How many of us are mu’mineen: true believers in the religion whose sincerity and pure intention for the sake of Allah are reflected in all our behaviours? Unfortunately, the answer is probably, “very few”. For this reason, it is imperative to teach parents what eeman means and how to nurture it in them and in their children.

Eeman is a more comprehensive term than Islam, and in fact, the pillars of Islam are considered parts of eeman. The nucleus of eeméan is the heart, for this is the centre of faith. Eeman also includes

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Islam (submission), then, is only one part of eeman. Ibn alQayyim wrote that eemAn is composed of the following components: 1. having the knowledge of what the Prophet (#%) taught,

2. having complete and firm belief in what the Prophet (4) brought, 3. verbally professing one’s belief in what he brought,

4. submitting to what he brought out of love and humility, and 5. acting in accord with what the Prophet (:#) brought, both inwardly and outwardly, implementing it and calling others to its path."!

The three essential components of eeman, as stated by many scholars, are: 1. belief in the heart, 2. profession by the tongue (one’s statements), and 3. performance of deeds by the body (one’s actions).'”

Belief in the heart

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the aspects of this is what scholars call a ‘statement of the heart’. This includes recognition, knowledge, and affirmation. The second facet is what is termed ‘actions of the heart’. These include commitment, voluntary submission, and acceptance. Other important elements include Jove of Allah, awe of Allah, fear of Allah, trust in Allah, and hope in Allah. Without these necessary conditions of faith, a person cannot honestly claim to be a mu’ min. Stating the profession of faith and belief in Allah and the Messenger (3), are not sufficient for complete faith,"

Belief in the heart is the most essential component of eeman, since it is the influential foundation for the other elements. To develop true eem4n and to protect it, these components must be given their necessary attention. A true mu’min must recognize, desire, and love the truth and have hate for falsehood and disbelief. S/he must love Allah and put his or her trust, hope, and fear in Him alone.'>

Profession by the tongue

The second component of eeman is profession of faith ‘by the tongue’, a statement testifying to the truthfulness of his or her belief. This is the testimony “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,” which a person proclaims to become a Muslim and which is repeated each day in the five daily prayers. This statement is not only words, but a commitment to the religion of Islam with the intention of following its requirements and obligations.

If a person believes in his or her heart but does not state this belief verbally (although s/he has the ability to do so), then s/he may not be considered to be a believer. S/he would not be treated as such in this life or in the hereafter. The verbal profession of faith is an

'4 Zarabozo, He Came to Teach You Your Religion, p. 87 'S Zarabozo, He Came to Teach You Your Religion, p. 89

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For the statement to be sound, it must be accompanied by sincerity, correct belief in Allah, abandonment of any form of associating partners with Allah and implementation of the laws of Islam. In essence, belief in the heart must be present for the profession of faith to be complete and honest. The hypocrites are those who make the profession and pretend to be Muslim but the ‘actions of the heart’ are not present.'7

The meaning of ihsan

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Ihsan is the highest level that a human being can achieve. It means to do something in the best way and to attain perfection and excellence in something. In the context of Islamic law, this entails performing acts of worship well and in the manner enjoined by Allah. The ultimate goal of ihsan is to fulfil one’s obligations to Allah and to do so in the best manner possible. The essence of ihsan is love of Allah, which motivates the human to try to attain Allah’s pleasure.