Imaan and Islam

 

Imaan and Islam

 

Are words and deeds included in faith?

 

Does faith increase and decrease?

 

Are Imaan and Islam 2 separate things?

 

There are differences of opinions among the scholars regarding these issues.  ‘Allama ‘Aini (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) says:  This difference of opinion is only regarding the wording, as the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has used both these words in both senses.

 

Hadith in which Imaan means only belief and Islam means only deeds

 

As per one opinion, Imaan means only the beliefs of Islam, which does not include deeds.  One Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) bears out this opinion.  That Hadith is:

 

Translation: You believe in Allah Most High, His angels, in standing before the Lord, in His Prophets and in being resurrected after death.  Islam is that you worship Allah Most High and don’t ascribe partners to Him, that you offer Salaat regularly with all its niceties, that you give the Obligatory Zakaat and fast in Ramadhan.  (Till the end of Hadith).

 

In the aforementioned Hadith, Imaan means only the beliefs and Islam means only deeds.

 

The Hadith in which Imaan means both beliefs and deeds and this is the perfect faith

 

The word Imaan has occurred in Hadith in the sense of perfect faith as well and this includes deeds as well.

 

Thus it is mentioned in the Hadith of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qais that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) defined Imaan in a way that includes beliefs as well as deeds.  The Hadith is:

 

Translation: Do you know what is belief in Allah, the One and Only?  They said: Allah Most High and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) know best.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  To testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah Most High and that Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the Prophet of Allah, to offer Salaat regularly fulfilling all its rights, to give Zakaat, to fast in Ramadhan and to give the 1/5^th part of the war booty (to the public treasury).

 

This is the same Imaan which is negated in the following words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam):  It cannot be that the adulterer commits adultery and his (or her) faith also remains intact (until the end of the Hadith).

 

Thus, this is the intent in any such situation.

 

The faith because of which a Muslim will not go to hell is the faith which is enriched with good deeds

 

The faith because of which a Muslim will not be sent to hell is by consensus the faith which is adorned with deeds.  All Muslims agree on this.

 

If faith is not accompanied by deeds, then one may enter hell because of sins but will not remain therein forever

 

The faith through which one will not remain in hell forever (although one may enter it due to sins), that by consensus of the Ahle Sunnah is the first faith, which is not accompanied by deeds.  There are many proofs of this.  One among them is the Hadith of Abu Dharr (May Allah be well pleased with him) in which the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

 

Translation: It cannot be that a person says:  Laa Ilaaha Illallah…. and dies on it and still does not enter paradise.  I asked:  Even if that person has committed adultery and thefts?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Even if that person has committed adultery and thefts.  (Until the end of the Hadith)

 

Another proof is another Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam):  Any person who has even an iota of faith in his (or her) heart will be delivered from hell.

 

How are deeds a part of faith

 

The summary is that the Pious Predecessors and Imam Shafa’ee (May Allah be well pleased with him) have included deeds in faith as per the second meaning of Imaan.  If there are no deeds to accompany faith, then as per the first meaning of Imaan, they have ruled that person among the faithful.  This is because faith is present in the bosom of that person and (eventually) that person will be delivered from hell even though that person doesn’t have any (virtuous) deeds to credit his faith with.

 

[To be continued….]

 

[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 1, Kitaab Ul Imaan]