Lesson 13: The Word 'īmān' as a Synonym of 'Aqeedah - The Linguistic Definition Flashcards
What is the linguistic definition most people (scholars) say Iman is?
“تصديق” -to believe something is true
Who were the people who misused the common definition gives to Iman?
this definition was used by a large number of the people of innovation to build a false premise on the concept of Iman-to reduce to remove actions from your Iman.
Those who followed the way of the Murjiah (they are called this because they removed actions out of Iman and made Iman only what you believe in your heart) built their belief upon using the definition of “تصديق” to believe something is true.
Did some of Ahlul Sunnah said Iman is “تصديق” -to believe something is true?
It’s still the case the scholars of Ahlul Sunnah also used “تصديق” -to believe something is true. for Iman, but they quoted the evidences to show actions are a part of it.
Those scholars who said Iman is تصديق- believing something is true **dealt with this differently, and said Iman means believing something is true, and the Sharee’ah defined Iman with actions; and this is perfectly fine and there is no need to dispute with regards to this.
Despite some scholars saying Iman is “تصديق” -to believe something is true, what did other scholars do?
However we are trying to show that even this argument isn’t as strong as the argument that the word itself does not mean that.
Others of Ahlul Sunnah don’t just respond with nusoos, but even argued with them with the linguistic meaning of Iman.
What did Ar Raaghib al Asfahani (502 AH) say In his book Al Mufradat regarding the meaning of Iman?
He said that it means 2 things, one as a transitive verb, in which it means “I made him secure/I provided him with security, and this is one of the names of Allah المؤمن (this does not mean Allah is a believer, but is showing the linguistic usage of Iman)
The other as an intransitive verb, it means to become secure
He also said
وقوله تعالى: ﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِينَ﴾ (٣)، قيل: معناه بمصدق لنا، إلا أن الإيمان هو التصديق الذي معه أمن (٤)
> In the verse: “And you will not believe us, even if we are truthful” (Quran 12:17), it was said its meaning is,”you don’t believe us even though we are telling the truth, “Except it is a belief in something to be true that is accompanied by conviction/security (feeling safe in that belief).
- Issues were built upon التصديق -believing something to be true, so as long as one believes Allah is their lord, they can worship the sun moon, etc. as faith doesn’t consist of actions. Yet Iman is believing something to be true and feeling safe and secure in that belief.
- Believing something to be true, with something extra- feeling secure, safe in that belief, and this is what Ar-Raaghib al Asfahani said.
Ibn Taymiyyah’s (Taqiuddin Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn AbdulHaleem Ibn AbduSalam Ibn Taymiyyah 728 AH) Statement on the technical meaning of Iman
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معلوم أن الإيمان هو الإقرار لا مجرد التصديق، والإقرار ضمن قول القلب الذي هو التصديق وعمل القلب الذي هو الانقياد)> It is known that faith (iman) is affirmation, not just mere belief. Affirmation includes the statement of the heart, which is belief, and the action of the heart, which is submission.### Benefits:
- Affirmation includes what you believe
- And the actions that follow your belief
- Just believing something to be true is just belief, but when you say affirming, it requires both belief and submission.
- And this submission is an action.
- This is why we don’t say someone who says the believe Islam to be true but isn’t a Muslim is a believer.
- The scholars from Ahlul Sunnah who said it means to just believe agree with this, as the technical definition is different than the linguistic definition, but we are arguing that in the language it does not mean belief, but rather its belief and something more. Be it belief and security, or belief and conviction and safety, no matter how you call it is belief and something more.
Summary of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymins argument explaining why التصديق is incorrect to use as the meaning of Iman
- A word that means the same should fit in a sentence in the same way; be it with a preposition or connecting without etc, so here Amanah and Sadaqa don’t have the same grammar, usage, etc. (the two words can’t be swapped out interchangeably in a sentence). Therefore, التصديق does not work grammatically.
- But if you use the word الإقرار you can swap it out as it works grammatically.
- So Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin joined the statement of Ar Raaghib al Asfahani and Ibn Taymiyyah which is:
1. The basic word “Iman” contains the word Aman-safety, security, conviction, being at peace with the news you received
2. And that is closer to the term الإقرار-affirmation-to believe something is true and to behave with conviction in your belief by affirming that truth in your actions.
Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Defining Iman
Those scholars who said Iman is تصديق- believing something is true **dealt with this differently, and said Iman means believing something is true, and the Sharee’ah defined Iman with actions; and this is perfectly fine and there is no need to dispute with regards to this.
However we are trying to show that even this argument isn’t as strong as the argument that the word itself does not mean that.
The best thing to say is Iman is الإقرار-Affirmation- believing something is true and then acting upon that belief with conviction by submitting your heart to it.
(Repeating question to remember) what is the best thing to say Iman is?
The best thing to say is Iman is الإقرار-Affirmation- believing something is true and then acting upon that belief with conviction by submitting your heart to it.
