Lesson 15: The Reality of Īmān and its Connection to Other Concepts Flashcards
What is the oldest and most traditional synonym for ‘Aqeedah in the Quran and Sunnah?
the word Imān is the oldest and most traditional synonym for ‘Aqeedah used for ‘Aqeedah, in the Quran and Sunnah
What is the first pillar of Islam and what is it about? Not asking about the connection between it and Iman
أشهد ان لا اله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمداً رسول الله
This is the first pillar of Islām. This pillar is about verbalizing the belief (Imān) that you have. Your heart has submitted to it and affirmed, as well as acted upon it. The only thing that remains is you verbalize that Imān, which is what is called قول اللسان verbalizing that belief you have in your heart (which is the Shahada).
What is the connection between the pillars of Islam and the pillars of Iman?
the connection is the pillars of Islām are outward actions and the pillars of Imān (in this Hadith) are inward beliefs and actions. The inner beliefs and inner actions of submission to the belief of Allah, the angels, his revelation, his messengers, the last day, the divine decree, affirming it and having conviction in that belief, is an action and belief of the heart. When you verbalize all these that is what the first pillar of Islām is.
Adding on to the connection between the pillars of Islam and the pillars of Iman, what is the connection the inner and outer self?
The first outward action required from a Muslim is to verbalize that belief, to say “أشهد ان لا إله الا الله وأشهد ان محمدا رسول الله
In Islam, the inner and outer self are complementary, they need each other. So it’s not allowed to Have an Imān thing at has no outer expression, and vice versa.
Rather your inner beliefs and submission, conviction of those beliefs in your heart (these are actions of the heart) coupled with being expressed and acted upon verbally, and through your action, which is what we call the pillars of Islām, particularly the first pillar-which is the expression on the tongue, followed by the expression through your actions, which constitute the prayer, fasting, Zakah and Hajj.
If a person has inner Imān (beliefs something to be true) but never verbalizes it despite being able to do so (say the Shahadatayn) it is rejected until they verbally pronounce the Shahada.
Likewise, a person who verbally pronounces the Shahada but has nothing in their hearts is a Munafiq.
What’s the evidence for a person who verbally pronounce the Shahada but does not have what is the essence of it in their heart is a Munafiq?
إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشۡهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱللَّهُ يَشۡهَدُ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ لَكَٰذِبُونَ
> When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say, “We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.” And Allah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are liars.
So there is no benefit to an inner Imān that has no outer expression (as long as the person is able to do it- a person who can’t do so for example are people who are mute (so they do it by their limbs) a paralyzed person who can only think, etc. they fall under the ayah “ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ“ Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.
What is Iman made up of? (not the pillars)
- beliefs
- Beliefs that are affirmed by the actions of the heart
- That is expressed by the statements of the tongue
- That is acted upon by the limbs
This comprehensive understanding of Imān is in the Hadeeth of Jibreel. The Hadith divides outer and inner. The outer is described with the term Islām, and the inner is described with Imān. This does not mean Imān has no action, as we previously said Imān is affirmation (affirming the truth of it through believing and submitting to it in your heart) and then expressing it on your tongue and acting on it with your limbs
Evidence in the Sunnah for there being an inner and outer, and that the inner has an effect on the outer (the actions of the limbs)
Al-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
> أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُVerily, in the body is a piece of flesh which, if sound, the entire body is sound, and if corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.-Bukhari and Muslim (muttafaqun alayh)
This Hadith shows us the following:
- there is a connection between the inner self and the outer self
- If the Imān in the heart (the belief and the submission and the affirmation that is within the actions the heart and so on) it will show itself upon the limbs.
if a person says their heart is full of Imān and their limbs are full of evil, they have lied, as one should not say that. If your heart is righteous, the body will be righteous (your actions, deeds will all be righteous.)
What is the belief of the Murjiah and what were they described as by the son of Abu Dawud as-Sijistani the author of Sunan abi Dawud (ibn abi Dawud)
He described the Murjiah as playing with their religion:
described the Murjiah as playing with their religion:
<aside>
> **لاَ تَكُ مُرْجِيًّا لَعُوْبًا بِدِيْنِهِ ... أَلاَ إِنَّمَا المُرْجِيُّ بِالدِّيْنِ يَمْزَحُ (١)**
>
>
> *La taku murji'yan la'ūban bideenihi ... Ala innama al-murji'u bideeni yamzahu (1)*
>
> *Do not be a playful Murji’ regarding his religion ... Verily, the Murji’ is playing with the religion (1)*
>
> ---
>
> **وَقُلْ: إِنَّمَا الإِيْمَانُ قَوْلٌ وَنِيَّةٌ ... وَفِعْلٌ عَلَى قَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ مُصَرَّحُ**
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> *Wa qul: innama al-eemanu qawlun wa niyyatun ... Wa fi'lun 'ala qawlin nabiyy musarrahu*
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> *And say: Verily, faith is statement and intention ... And action, as the Prophet explicitly said*
>
> ---
>
> **وَيَنْقُصُ طَوْرًا بِالمَعَاصِي وَتَارَةً ... بِطَاعَتِهِ يَنْمَى وَفِي الوَزْنِ يَرْجَحُ**
>
> *Wa yanqusu tawran bil-ma'asi wa taratan ... Bitaa'atihi yanma wa fil wazni yarjahu*
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> *And it decreases sometimes with sins, and other times ... It grows with obedience, and it outweighs in the balance*
>
</aside>
Statement of Zaynuddin Abdurahman ibn Ahmed bin Abdurahman (زين الدين عبد الرحمن بن أحمد بن عبد الرحمن) more commonly known as Ibn Rajab al Hanbali (795 AH) on how Iman and Islam work when mentioned in different contexts, and an example of when the meaning is THE SAME
> اسْمُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْإِيمَانِ إِذَا أُفْرِدَ أَحَدُهُمَا دَخَلَ فِيهِ الْآخَرُ وَدَلَّ بِانْفِرَادِهِ عَلَى مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ الْآخَرُ بِانْفِرَادِهِ
The term ‘Islam’ and ‘Iman’, when mentioned separately, each one includes the meaning of the other. And when mentioned together, they indicate distinct aspects: Islam signifies outward actions and practices, while Iman signifies inner beliefs and convictions.”
This is a principle known as:
> إِذَا اجْتَمَعَا افْتَرَقَا وَإِذَا افْتَرَقَا اجْتَمَعَا
When they come together, they separate, and when they separate, they come together
For example, if we were to say, “today we will discuss Islām.” Then the word Islām here covers all the meanings, the inner, outer actions, the different levels, etc.
if we were to say, “today we will discuss Imān.” Then the same applies, it covers the inner, outer, inner.
When the word is mentioned by itself, it drains in the meanings of all the other words inside.
Aal-e-Imran - 3:19
> Arabic
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمُۗ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيًۢا بَيۡنَهُمْۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ
English - Sahih International
Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account.
We wouldn’t say this only means the outer actions, or they it only means believing ﷲ the angels, etc., rather we would say it means everything, believing in Allah, the inner, outer actions, etc.
Al-Ma’idah - 5:5
> Arabic
ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتُۖ وَطَعَامُ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ حِلٌّ لَّكُمۡ وَطَعَامُكُمۡ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْۖ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُحۡصَنَٰتُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ إِذَآ ءَاتَيۡتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ مُحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَٰفِحِينَ وَلَا مُتَّخِذِىٓ أَخۡدَانٍۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلۡإِيمَٰنِ فَقَدۡ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُۥ وَهُوَ فِى ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ
English - Sahih International
This day [all] good foods have been made lawful, and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you and your food is lawful for them. And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
Again, we would say all the meanings of Islām and Imām come in together
So ibn Rajab is telling us رحمه الله that each one of these names on their own gather the meanings of everything into.
But when they are separate, they each have their own separate meanings.
Statement of Zaynuddin Abdurahman ibn Ahmed bin Abdurahman (زين الدين عبد الرحمن بن أحمد بن عبد الرحمن) more commonly known as Ibn Rajab al Hanbali (795 AH) on how Iman and Islam work when mentioned in different contexts, and an example of when the meaning is DIFFERENT
Zaynuddin Abdurahman ibn Ahmed bin Abdurahman (زين الدين عبد الرحمن بن أحمد بن عبد الرحمن) more **commonly known as Ibn Rajab al Hanbali (795 AH) said:
> اسْمُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْإِيمَانِ إِذَا أُفْرِدَ أَحَدُهُمَا دَخَلَ فِيهِ الْآخَرُ وَدَلَّ بِانْفِرَادِهِ عَلَى مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَيْهِ الْآخَرُ بِانْفِرَادِهِ
The term ‘Islam’ and ‘Iman’, when mentioned separately, each one includes the meaning of the other. And when mentioned together, they indicate distinct aspects: Islam signifies outward actions and practices, while Iman signifies inner beliefs and convictions.”
This is a principle known as:
> إِذَا اجْتَمَعَا افْتَرَقَا وَإِذَا افْتَرَقَا اجْتَمَعَا
When they come together, they separate, and when they separate, they come together
Examples of the meaning being different
- The Hadith of Jibreel
- Islām and Imān are mentioned together, and in this Hadith they have different meanings
- If Jibreel عليه السلام only asked about Islam or only Imān, messenger ﷺ could have answered everything (inner, outwards, etc)
- But because he asked about Islām AND Imān a difference was made
Islām refers to the outwards actions, and Imān refers to the inward actions made up of belief and affirmation.
- Surah Hujurat
> Al-Hujurat - 49:14Arabic
قَالَتِ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابُ ءَامَنَّاۖ قُل لَّمۡ تُؤۡمِنُواْ وَلَٰكِن قُولُوٓاْ أَسۡلَمۡنَا وَلَمَّا يَدۡخُلِ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَا يَلِتۡكُم مِّنۡ أَعۡمَٰلِكُمۡ شَيۡـًٔاۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌEnglish - Sahih International
The Bedouins say, “We have believed.” Say, “You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
Here, Imān (belief along with conviction of the heart and complete trust upon Allah ﷻ and the agreement of the heart with the tongue and the limbs) was not the level the Bedouin’s reached.
So the Bedouin didn’t reach a level of conviction and affirmation, however they did do is say that they’ve became Muslim, and that they submitted themselves in Islam as Muslims.
Based on this ayah, Imān is a level above Islām, and in this ayah Imām is conviction, affirmation and so on, and Islam meaning submission.
so, from this Ayah we learn that the heart and its actions don’t always come first, sometimes a person may have a basic تصديق belief of something be true that does not reach the level of Imān. So, they pronounce the testimony of faith, and then the affirmation and conviction enters their heart after that.
- Hadith of Abu Hurayrah on when a person is sinning they aren’t a believer
> حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ ذَكْوَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَزْنِي الزَّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَسْرِقُ حِينَ يَسْرِقُ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ حِينَ يَشْرَبُهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَالتَّوْبَةُ مَعْرُوضَةٌ بَعْدُ ” .It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira: A fornicator who fornicates is not a believer as long as he commits fornication, and no one who steals is a believer as long as he commits theft, and no one who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it, and repentance may be accepted after that.Sahih Muslim 57fHadith is also found in Bukhari with a different wording as well as other books of Hadeeth
So, this Hadith shows that Islam is the minimum standard, their still Muslim even if they drink provided they don’t commit an act of Kufr (such as viewing their action to be permissible) but they can’t be described as a Mu’min, being a person of Iman
According to the Murjiah, if someone drinks, fornicates, steals they are still a believer!
So here, Islam is the lowest level (what keeps you a Muslim) while Iman is a level above that, which is a level in which you obey Allah in what he commanded you, and keeping away from what Allah made forbidden.
Then there is Ihsan, which is striving to do righteous deeds.
The hadith above does not mention Islam and Iman (even separately it only mentions Iman) the response to that the Ayat, and other Ahadith tell us the meaning is that Islam is not being negated, so if Islam is not being negated, then Islam and Iman are different.
Some of the scholars when speaking of Imān referred it to the obligations and prohibitions which Islam requires of oneself. while they used Islām to refer to the minimum that keeps a person as a Muslim. What is the evidence of this?
> حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ ذَكْوَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَزْنِي الزَّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَسْرِقُ حِينَ يَسْرِقُ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ حِينَ يَشْرَبُهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَالتَّوْبَةُ مَعْرُوضَةٌ بَعْدُ ” .It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira: A fornicator who fornicates is not a believer as long as he commits fornication, and no one who steals is a believer as long as he commits theft, and no one who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it, and repentance may be accepted after that.Sahih Muslim 57fHadith is also found in Bukhari with a different wording as well as other books of Hadeeth
So, this Hadith shows that Islam is the minimum standard, their still Muslim even if they drink provided they don’t commit an act of Kufr (such as viewing their action to be permissible) but they can’t be described as a Mu’min, being a person of Iman
According to the Murjiah, if someone drinks, fornicates, steals they are still a believer!
So here, Islam is the lowest level (what keeps you a Muslim) while Iman is a level above that, which is a level in which you obey Allah in what he commanded you, and keeping away from what Allah made forbidden.
Then there is Ihsan, which is striving to do righteous deeds.
The hadith above does not mention Islam and Iman (even separately it only mentions Iman) the response to that the Ayat, and other Ahadith tell us the meaning is that Islam is not being negated, so if Islam is not being negated, then Islam and Iman are different.
Key takeaways/summary of how Islam and Iman relate (their relationship)
- In general, when Islam and Iman are separate from each other (either mentioned separately or only 1 is mentioned), they gather the meaning of everything they have into 1.
However, if there is an exception to that, such as there is a Hadith which can only be understood with a limited meaning of Islam or Iman such as the hadith:
> حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ ذَكْوَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ لاَ يَزْنِي الزَّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَسْرِقُ حِينَ يَسْرِقُ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ حِينَ يَشْرَبُهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَالتَّوْبَةُ مَعْرُوضَةٌ بَعْدُ ” .It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira: A fornicator who fornicates is not a believer as long as he commits fornication, and no one who steals is a believer as long as he commits theft, and no one who drinks wine is a believer as long as he drinks it, and repentance may be accepted after that.
If we understood is as meaning the whole of the religion, then this mean the sinners would be a disbeliever (which goes the ‘Aqeedah of Ahlul Sunnah and adopts the ‘Aqeedah of the Khawarij). So the meaning of Iman here has to be limited.
- When the 2 words are used together in the same discussion, there are various different ways of the meanings (or slight variations) we have taken 3 different ways they can be meaning. These overlap, they are not totally separate from one another, rather they overlap, they are similar in many ways but each of them has a slight nuisance/difference, and they are:
1. Islam is your outer actions, and Iman is your inner actions (beliefs and affirmation)
2. Iman is that which has conviction and complete belief in it which leads to total submission and surrender to Allah, whereas Islam is simply entering into Islam as a Muslim
3. Islam is the minimum to enter into Islam, Iman is doing what’s obligatory and keeping away from what is Haram. And Ihsan is the voluntary deeds.
There is a difference between the second and third
- In the second one we said Iman is about conviction entering your heart “وَلَمَّا يَدۡخُلِ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْۖ” “for faith has not yet entered your hearts.” Whereas in the third its doing what Allah told you to do and keeping away from what Allah told you to keep away from. This is alluded in the ayah, “وَإِن تُطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَا يَلِتۡكُم مِّنۡ أَعۡمَٰلِكُمۡ شَيۡـًٔاۚ” “And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything.” the ayah is alluding to that what the Bedouins need to do to bring that Iman (the conviction in your heart) is to obey Allah and his messenger
What’s the ruling on Al Istithnaa (الإستثناء) with regards to Islam and Iman and what’s the views of the Murjiah on it?
that is permissible to say InshaaAllah when referring to your Iman, but not permissible to say Inshaa Allah when referring to your Islam.
The Murjiah and others who took away actions from Iman, they dont allow you to say “I have Iman Inshaa Allah” as according to them, that means you doubted your faith. Because for them Iman is on or off, you either have it or you don’t. They conflated Iman and Islam.
As for Ahlul Sunnah, we say its permissible to say, “I have Iman Inshaa Allah” as Iman is a level above Islam. As for Islam we have it, we are muslims and we dont dobt. But do we have all **the things Allah commanded me to do, and stay from all the things Allah told me keep away from? Inshaa Allah I hope, I try, I repent, etc.” There is no issue with Inshaa Allah when referring to Iman as the good deeds you do and keep away from Haram.
However this is Not **when speaking about the core of our religion, such as saying “Inshaa Allah I believe in Allah, or his angels, revelation etc.”
