Faith in Allah Almighty
Firm conviction in something, confirmation from the heart, declaration by the tongue, and acting upon its implications with the body is called faith, as Sheikh al-Islam Abu Uthman Ismail bin Abdul Rahman al-Sabuni, may Allah have mercy on him (died 449 AH), said:
“ومن مذهب أهل الحديث : أن الإيمان قول وعمل و معرفة ، يزيد بالطاعة و ينقص بالمعصية”
And it is among the creed of Ahl al-Hadith that faith is speech, action, and knowledge; it is greater than obedience and less than disobedience.
Before Imam Abu Uthman al-Sabuni, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin al-Husayn al-Ajuri, may Allah have mercy on him (died 360 AH), said:
Faith is confirmation from the heart, declaration by the tongue, and action by the bodily limbs, and until these three things are combined, one cannot become a believer.
Imam Malik bin Anas, Muammar bin Rashid, Sufyan Thawri, and Sufyan bin Uyaynah, among others, said:
Faith is speech and action; it increases and decreases.
Imam Shafi’i also believed that faith is speech and action; it increases and decreases.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said:
Faith is speech and action; it increases and decreases.
This statement is established from the general scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, and nothing contrary to it is established from the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. Rather, Imam Waki’ bin al-Jarrah bin Maliyah (died 197 AH), may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“أهل السنة يقولون : الإيمان قول وعمل، والمرجئة يقولون: الإيمان قول، والجهمية يقولون : الإيمان المعرفة”
The people of Sunnah say:
Faith is speech and action,
The Murji’ah say:
Faith is speech,
And the Jahmiyyah say:
Faith is knowledge.
Imam Muhammad bin Yahya bin Abi Umar Al-Adani, may Allah have mercy on him (died 243 AH), narrated from his teacher Imam Waki’ bin Al-Jarrah:
The Ahl al-Sunnah say:
Faith is speech and action,
The Murji’ah say:
Faith is speech without action, and
The Jahmiyyah say:
Faith is (the heart’s) knowledge.
Imam Hasan Basri, may Allah have mercy on him (died 110 AH), said:
Faith is speech, and speech does not occur without action, nor do speech and action occur without intention; speech, action, and intention (all three) do not occur without Sunnah.
Sayyid Na’ameer bin Habeeb Al-Ansari (Companion) said:
“الإيمان يزيد وينقص”
Faith increases and decreases.
There are many evidences from the pious predecessors which clearly prove that faith is the saying and doing; it can increase and decrease. In contrast to this, Umar bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Luqman al-Nasafi al-Maturidi (d. 537 AH) said:
” والإيمان لايزيد ولا ينقص‘‘
And faith neither increases nor decreases…
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal classified those who do not believe that “faith is saying and doing” among the Murji’ah.
Imam Awza’i, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 157 AH), said:
Whoever thinks that faith neither increases nor decreases, that person is an innovator; avoid him.
Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi and Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi both said:
We found scholars in all the cities of Hijaz, Iraq, Egypt, Sham, and Yemen adhering to this belief that faith is both speech and action, it can increase and decrease.
Verses of the Quran:
After this introduction, here are some verses of the Quran:
➊ Allah Almighty said:
﴿ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّلِحَتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّتٍ تَجْرِى مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهرُ ﴾
And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds, that for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow.
At the end of this verse it is said:
﴿ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَلِدُونَ ﴾
And they will abide therein forever.
➋ And He said:
(اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ اَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتَوُا الزَّكٰوةَ لَهُمْ اَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْۚ-وَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ لَا هُمْ یَحْزَنُوْنَ﴾
Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
➌ The command of Allah Almighty is:
﴿ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا )
And those who believe and do righteous deeds – We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever.
➍ Also He said:
﴿وَعَدَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِۙ-لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَّ اَجْرٌ عَظِیْمٌ)
Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.
➎ And He said:
﴿ اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَهُمْ جَنّٰتُ النَّعِیْمِ(8)خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَاؕ-وَعْدَ اللّٰهِ حَقًّاؕ-وَ هُوَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَكِیْمُ(9))
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – for them are gardens of pleasure, wherein they will abide forever. Allah’s promise is true, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
➏ He said:
(اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ قَالُوْا رَبُّنَا اللّٰهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوْا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ لَا هُمْ یَحْزَنُوْنَ(13)اُولٰٓىٕكَ اَصْحٰبُ الْجَنَّةِ خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَاۚ-جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَ(14))
Indeed, those who say, “Our Lord is Allah” and then remain steadfast – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally. That is the reward for what they used to do.
➐ And He said:
﴿وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ اٰمَنُوْا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّهِمْۙ-كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَیِّاٰتِهِمْ وَ اَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ﴾
And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Muhammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.
➑ The command of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿وَمَن يُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ وَيَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ)
And whoever believes in Allah and does righteous deeds, He will forgive his sins and admit him into Paradise beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great success.
➒ Also He said:
﴿اَلَاۤ اِنَّ اَوْلِیَآءَ اللّٰهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ لَا هُمْ یَحْزَنُوْنَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ كَانُوْا یَتَّقُوْنَ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرٰى فِی الْحَیٰوةِ الدُّنْیَا وَ فِی الْاٰخِرَةِؕ)
Listen! Indeed, the allies of Allah will have no fear, nor will they grieve, those who believed and were conscious of Allah. For them is good news in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.
➓ And He said:
﴿اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِۙ-اُولٰٓىٕكَ هُمْ خَیْرُ الْبَرِیَّةِ جَزَآؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنّٰتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ خٰلِدِیْنَ فِیْهَاۤ اَبَدًاؕ )
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – those are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is Gardens of Eternity beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever.
Authentic Hadiths:
Ten authentic hadiths about faith are presented:
➊ On the authority of Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
((الإيمان بضع وسبعون أو بضع وستون شعبة، فأفضلها قول لا إله إلا الله وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق والحياء شعبة من الإيمان))
Faith has more than seventy or sixty branches, the best of which is:
لا الہ الا اللہ and the least of which is:
Removing something harmful from the path is an act of charity, and modesty is a branch of faith.
➋ On the authority of Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(( لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من والده وولده والناس أجمعين .))
None of you can be a true believer until he loves me more than his father, his son, and all people.
➌ On the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
أي العمل أفضل ؟
قال :
((إيمان بالله ورسوله))
قيل : ثم ماذا؟ قال :
((الجهاد في سبيل الله .))
قيل:
ثم ماذا ؟ قال :
((حج مبرور )
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Which deed is the most virtuous? He replied:
Faith in Allah and His Messenger. It was asked:
What next?
He said:
Jihad in the way of Allah. It was asked:
What next? He said:
An accepted Hajj.
➍ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said to the delegation of the tribe of Abdul Qais:
Do you know what it means to believe in one Allah? They said:
Allah and His Messenger know best. The Prophet ﷺ said:
((شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدًا رسول الله وإقام الصلوة وايتاء الزكوة وصيام رمضان وأن تعطوا من المغنم الخمس …))
لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ And to testify that Muhammad is the Messenger (ﷺ), establish prayer, give zakat, fast during Ramadan, and give one-fifth of the spoils (to the Bayt al-Mal)…
➎ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
((من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده ، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه وذلك أضعف الإيمان .))
If any of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart—and that is the weakest of faith.
➏ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said:
((ما من نبي بعثه الله في أمة قبلي إلا كان له من أمته حواريون وأصحاب يأخذون بسنته ويقتدون بأمره ، ثم إنها تخلف من بعد هم خلوف، يقولون مالا يفعلون ويفعلون مالا يؤمرون فمن جاهد هم بيده فهو مؤمن ومن جاهدهم بلسانه فهو مؤمن ومن جاهدهم بقلبه فهو مؤمن وليس وراء ذلك من الإيمان حبة خردل )
Allah Almighty, before me, sent whichever prophet to any nation, that nation had companions and followers who acted upon his Sunnah and followed his commands. Then after them came successors who did not do what was commanded and did what they were not commanded to do. So whoever fought against them with his hand is a believer, and whoever fought with his tongue is a believer, and whoever fought with his heart is a believer, and after that, there is not even the faith of a mustard seed.
➐ It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Imamah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(( من أحب الله وأبغض الله وأعطى الله ومنع الله فقد استكمل الإيمان .))
Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah, then his faith is complete.
➑ It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
((والذي نفس محمد بيده الايسمع بي أحد من هذه الأمة يهودي ولا نصراني ثم يموت ولم يؤمن بالذي أرسلت به إلا كان من أصحاب النار .))
By the One in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad (ﷺ)! Whoever among this Ummah (the Ummah of Dawah) hears about me, whether Jew or Christian, and does not believe in what has been sent to me (the religion) before dying, then he is among the inhabitants of Hell.
➒ And it is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
(( لا يدخل النار أحد في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من إيمان ولا يدخل الجنة أحد في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من كبرياء .))
No person will enter Hell forever who has even a mustard seed’s weight of faith in his heart, and no person will enter Paradise who has even a mustard seed’s weight of arrogance in his heart.
➓ It is narrated from Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) that I was with the Noble Prophet ﷺ in the Cave (Thawr) when I saw the signs of the polytheists (disbelievers of Makkah), so I said:
O Messenger of Allah! If any of them takes a step, he will see us. He said:
((ما ظنك باثنين الله ثالثهما؟))
What do you think about those two men whose third (companion) is Allah?
In the entire universe, the highest level of faith is with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then the Prophets and Messengers, and the noble Companions. Once, a Bedouin (probably Ghuraith ibn al-Harith) asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with two swords:
Who will save you from me? You ﷺ replied (with utmost confidence):
Allah! The sword fell from the Bedouin’s hand to the ground.
This story, in brief, is also present in Sahih Bukhari (2910) and Sahih Muslim (843).
Ghuraith ibn al-Harith al-A’rabi returned and told his people:
I have come from the one who is the best. This was evidence that Ghuraith later became Muslim, and probably this is why Hafiz Zahabi mentioned him among the Companions.
Signs:
After the blessed verses and authentic hadiths, some historical accounts are presented:
➊ It is narrated from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (RA) that in the pre-Islamic period, Amr ibn Uqais had some usury debt owed to him by someone, so he did not like to accept Islam before collecting the usury. Then the day of the Battle of Uhud came, and Amr said:
Where are my uncle’s sons? It was said that they are at Uhud. He said:
Where is so-and-so? It was said:
He is at Uhud. Then Amr ibn Uqais put on his armor and mounted his horse and went towards Uhud. When the Muslims saw him, they said:
O Amr! Stay away from us. He replied:
I have believed (in Islam). Then he fought in jihad until he was wounded and brought home. Then (Sayyidna) Saad ibn Muadh (RA) said to his sister:
Ask him, did he fight for the support of his tribe and tribal anger or for Allah? Amr ibn Uqais (RA) said:
Rather, they fought in defense of Allah and His Messenger, then they were martyred and entered Paradise, even though they had not performed any prayer.
➋ It is narrated from Abdullah bin Fayruz Ad-Dailami, may Allah have mercy on him, that I met (Sayyiduna) Abi bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه and said:
O Abu Al-Munzir! Something about predestination is troubling my heart, so please narrate a hadith to me, perhaps it will remove doubt and suspicion from my heart. He (Sayyiduna Abi bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه) said:
If Allah Almighty wills to punish the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and does so, He will not be unjust; and if He shows mercy, His mercy is better than their deeds. Even if you spend gold equivalent to the size of Mount Uhud in the way of Allah, He will not accept it until you have faith in destiny. Do not think that the calamity that has befallen you could not have been avoided in any circumstance, nor that the calamity you escaped could have reached you in any circumstance. If you die without belief in this, you will enter Hell. Abdullah bin Fayruz al-Daylami said:
Then I asked Abdullah bin Mas’ud and Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with them), and they said the same. Zaid bin Thabit (Allah be pleased with him) also narrated this to me from the Prophet ﷺ.
➌ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud and Sayyiduna Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:
”الـمـومـن يـطبـع على الخلال كلها إلا الخيانة والكذب .“
Every habit can be found in the nature of a believer except treachery and lying.
➍ Imam Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
O son of Adam! By Allah, if you recite the Qur’an and then have (complete) faith in it, your sorrow in this world will increase, you will be afflicted with intense fear, and you will weep frequently.
➎ Imam Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
His faith (complete) is that he fears Allah in secret (solitude), loves whom Allah loves, and dislikes whom Allah dislikes. Then Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) recited this verse:
(كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ )
Likewise, only those servants of Allah fear Him who are the scholars (the knowledgeable).
Finally, an incident of a young companion is presented, at the time of whose death the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him:
How do you find yourself? He said:
O Messenger of Allah! By Allah! I hope for Allah’s (forgiveness) and fear my sins.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
At this stage, when these two things come together in a person’s heart, then whatever he hopes for, Allah grants him, and from whatever he fears, Allah protects him.
O Allah! Grant us true faith that contains both fear and hope and continuously increase it. Improve our worldly life and protect us from the torment of the grave, resurrection, and Hell. Ameen
(14 January 2011)
