Iman (concept)

Iman (, , also 'recognition') in Islamic theology denotes a believer's recognition of faith and deeds in the religious aspects of Islam.Farāhī, Majmū'ah Tafāsīr, 2nd ed. (Faran Foundation, 1998), 347. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six Pillars of faith, known as . Shiite theologians have proposed several theories regarding faith (''or in its Arabic form, "Iman"''). Some assert that faith consists of a single pillar: the belief held in the heart (''the most inner and honest part of human being''). Consequently, faith is defined as the affirmation of the heart, with verbal confession and actions playing no role in its actualization.

The term has been delineated in both the Quran and hadith. According to the Quran, must be accompanied by righteous deeds and the two together are necessary for entry into Paradise. According to the Quran, the seat of faith is the inner heart, the innermost part of human perception, while the seat of "Islam" is the intellect.

In the hadith, in addition to and form the three dimensions of the Islamic religion.

There exists a debate both within and outside Islam on the link between faith and reason in religion, and the relative importance of either. Some scholars contend that faith and reason spring from the same source and must be harmonious.

Etymology

In Arabic, () means or . It is the verbal noun of , or . The Arabic word, "Iman" (''means "faith"'') is derived from the root (''literally "'Amn" which means "security"''), the simple ternary verb of which is meaning peace and assurance of the heart and the absence of fear. About the three Arabic words , and :

The compound ternary verb of (''the root of the word, "Iman"'') is . If , and are followed by a preposition such as (''"Bel", means "to"''), is unanimously understood by linguists to mean "to confirm, to acknowledge" in general. And to be more precise:

Definition and meaning

In a hadith, the Islamic prophet Muhammad defined as "an acknowledgement in the heart, a voicing with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs." Faith is confidence in a real truth. When people have confidence, they submit themselves to that truth. It is not sufficient just to know the truth, but the recognition of the heart should be expressed by the tongue which is the manifestation of intelligence and at last to reflect this confidence in their activities.

Hamiduddin Farahi, while explaining the meaning of in his exegesis, wrote:

The definition of according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah is:

* Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said:
*Al-Shafi'i said in :
*Muhammad bin Ismail bin Muhammad bin Al-Fadl Al-Taymi Al-Asbhani said:
* Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said:
* Al-Ash'ari said:

Effects and characteristics

Many verses of the Quran discuss faith, its effects, and its characteristics. Consequently, faith is distinct from Islam and is considered to be at a higher level. Faith embodies a profound truth that fosters a deep love for God. God guides believers out of "darkness" and into the realm of "lights".

According to the Quran, faith can both increase and decrease, and the hearts of believers achieve certainty and stability through it. The Quran also states that no one can be compelled or forced into faith or belief.

In the verses of the Quran, the mistakes, shortcomings, and sins of believers are highlighted, urging them to reform themselves.

The Six Pillars of Faith

Faith () includes six primary beliefs:

# Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Tawhid, the Islamic concept of Monotheism).
# Belief in the existence of angels such as Jibril (Gabriel), Mikail (Michael), Israfil, and more.
# Belief in the existence of the books of which God is the author: the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), the Torah (revealed to prophets), Psalms (revealed to David), the Scrolls of Moses, and the Scrolls of Abraham.
# Belief in the existence of prophets: Muhammad being the last of them, Jesus the penultimate, and others sent before them like Moses, Abraham, David, Joseph, Jacob.
# Belief in the existence of the Day of Judgment: On that day, humanity will be divided into two groups: that of paradise and that of hell. These groups are composed of subgroups.
# Belief in the existence of God's predestination (, ) due to God's omniscience, whether it involves good or bad.

Of these, the first four are mentioned and the fifth implied in 2:285 of the Quran. All six appear in the first hadith of the collection , where the angel Gabriel asks to be told of and Muhammad replies:

Another similar narration ascribed to Muhammad is:

Delineation in the Qur'an and hadith

In the Qur'an, iman is one of the 10 qualities which cause one to be the recipient of God's mercy and reward. The Qur'an states that faith can grow with the remembrance of God. The Qur'an also states that nothing in this world should be dearer to a true believer than faith.

Al-‘Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is content with Allah as a Lord, Islam as a religion, and Muhammad as a messenger.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 34
He also said that no one can be a true believer unless he loves prophet Muhammad peace be up on him more than his children, parents and relatives. At another instance, he remarked that it is this love with Allah and Muhammad after which a person can be aware of the real taste of faith.

Amin Ahsan Islahi, a notable exegete of the Qur'an has clarified the nature of this love:

Islahi and Abul A'la Maududi both have inferred that the Quranic comparison of a good word and a bad word in chapter 14 is a comparison of faith and disbelief. Thus, the Quran is effectively comparing faith to a tree whose roots are deep in the soil and branches spread in the vastness of the sky.

is also the subject of a supplication uttered by Muhammad to God:

The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith

"The Seventy-Seven Branches of Faith" is a collection compiled by the Shafi'i imam al-Bayhaqi in his work . In it, he explains the essential virtues that reflect true (faith and recognition) through related Quranic verses and prophetic sayings.

This is based on the following Hadith ascribed to Muhammad:

These 77 branches described by Bayhaqi are:

Thirty actions connected with the heart:
# Belief in Allah (Testimony of Acknowledgment: (there is no true god but Allah)
# Acknowledging that first, nothing but Allah existed; then, Allah created everything which subsequently came into existence
# Acknowledging the existence of angels ().
# Acknowledging that all the sacred books () sent down to the various Prophets are true. However, all books other than the Quran are no longer valid.
# Acknowledging that all prophets are true. However, Muslims are commanded to follow only the Islamic prophet, Muhammad
# Believing that Allah already knows everything and that whatever he permits or wills will happen.
# Believing that the Doomsday will happen.
# Acknowledging the existence of (Paradise).
# Acknowledging the existence of Hell
# Having a love for Allah.
# Acknowledging Muhammad's love for Allah
# To love or hate someone only for the sake of Allah.
# Performing all good deeds with sincerity (purpose of ; only to please Allah).
# To repent and show remorse when a sin is committed.
# To fear Allah.
# Hoping for God's mercy.
# Being humble.
# Expressing gratitude () for favour or favour.
# Fulfilling promises.
# Having patience ().
# Feeling inferior to others.
# Be kind to God's creations.
# To be satisfied with whatever prescribed orders come from Allah
# Trusting in Allah.
# Not to boast or brag about any quality one possesses
# Not to hate or hate anyone.
# Not to be jealous of anyone.
# Not to get angry.
# Not to wish anyone harm.
# To have no love for the world.

The seven works attached to the tongue:
# Reciting the Kalema with the tongue.
# Reciting the Quran.
# Gaining knowledge.
# Giving knowledge
# Making .
# of Allah.
# Abstaining from the following: lying, backbiting (blasphemy in one's absence), obscenity, cursing, and singing (obscene) songs that are against Shariah.

Forty works are attached to the whole body:
# Performing ablution, bathing and keeping clothes clean.
# To be steadfast in prayer.
# Paying and .
# Fasting.
# Performing .
# To perform .
# Moving away or emigrating from a place harmful to religion
# To fulfil the promise made to Allah.
# Fulfilling vows that are not sins.
# Paying expiation for unfulfilled vows.
# To cover the body.
# Sacrificing for Allah
# The shrouding and burial of the deceased.
# Paying off one's debts
# Abstaining from prohibited things while doing financial transactions.
# Not to hide the truth while testifying.
# Marry when wants to marry.
# Allowing those under oneself to fulfil their rights
# Providing comfort to parents.
# Bringing up children in the right way.
# Not cutting ties with friends or relatives.
# Obeying one's boss
# To be fair and righteous
# Not to initiate any path contrary to the generality of Muslims.
# To obey the ruler, if what they command is not contrary to the Shariah.
# Making peace between two warring factions or individuals.
# Enjoining good and forbidding wrong ().

# Struggling against the enemies of religion (if possible with the hand, if not with the tongue (by the pen), if not with the heart).
# Giving loans to those in need
# Seeing to the needs of one's neighbours.
# Ensuring halal and purity of income earning.
# Expenditure according to Shariah.
# Replying to whoever greets oneself
# when someone says after sneezing.
# Not harming anyone unfairly.
# Abstaining from sports and pastimes that are against Shariah.
# Removal of gravel, stones, thorns, sticks etc. from the road.

Faith and deeds

In Islam, there must exist harmony and concord between faith and deeds. Farāhī has explained this aspect in his in the following manner:Farāhī, Majmū'ah Tafāsīr, 2nd ed. (Faran Foundation, 1998), 349.

Faith and reason in Islam

The relationship between reason and faith in Islam is a complex debate spanning centuries. Ismail Raji al-Faruqi states on this subject:

In Shia Islam

In Shia Islam (''Twelver Shi'ism, the largest branch of Shi'a Islam''), Faith (''or in its' Arabic form: Iman'') is a sincere belief in God and His oneness, the prophethood, and the teachings of the Islam Prophet, Muhammad, as well as the Twelve Infallible Imams. Shia jurists regard faith as an essential qualification for religious leaders, congregational leaders, judges, and Zakat collectors. Most Shia scholars assert that faith cannot merely be a form of imitation.

Shiite theologians regard belief in the Imamate of the infallible Imams following the Prophet Muhammad, as a fundamental prerequisite for faith, alongside belief in monotheism, the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad, divine justice, and resurrection. According to the teachings of the Quran, faith is distinct from Islam and exists at a higher level. Furthermore, faith can fluctuate, increasing or decreasing over time, and no one can be compelled to believe.

Many Shia scholars assert that Islam encompasses more than mere faith; thus, every believer is regarded as a Muslim, yet not every Muslim is necessarily a true believer. Some Shia scholars, including Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and Zayn al-Din al-Juba'i al'Amili, contend that faith and authentic Islam are synonymous, while the outward practice of Islam exists at a lower level than genuine faith.

In Islam, faith is grounded in knowledge and understanding. Conversely, faith is also rooted in reason, and both are divine gifts that reinforce one another. Furthermore, from an Islamic perspective, there is a strong connection between faith and action; action serves as the outward manifestation of faith. If action is absent, it is evident that faith has not taken root in the heart.

Conceptology

In Shiite traditions and jurisprudential works, the term "Iman (faith)" is understood in both general and specific contexts. The general meaning refers to a heartfelt belief in all the teachings of the Prophet of Islam. In contrast, the specific meaning encompasses this general belief while also including the conviction in the imamate and guardianship of the Twelve Imams.

According to this specific understanding of faith, all Twelver Shiites are regarded as believers.

Faith, in a specific context, plays a crucial role in various areas of Islamic jurisprudence, including Ijtihad, Taqlid, Ritual purification, Prayer, Zakat, Khums, Fasting, Iʿtikāf, Hajj, Waqf, Nazr, Judgment, and Testify. It is regarded as a prerequisite for the validity and acceptance of all acts of worship. Furthermore, faith is essential for the authority of Taqlid, the imam of the congregation, those entitled to Zakat and Khums, judges, witnesses, and the distributors of wealth appointed by the ruler of Sharia. Additionally, many Islamic jurists have specified that faith is also a requirement for the Muezzin of the congregation and the deputy during Hajj pilgrimage.

Al-Shaykh al-Mufid, a prominent scholar of the Imamiyyah tradition, defined faith as a heartfelt affirmation, verbal confession, and the practice of obedience of God. Similarly, Al-Shafi'i, a notable Sunni scholar, shares this perspective. Several Imamiyyah scholars, including Sharif al-Murtaza, Shaykh Tusi, al-Bahrani, Fazel Miqdad, and Abd al-Razzaq Lahiji, assert that faith is fundamentally an act of the heart. Thus, faith equates to a sincere belief in God, the Islam Prophet Muhammad, and the divine revelation. According to this view, a believer is someone who holds this conviction in their heart, and verbal confession is not deemed necessary.

Imitative faith

The prominent Imamiyyah scholars assert that mere imitation is insufficient for genuine faith.

The Mu'tazilites and the majority of Ash'arites concur with the Shiite perspective on this matter. In contrast, Sunni,

Hashwiyyah and Ta'limiyyah, regard faith based on imitation as valid.

See also

* Aqidah
* Five Pillars of Islam
* Al-Ikhlas
* Taqwa
* Six Kalimas
* Amin and Amina, names derivant of Iman
* Glossary of Islam
* Hadith terminology
* Abd (Arabic)
* Ahl al-Fatrah
* Ahl al-Hadith
* Al-Ism al-A'zam
* Al-Jānn
* Al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah
* Du'a al-Sabah
* Du'a' Kumayl
* Dua Simat
* Ehya night

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

77 Branches of Iman (Faith)

Understanding the Meaning of Iman (Faith) in Islam

What Is The Meaning Of Iman In Islam?

The Meaning of Iman

The Difference between Islam and Iman

Reality of Iman (Faith) – Meaning and Understanding


Faith in Allah

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Islamic ethics
Islamic terminology
Islamic belief and doctrine
Faith