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The Reality of Faith (Al-Iman)
Author : Dr. Hassan Abu_Arqoub
Date Added : 30-03-2026

The Reality of Faith (Al-Iman)

 

Allah the Almighty sent the Archangel Gabriel (Jibril) to ask the Prophet ﷺ essential questions as a means of teaching the Ummah. Among these was the pivotal question: "What is Iman (Faith)?" To understand our religion, we must take a focused look at the meaning of faith and the scholarly nuances surrounding it.

In essence, Iman is the heart’s internal conviction (Tasdiq) in everything brought by our Master Muhammad ﷺ that is "necessarily known to be part of the religion" (Ma’lum min al-din bi al-darurah). These are matters so fundamental that they require no complex deduction, such as the obligation of Prayer, Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj, or the prohibition of usury, adultery, gambling, injustice, and alcohol.

Iman is the very first obligation upon a morally and legally responsible person (Mukallaf). Its foundation is the heart’s affirmation, free from doubt or hesitation, coupled with "submission and compliance" (Idh’an) to the truth of the Prophet’s message.

The primary evidence that faith is an act of the heart is Allah’s statement: "Those—He has written faith in their hearts." [Al-Mujadilah/22]. This verse, among many other textual proofs, demonstrates that the true location of faith is the heart.

One might ask: What about the famous definition by some scholars that faith is "speech by the tongue, conviction by the heart, and action by the limbs"?

The answer is that this is a description of the perfection of faith (Kamal al-Iman), not its minimum requirement for validity (Asl al-Iman). While the heart’s conviction is the root, the declaration of the Two Testimonies (Shahadatayn) and the performance of good deeds are the fruits that complete and perfect it.

Pronouncing the Shahadah is a condition for applying worldly legal rulings to a person (such as marriage, inheritance, and burial in Muslim cemeteries). It is not technically a "part" or "pillar" of the internal reality of faith itself.

The Mute or Incapable: If someone truly believes in their heart but is physically unable to speak (due to a condition like being mute), they are saved in the sight of Allah.

The Silent Believer: If a person recognizes the truth and submits in their heart but passes away before anyone asks them to testify—provided they weren't stubborn or refusing—they are a believer before Allah, though they were not treated as Muslims in this life because they never voiced their belief.

The Stubborn Refuser: If someone is asked to testify and refuses out of arrogance or spite (without a valid excuse like fear), they are considered a disbeliever, as their refusal indicates a lack of internal submission.

Born Muslims: A person born to Muslim parents who believes in their heart but neglects to verbally recite the Shahadah is a "sinful Muslim" because they neglected a secondary obligation, but they remain within the fold of Islam.

As Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami explained in Al-Tuhfah: "Faith, according to the theologians, has two perspectives: salvation in the Hereafter—which depends solely on internal conviction—and the application of worldly rulings—which depends on the verbal testimony."

Good deeds are not a pillar of faith's existence, but they are the cause of its increase and strength. Faith is dynamic; it increases with obedience and decreases with sin, but the "root" (the conviction in the heart) does not vanish simply due to a sin. Allah says: "The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith..." [Al-Anfal/2].

Based on this understanding, a person who falls short in their religious duties (like someone who misses prayer out of laziness) is not a disbeliever as long as they do not deny that the prayer is obligatory. Similarly, someone who commits a sin (like drinking alcohol out of weakness) is not a disbeliever as long as they do not claim that the sin is "permissible" (Halal). They remain a believer, though their faith is deficient and they are in need of repentance.

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Summarized Fatawaa

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is the one offering the sacrifice liable if its meat spoils?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon our Master the Messenger of Allah.
 
If the meat (of the sacrifice) spoils due to the negligence of the one offering the sacrifice in preserving it, or due to improper storage, then he is liable to compensate for the portion due to the poor (which is estimated as half a kilogram of meat). If the sacrifice was a vowed (mandatory) one, then he is liable for all of it.
 
However, if he was not negligent, then there is no liability upon him, because its ruling is the ruling of a trust (like an item left in someone's care). And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on someone who intends to travel to Jeddah for two days — must he enter iḥrām from his place of residence [i.e., before passing the mīqāt]?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Whoever is firmly resolved in his intention to perform ‘Umrah before setting out on his journey, it is unlawful for him to pass beyond his country's mīqāt (the designated boundary point for entering the state of iḥrām) without entering iḥrām. If he does so, he must return to the mīqāt to enter iḥrām from there, provided he has not yet begun performing the rites of the pilgrimage — in which case nothing further is required of him. However, if he does not return, he must offer a sacrifice (sheep/goat), to be distributed among the poor of the Ḥaram.
It is stated in at-Tanbīh fī al-Fiqh ash-Shāfi‘ī (p. 71): "Whoever, intending to perform the rites [of ‘Umrah or Ḥajj], passes beyond the mīqāt and enters iḥrām only after it, must offer a sacrifice. However, if he returns to the mīqāt before beginning any of the rites, the sacrifice is waived from him."
Accordingly: whoever is firmly resolved in his intention to perform ‘Umrah before setting out on his journey must enter iḥrām at the mīqāt of his country through which he passes. Whoever fails to do so, passing beyond the mīqāt without entering iḥrām, and does not return, has sinned, and must repent to Allah, the Exalted; and he must offer a sacrifice, to be distributed among the poor of the Ḥaram. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Can a menstruating woman listen to the Quran from the radio or television?

Yes, a menstruating woman is allowed to listen to the Quran from the radio or television. What is forbidden for her is reciting the Quran and touching the Mus-haf, but listening is permissible—in fact, it is an act of worship.However, she should not repeat along with the Qur’an or try to keep pace with it. 

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