Author: Abu Ayesha
The Karramiyyah Sect (Part 6)
The Ahl al-Sunnah Perspective on Faith (Iman)
The majority of researchers from Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah—including Imam Abu Hanifah (MABH)—believe that faith (Iman) is an affirmation of the heart, while verbal confession is a condition for implementing worldly rulings. This is because the affirmation of the heart is hidden, and therefore a sign is required for it.
So, if someone affirms with the heart but does not declare it verbally, that person is considered a believer before Allah, but not in terms of worldly rulings.
Conversely, if someone declares faith with the tongue but does not affirm it in the heart, they are considered like a hypocrite—outwardly a believer to people, but a disbeliever before Allah. This definition has also been adopted by Shaykh Abu Mansur. [1]
Allama Sadr al-Din al-Dimashqi, in his book Sharh al-‘Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, writes about the definition of Iman as follows: “Scholars have greatly differed on the meaning and concept of Iman. Imam Malik, Imam Shafi‘i, Imam Ahmad, Imam Awza‘i, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, and others from the Ahl al-Hadith, scholars of Madinah (may Allah have mercy on them), along with the Zahiri school and a group of theologians, held that Iman comprises belief in the heart, verbal testimony, and actions of the limbs.”
Many of our scholars, following what Imam Tahawi (MABH) stated, believe that Iman consists of verbal declaration and affirmation of the heart.
Some of them hold the view that verbal confession is an additional pillar, not an essential one. Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (MABH) held this opinion, and it is also attributed to Imam Abu Hanifah (MABH). [2]
Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (MABH) says the following regarding the reality of Iman in Sharia: “Iman is a combination of speech and action. Speech is of two types: the speech of the heart, which is belief. the speech of the tongue, which is the utterance of the two testimonies (shahadatayn).
Action is also of two types: the action of the heart, meaning intention and sincerity; the action of the limbs. If all four of these are absent, Iman is entirely absent.
If internal belief is missing, the rest is of no benefit, because heart-based affirmation is a condition for any belief to be valid and beneficial.
If the action of the heart is missing despite inward affirmation, this is where the dispute between the Murji’ah and Ahl al-Sunnah lies.
Ahl al-Sunnah unanimously agree that without action of the heart, Iman does not exist, and that affirmation without the heart’s submission and love is of no use—just as belief in the truthfulness of the prophets did not benefit Iblis, Pharaoh, his people, the Jews, or the polytheists during the time of the Prophet (PBUH), even though they inwardly acknowledged his truthfulness but still refused to follow him or have faith in him.” [3]
The difference between Imam Abu Hanifah and other imams of Ahl al-Sunnah regarding the meaning of Iman is largely a semantic or superficial one. That’s because bodily actions are either results of faith in the heart or a part of it, and all are agreed that a person committing a major sin does not leave the fold of faith. Rather, such a person is within Allah’s will: if He wills, He punishes him, and if He wills, He forgives him. This is a verbal disagreement and does not lead to deviant belief.
Those who declare the one who abandons prayer to be a disbeliever have added other evidence to this foundation. Otherwise, the Prophet (PBUH) negated Iman from fornicators, thieves, wine-drinkers, and looters, but by the consensus of all scholars, this does not mean the total loss of faith.
Among Ahl al-Sunnah, there is no disagreement that Allah requires both verbal affirmation and action from His servants. By “verbal affirmation” we mean heart-based belief and speech of the tongue. [4]
Evidence of the Majority of Ahl al-Sunnah Scholars
Qur’anic Verses: {أُوْلَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ} Translation: “They are those in whose hearts Allah has inscribed faith.” [5] {وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ} Translation: “while his heart is at rest with faith.” [6] {وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ} Translation: “Faith has not yet entered your hearts.” [7]
Prophetic Hadiths:
The Prophet (PBUH) said: “اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ” Translation: “O Allah, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.” [8]
قال النبي صلی الله علیه وسلم: لأسامة رضی الله عنه حین قتل من قال: “لا إله إلا الله: هلا شققت قلبه” The Prophet (PBUH) said to Usamah (MABH), when he killed someone who had uttered La ilaha illallah: “Did you split open his heart [to know what he believed]?” [9] [10]
Continues…
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References
[1]. Taftazani, Sa’d al-Din, Commentary on al-Aqa’id al-Nasafiyya, p. 304, First Edition: 1394, Publisher: Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad Jam.
[2]. Dimashqi, Sadr al-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn ‘Ala al-Din Salihi, (792 AH) Commentary on the Aqeedah al-Tahawiyya, Volumes: 1–2, p. 650, First Edition: 1397 AH.
[3]. Al-Otaibi, Dr. Sa’d, The Phenomenon of Arja’ and the Transmission of Its Concepts to Contemporary Reality, p. 12, undated, Center for Islamic Studies Binish.
[4]. Dimashqi, Sadr al-Din Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn ‘Ala al-Din Salihi, (792 AH) Commentary on the Aqeedah al-Tahawiyya, Volumes: 1–2, pp. 653–654, First Edition: 1397 AH.
[5]. Surah Al-Mujadila, Verse: 22.
[6]. Surah An-Nahl, Verse: 106.
[7]. Surah Al-Hujurat, Verse: 14.
[8]. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Chapter: What Has Been Reported About Hearts Being Between the Fingers of the Most Merciful, Vol. 8, p. 280.
[9]. Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir al-Tabarani, Vol. 13, p. 136.
[10]. Taftazani, Sa’d al-Din, Commentary on al-Aqa’id al-Nasafiyya, p. 304, First Edition: 1394, Publisher: Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad Jam.
