What is iman and Islam?

What is iman and Islam?

Imaan::::
Iman means the heart’s confirmation of, admission of and belief in
1. Allâh(swt),
2. His messengers (for hidayah/guidance...)
3. His angles, (who never disobey Allaah swt. (( iblees was a jinn. He was not among angles.18.50))
4. His books,( given for true direction/rehnumayi)
5. Hereafter, ( this life-death- meeting with Allah swt- eternal life after judgment)
6. Qadr/ destiney. (All good and bad in destiny is from Allaah swt.)

Allâh (swt) says:Whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart to the true Faith with certainty…[from Qur’an, 64:11].
Iman (faith) is to believe through the heart all that is known as being aspects of Islâm, to express one’s iman with one’s tongue and to reflect it in one’s actions.

Islam::::

Islam consists of actions:
1. testifying by heart and verbally that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
2. establishing salat,
3. giving zakat
4. fasting for Ramadan and
5. performing the Pilgrimage to the House (i.e., the Ka’bah) if you can make a way there.
These acts are the basis of Islam. These actions (acts of worship) are not Iman. Islâm cannot exist without Îmân; Îmân cannot exist without Islâm.

‘Islam’ (submission) is used as an opposite to ‘Shirk’ (polytheism) and ‘Iman’ (true faith) is used as an opposite to ‘Kufr’ (disbelief) and ‘Fisq’ (wickedness).

A Mulhid (atheist) was a person who did not believe in a Creator whereas a Mushrik (polytheist) submits to idols, bodies or things that have been fashioned by one’s own hands.
And according to quran--

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللٌّهِ الإِسْلاٌمُ

“Unquestionably the only Din (complete code and way of life) acceptable to Allah is al-Islam.”(3.19)
وَ مَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاٌمِ دِيناً فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ

“And whoever chooses other than al-Islam as his Din - then it will never be accepted from him.”( 3.85)

Detail:::::

Abu Ja`far Ar-Razi said that Al-`Ala' bin Al-Musayyib bin Rafi` narrated from Abu Ishaq that Abu Al-Ahwas said that `Abdullah said, "Iman is to trust.''. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said,

﴿ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴾

(who have faith) means they trust. Also, Ma`mar said that Az-Zuhri said, "Iman is the deeds.'' In addition, Abu Ja`far Ar-Razi said that Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that, `They have faith', means, they fear (Allah).

Ibn Jarir (At-Tabari) commented, "The preferred view is that they be described as having faith in the Unseen by the tongue, deed and creed. In this case, fear of Allah is included in the general meaning of Iman, which necessitates following deeds of the tongue by implementation. Hence, Iman is a general term that includes affirming and believing in Allah, His Books and His Messengers, and realizing this affirmation through adhering to the implications of what the tongue utters and affirms.''

Linguistically, in the absolute sense, Iman merely means trust, and it is used to mean that sometimes in the Qur'an, for instance, Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَيُؤۡمِنُ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴾

(He trusts (yu'minu) in Allah, and trusts (yu'minu) in the believers.) (9: 61)

Prophet Yusuf's brothers said to their father,

﴿ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤۡمِنٍ۬ لَّنَا وَلَوۡ ڪُنَّا صَـٰدِقِينَ ﴾

(But you will never believe us even when we speak the truth) (12:17).

Further, the word Iman is sometimes mentioned along with deeds, such as Allah said,

﴿ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ ﴾

(Save those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous deeds) (95:6).

However, when Iman is used in an unrestricted manner, it includes beliefs, deeds, and statements of the tongue. We should state here that Iman increases and decreases.

There are many narrations and Hadiths on this subject. Some scholars explained that Iman means Khashyah (fear of Allah). For instance, Allah said;

﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ ﴾

(Verily, those who fear their Lord unseen (i.e. they do not see Him, nor His punishment in the Hereafter)) (67:12), and,

﴿ مَّنۡ خَشِىَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنَ بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَجَآءَ بِقَلۡبٍ۬ مُّنِيبٍ ﴾

(Who feared the Most Gracious (Allah) in the Ghayb (unseen) and brought a heart turned in repentance (to Him and absolutely free from every kind of polytheism)) (50: 33).

Fear is the core of Iman and knowledge, just as Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ ﴾

(It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah) (35.28)

# Narrated from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah was standing before the people one day when a man came to him and said, `O Messenger of Allah, what is Iman' He said:

« الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلِقَائِهِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ الْآخِر »

(Iman is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and in the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection in the Hereafter.)
He said: `O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam' He said:

« الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَان »

(Islam is to worship Allah Alone and not associate anything in worship with Him, to establish regular prayer, to pay the obligatory Zakah, and to fast in Ramadan.)
(Sahih Al- Bukhari)

# Abu Huraira reported:

One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appeared before the public that a man came to him and said: Prophet of Allah, (tell me) what is Iman. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Messengers and that you affirm your faith in the Resurrection hereafter. He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, (tell me) what does al-Islam signify. He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Al-Islam signifies that you worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him and you establish obligatory prayer and you pay the obligatory poor-rate (Zakat) and you observe the fast of Ramadan. He (the inquirer) again said: Messenger of Allah, what does al-Ihsan imply? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, and in case you fail to see Him, then observe prayer (with this idea in your mind) that (at least) He is seeing you. He (the inquirer ) again said: Messenger of Allah, when would there be the hour (of Doom)? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer. I, however, narrate some of its signs (and these are): when the slave-girl will give birth to he master, when the naked, barefooted would become the chiefs of the people - these are some of the signs of (Doom). (Moreover) when the shepherds of the black (camels) would exult themselves in buildings, this is one of the signs of (Doom). (Doom) is one of the five (happenings wrapped in the unseen) which no one knows but Allah. Then he (the Messenger of Allah) recited (the verse):" Verily Allah! with Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it is Who sends (down the rain) and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn tomorrow, and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware. He (the narrator, Abu Huraira) said: Then the person turned back and went away. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Bring that man back to me. They (the Companions of the Prophet present there) went to bring him back, but they saw nothing there. Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: he was Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion. ( sahih Muslim book 1:5)

# Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term "Haya" covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith. ( Sahih Al- Bukhari book 2:2)

Hadith regarding Branches of faith::

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:

"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'Faith has seventy-odd branches, the most virtuous of which is La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and the least of which is removing something harmful from the road. And modesty (Al-Haya') is a branch of faith.'"
Sunan an-Nasa' Book 47, Hadith 21; sunan Abu dawud book 42:81)