How do we respond to someone who commits forbidden acts, such as shaving the beard and smoking, and argues that "faith is in the heart" and that "Allah does not look at your bodies, but rather looks at your hearts"?

The phrase "faith is in the heart" is a true statement used for a false purpose by some ignorant or deceptive individuals to justify their sins, claiming that internal faith suffices over acts of obedience and avoiding prohibitions. According to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah, faith is a statement by the tongue, a belief in the heart, and an action by the limbs. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Faith is not by adornment or by wishful thinking; rather, it is what is firmly settled in the hearts and confirmed by deeds."

Committing sins and neglecting acts of obedience indicates a weakness or deficiency in faith. The noble verses have linked faith with righteous deeds, such as His Almighty's saying: (Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds) Al-Baqarah/277, and His saying: (O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger) An-Nisa/59.

Therefore, outward action without faith in the heart is insufficient (which is a characteristic of hypocrites), and faith in the heart without utterance and action by the limbs is also insufficient (which is the false doctrine of the Murji'ah). Rather, faith must be in the heart, utterance by the tongue, and action by the limbs. Sins are evidence of weakness and deficiency in faith, for faith increases with obedience and decreases with sin.

The noble Hadith (Indeed, Allah does not look at your outward forms or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds) clarifies that both reforming hearts and deeds are intended, and it is not permissible to be negligent in deeds or commit prohibitions under the pretext that Allah looks at hearts, for Allah looks at both hearts and deeds and holds accountable for them.