What is faith?

Linguistically, Iman (faith) means affirmation.

In technical terms, it is a statement by the tongue, an affirmation by the heart, and an action by the limbs.

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "Faith is a statement and an action; it increases and decreases."

Imam Al-Baghawi said: "The Companions, the Tabi'un, and the Sunni scholars who came after them all agreed that actions are part of faith, and that it is a statement, an action, and a creed."

Imam Ash-Shafi'i said: "The Companions and the Tabi'un unanimously agreed that faith is a statement, an action, and an intention; none of the three suffices without the others."

There is no difference between their saying: "Faith is a statement and an action," or "a statement, an action, and an intention," or "a statement, an action, and a belief"; all of this is a difference of variety.

In summary: Faith is composed of a statement and an action. The statement is of two types: the statement of the heart (belief), and the statement of the tongue (uttering the two testimonies). The action is of two types: the action of the heart (intention and sincerity), and the action of the limbs.

If all four are removed, faith is completely removed. If the affirmation of the heart is removed, the remaining parts are of no benefit.

If the action of the heart is removed, despite the belief in truthfulness, this is the battlefield between the Murji'ah and the Ahlus-Sunnah (definition). The Ahlus-Sunnah are unanimous that faith is removed and that affirmation is of no benefit without the action of the heart.

Many texts from the Quran and Sunnah indicate that faith is a statement, an action, and a belief.

Among them is the Almighty's saying: "And faith has not yet entered your hearts" (Quran 49:14), and His saying: "But Allah has endeared to you faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts" (Quran 49:7). These two verses indicate that the origin of faith is in the heart, and it includes the statement and action of the heart.

A statement by the tongue is essential for faith, as evidenced by the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah. If they say it, their lives and property will be safe from me, except for what is due by the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah Almighty."

As for actions, they are also part of faith, based on many pieces of evidence, including the Almighty's saying: "And never would Allah have caused your faith to be lost" (Quran 2:143), meaning your prayers.

And the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Faith has seventy-odd or sixty-odd branches. The best of them is the saying 'There is no god but Allah,' and the least of them is removing a harmful object from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith."