IMAAN

Imaan Mufassal ( Imaan elaborated):

Imaan Mujmal ( Imaan in a nutshell):

DEFINITION OF IMAAN

In terms of the Shari’ah the two words, Imaan and Islam , are inextricably interwoven. The Shar’i meaning of the one is incomplete without the meaning of the other. The two terms are complementary. The one is a necessary corollary of the other. The existence of the one is dependent on the existence of the other. Negation of the one implies the automatic negation of the other. A proper understanding of Imaan is, therefore, possible only by a study of the Shar’i definition of both words and their interrelationship to one another.

Literal Meaning

Imaan literally means:

to verify, to accept, to attest with the heart .

The acceptance by the heart with conviction is termed Imaan in the literal sense. Hence, Imaan is a state or an internal ( Baatini ) condition.

Islaam literally means:

to submit oneself to another; to make oneself lowly in the presence of another .

In the literal meanings of the two words have their share in the Shar’i definition of Imaan and Islaam . Basing the technical (i.e. the Shar’i ) meanings on the literal meanings. Imaam Abu Muhammad Mas’ud Baghawi Rahmatullah Alay says:

“Nabi (SAW) defined Islaam as the name for external acts and Imaan as the name of the internal beliefs.”

Technical ( Shar’i ) Meaning

For all practical purposes, Imaan and Islaam mean one and the same thing. Allamah Taftaazaani Rahmatullah Alay in sharhul Aqaa-id states:

“Imaan and Islaam are one thing.”

Imaam Subki Rahmatullah Alay explaining the interrelationship between Imaan and Islaam , says that although Islaam applies to outward submission inward Imaan is a prerequisite or a condition (shart) for its ( Islaam ‘s) validity. Similarly, although Imaan applies to inward submission ( inqiyaad baatin ), outward submission is essential for it.

It will now be clear that Islaam minus Imaan and Imaan without Islaam are of no consideration in the Shari’ah . Allamah Zubaidi rahmatullah Alay states that the Ashaa’irah and Hanafiyah are unanimous on this view.

The unity of the Shar’i conception of the two words is amply borne out by the following statements which appear in Sharhul Aqaa`id :

“In the Shari’ah it is not proper, to proclaim the same person to be a Mu’min but not a Muslim or a Muslim but not a Mu’min.”

“The one is inseparable from the other because of the unity of conception.”

In short Imaan cannot be divorced from Islaam nor Islaam from Imaan .

The accepted and popular definition of Imaan is:

“Acceptance with the heart and the declaration with the tongue.”

Thus, in terms of the Shari’ah , Imaan (viz. that Imaan requisite for proclaiming one a Muslim) consists of two fundamentals:

1. To accept with the heart.

To declare with the tongue what has been accepted with the heart.

Should anyone of these two fundamentals be lacking, one will not be called a Muslim in the terminology of the Shari’ah .

Difference Between The Two Fundamentals

Of the two fundamentals of Imaan or Islaam , acceptance with the heart ( Tasdeeq bil Qalb ) is the primary one, having greater importance, than declaration with the tongue ( Iqraar bil Lissaan ). There is absolutely no possibility of the first fundamental, viz. Tasdeeq bil Qalb , ever being waived whereas the second fundamental, viz. Iqraar bil Lissan , can at times be waived, e.g. the circumstance of torture. Under torture concealing one’s Imaan by refraining from declaration with the tongue or by rejecting with the tongue will be permissible on condition that acceptance with the heart remains intact.

The Effect Of The Existence Of Only One Fundamental

One who fulfills the first fundamental of Tasdeeq bil Qalb (acceptance with the heart) but refrains from the second fundamental of Iqraar bil Lisaan (declaration with the tongue) will be a Mu’min by Allah. However, in terms of the Shari’ah and in relation to this world he will not be called a Mu’min or Muslim. On the other hand, one who subscribes to Iqraar bil Lisaan while refraining fromTasdeeq bil Qalb will be a Kaafir by Allah , and in relation to the world he will be a Mu’min in the same category as a Munaafiq .

THE MEANING OF TASDEEQ (ACCEPTANCE)

Tasdeeq literally means firm acceptance and belief with the heart. A person who believes in the existence of a Creator without accepting the specific injunctions, e.g. Aakhirah , Malaa-ikah , Qur’aan, etc., will be devoid of Shar’i Tasdeeq or what is called, Imaan-e-Istilaahi (the technical Imaan envisaged by the Shari’ah ). Such general and undefined acceptance is mere Tasdeeq-e-lughwi (literal acceptance) which does not qualify one to be a Mu’min or Muslim, neither in terms of the Shari’ah as applicable to man on this earth, nor in relation to Allah .

Shar’i Meaning Of Tasdeeq

The Shar’i meaning of the Tasdeeq which is the primary fundamental of Imaan is stated in Sharhul Aqaa-id as follows:

“The acceptance of all that which Muhammad (SAW) brought from Allah .”

Thus Tasdeeq in the Shari’ah is to accept with the heart all and everything conclusively proven to have been delivered to the Ummah by Muhammad (SAW) from Allah .

When this is the meaning of Shar’i Tasdeeq , it will be readily understood that the conception of Istillaahi (technical) Imaan or Shar’i Imaan is not confined to the acceptance of a few beliefs, tenets, laws or injunctions or the acceptance of a part of what has been brought by Muhammad (SAW). Such partial acceptance is not the full Tasdeeq demanded by Shar’i Imaan . Man will discharge his obligation of Shar’i Tasdeeq by acceptance, in a concise (Ijmaali) form, of whatever Rasoolullah (SAW) brought from Allah . A concise acceptance qualifies man to be a Shar’i Mu’min or Muslim.

“Concise” in the context of Imaan ‘s validity means the acceptance in the heart of all and everything in a single statement without the necessity of outlining or enumerating the multitude of details brought by Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). In other words, to affirm and believe with the heart:

I accept all and everything brought by Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam),

is sufficient to obtain discharge from the obligation of Imaan . This single sentence of affirmation by the heart is then the meaning of concise. It has no other meaning no other construction or interpretation. It does not at all mean partial acceptance or acceptance of the beliefs, commands and prohibitions in general minus their details. Thus, if someone proclaims the concise formula ofImaan , declaring his Tasdeeeq while at the same time refuting any detail which is conclusively established to be the teaching of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), such “concise” Imaanand Tasdeeq are not valid and the proclaimer of such partial Tasdeeq , will not be a Mu’min nor a Muslim. An example of such incomplete and invalid Tasdeeq or Imaan is of a person rejecting the finality of Rasoolullah ‘s (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) Risaalat (office of Rasool or Nabi ) while affirming the truth of his Risaalat . Such an acceptance or Tasdeeq does not make one a Muslim or a Mu’min. Similarly, a person who accepts the decree of Salaat , but denies, for example, the posture of Sajdah , will not be a Muslim or a Mu’min.

From this explanation it shall be clear that the concise affirmation and assertion of Imaan are the essence of Imaan , which comprehends each and every detail taught by Rasoolullah (SAW). Another way of putting it is that concise Tasdeeq is in relation to words, the conception of which is comprehensive.

THE VERBAL ASSERTION OF CONCISE IMAAN

The following is the Shar’i formula of the verbal assertion ( Iqraar-bil-Lisaan ) of Imaan :

There is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the Rasool of Allah.

This is Imaan or Islaam in a nutshell in the concise form. The affirmation by the heart of this concise or brief formula (known as Kalimah Tayyibah ) and its verbal assertion render the person a Mu’min or a Muslim.

Since this brief Kalimah or statement is a comprehensive, allembracing and multidimensional conception and not an undefined and ambiguous concept, the Shari’ah makes imperative the acceptance of Allah and the Rasool, the two fundamental constituents stated in the concise formula, in the defined and restricted form elaborated by Rasoolullah (SAW). Any meaning or interpretation short of the Shar’i concept of Tasdeeq is neither Imaan nor Islaam .

Courtesy: Kitab ul Imaan [Majlis ul Ulama]