Inner Fortress of a Mu'min…IMAAN

Allah mentioned in Surah Hujurat 49: 14-15, about the difference between Islam and Iman.

The bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only say, ‘We have surrendered (in Islâm),’ for Faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allâh and His Messenger (SAW), He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (14) Only those are the believers who have believed in Allâh and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allâh. Those! They are the truthful. (15)

Besides the five pillars that our religion is based off of, Islam also includes other visible actions such as good manners, honesty, refraining from harmful activities, kindness to people and many more. But these actions can be done for other reasons other than faith. It can merely be done because of wanting to be accepted by society; fear of embarrassment or worldly punishment.

Islam or the outward submission is the minimum degree giving the rights of a Muslim. Allah will reward his deeds and intentions. Preferable to Allah is the mu’min, the Muslim who has true faith. These are the beliefs in which ALL Muslims need to adhere to and believe with the heart and confess with the tongue as well implement to be a true Muslim. Imaan is explicitly described in the famous hadeeth of Jibreel (alaihis-salaam), when he (alaihis-salaam) asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam): "What is Imaan?" He (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) replied: "Imaan is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and to believe in the Predestination; the good and the bad." [Saheeh al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim]

1. Belief in Allah
That is in His existence. His perfection and absolute attributes. His superiority over all creation and that there is nothing similar to Him

2. Belief in His Angels
Noble creatures created from light who have no free will but execute commands of Allah and worship Him continuously

3. Belief in His Books
Allah revealed scriptures to some of His Messengers, and He revealed the Quran as the final message to mankind.

4. Belief is His Messengers
That they were truthful in what they conveyed about Allah. That they were supported by miracles and that they faithfully deliver His messages to the people.

5. Belief in the Last Day of Judgement
The day of resurrection and what was revealed concerning it.Destruction of the present universe, renewed creation, emergence from the grave, the gathering of judgment day, paradise and hellfire.

6. Believe in Al Qadr
That Allah’s knowledge is in all that is zaahir (outward) and baatin (inward, i.e. the heart and mind) and in the fact that He has orginated and is the primary cause of all things and occurrences, Good and Bad.

Imaan is the combination of (1) Tasdeeq bil-Qalb: Believing with the heart (2) Iqraar bi lisaan: Confession by the Tongue (3) Af'aal: Actions of the Body

(1) Heart is the root of Imaan. If the belief of the heart is not firm and correct then no other deed or action can be perfect. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "There is a lump of flesh in the body. When it is sound, the whole body is sound; but when it goes wrong, the whole body goes wrong (as a result). It is the heart!" 

Belief in the heart constitutes of two parts: -

(a) Statement of the Heart, i.e. Tasdeeq (Affirmation) made up of Recognition, Knowledge and Affirmation of 

Allah and His Commands. Belief in everything that one knows from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and willingness to believe in all the new information he acquires from him (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Meaning to realize, accept and admit that he must believe in everything that is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam).

(B) Actions of the Heart i.e. Inqiyaad (Submission) made up of Acceptance and Submission to Allah and His Commands. Submission is Adherence to everything known from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Meaning to submit to all the commands of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and have a willingness, desire and recognition that he is obliged to submit to every command authentically known from him (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam).

Imaan is the correct and complete inner belief. Both "Islam" and "Imaan" include deeds. But those who are mu’min (true believer) are far more superior than a Muslim.

Note: Every mu’min is a muslim but not every Muslim is a mu’min.

Thus, the belief of the heart is the most important component of Imaan.

(2) Secondary, confession of the tongue is another important aspect of Imaan. The simple pronouncement of the words 'La ilaha illAllah' is not the intent. Indeed, the hypocrites did that (merely pronounced the Shahadah) but they were not true believers. The pronouncement of the words must include the correct belief in Allah, rejecting all types of Shirk, and adherence to laws of Islam. 

One who believes in his heart but does not verbally state his belief is not considered as a believer neither in this life nor in the Hereafter. Allah has not declared such a person to be a believer in the Message (the Qur'an), simply due to the Knowledge of Imaan in his Heart. He is not considered a believer unless he confirms it by his speech. 

(3) Actions of the body are the third integral part of Imaan. True belief of the heart results in external submission to the commands of Allah Ta'ala. It is not possible that a person's belief of the heart is at a very high state of Imaan but it is not demonstrated by his deeds or actions. 

Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) said: "It is inconceivable that there be a man who is a believer with confirmed belief in the heart that Allah has obligated him to Pray, give Zakaat, Fast and perform Hajj but he lives his whole life without even making one prostration to Allah or never fasting any month of Ramadaan, never paying Zakaat for the sake of Allah and never making pilgrimage to Allah's House. This is impossible!! This would only happen if the person has hypocrisy and opposition to Islam in his heart - It would never happen with a true faith!! For this reason, Allah describes those who refused to prostrate, as unbelievers…" [Muhammad Ibn Taymiyyah Majmoo vol.7, p.611]

These are the compulsory aspects for the validity of Imaan. If these are not fulfilled then Imaan does not exist.