CONCEPT OF FAITH IN ISLAM (1)
By Babatunde Jose
Faith is considered a belief and trust in God based on good evidence but without total proof. To have faith, we must trust that God is there and working on our behalf, even though we can’t see him with our eyes.
Faith is the belief in something or someone, even when there is no absolute proof. It can also refer to trust in a person, thing, or concept.
Faith is a key component of religious belief systems. Faith is often considered to be a combination of loyalty, commitment, and trust.
In general Faith can also refer to loyalty to a person or duty. It can also refer to the quality of keeping promises. Faith can also be considered a firm belief in something, even when there is no proof.
Etymology: The word “faith” comes from the Latin word _fidere,_ which means “to trust”.
Faith is often considered to be complementary to hope. Faith is also considered to be more than just intellectual agreement.
In Islam, Faith (Iman) means to believe; to have faith in something means to believe in it. It also means to show acquiescence and acceptance to the sacred Law, and to all that the Prophet (SAW) brought, and to accept and believe. The one who does all this is a believer (Mu’min).
Al‐Azhari said: ‘The basis of iman is to enter into a state of belief in the trust (Amana) that God Almighty has given one.’
The technical meaning of faith is firm belief in something real, based on evidence. Experts in this subject have defined faith as being ‘to believe with the heart and proclaim with the tongue’; some have added ‘to act with the body.’ Or, in the words of Abu `Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Salam: *‘Faith is to have sincere devotion to God with the heart, to testify this with the tongue, and to act on it with the body.’*
`Umar ibn al-khattab said: We were with the Messenger of God (SAW) one day, when there came to us a man wearing dazzling white clothes, with jet black hair; there were no marks of travel on him, and yet not one of us knew him. He sat by the Prophet (SAW), knee to knee, placed his hands on his thighs, and said: “O Muhammad (SAW) . . . “Tell me about faith (iman).” He said: “To believe in God and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in Providence, the good of it and the evil of it.” “You have spoken truly,” he said, and then: “Tell me about excellence (ihsan).” He said: “To worship God as if you saw Him; for if you see Him not, He assuredly sees you.” He said: “Tell me about the Hour.” He said: “The one questioned knows no more about it than the questioner.”. . . ” Then the stranger went away, and I tarried a while. He then said to me: “O `Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: “God and His Messenger know best.” He said: “It was Gabriel. He came unto you to teach you your religion.”
Al‐Zuhri said: ‘surrender is the word, and faith is the deed.’ he cites as evidence for this the Almighty’s words: The desert Arabs say, *”We believe.” Say, “Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, `We have submitted our wills to Allah,’ for not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Apostle, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran 49:14).*
Others say that surrender and faith are the same thing, citing as evidence for this God’s words: *Then We evacuated those of the Believers who were there, But We found not there any just (Muslim) persons except in one house: (Quran 51:35–36)* . _The only just or righteous persons found in Sodom and Gomorrah were in the house of Lut. He and his believing family and adherents were told to leave in due time, and the wicked were destroyed in a shower of brimstone. But We found not there any just (Muslim) persons except in one house: That was the house of Lut; and even there, his wife had no faith: she disobeyed the Command and perished._
Al‐khattabi said: “The correct way to approach this is to speak in specific and not general terms; for one who surrenders (Muslim) might be faithful in some circumstances but not in others, whilst one who is faithful (Mu’min) is in a state of surrender in all circumstances. *Every Mu’min is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a Mu’min.*
The basis of faith is belief, and the basis of surrender is submission and acquiescence; a man might surrender on the outside whilst not acquiescing on the inside; and he might believe on the inside whilst not acquiescing on the outside.”
There is a hierarchy in faith, and the faithful are distinguished from one another by its degrees.
Imam Abu Muhammad al-Husain ibn Mas`ud al- Baghawi says: The Prophet (SAW) made ‘surrender’ a name for outward actions, and ‘faith’ a name for inward beliefs. This is not because actions are not part of faith, or that belief of the heart is not part of surrender; rather, it is a detailed explanation of a totality which is in fact one single thing, the sum of which is called ‘religion. Belief and action are both included in the names of faith and surrender together.
The Almighty says that the religion which he has gladly chosen, and which he accepts from his servants, is surrender; and religion could not be acceptable or pleasing unless it included belief alongside action.
Some see that if surrender and faith are mentioned together, they take on different meanings, whilst if they are mentioned separately, they mean the same thing: if they are mentioned in the same place, surrender comes to mean outward action, and faith comes to mean inward action; and if either one of them is mentioned on its own, it is taken to mean both, in which case there is no difference between them.
The Prophet (SAW) explained iman as being the faith and submission of the heart, meaning faith in God, his angels, his books, his messengers, and so on; and he explained Islam as being a particular surrender, namely that of the Five Pillars.
The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Surrender is public, and faith is in the heart.’ Outward actions can be seen by others, whilst the belief, knowledge, love, fear and hope of the heart are hidden, although they do have effects which might indicate them – although effects do not indicate anything unless their cause is certain.
From this, we can see how the heart is the locus for belief and faith, and the thing that the Almighty is interested in. The Messenger of God (SAW) said: Indeed, in the body there is a morsel which, if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is spoiled, the whole body is spoiled. Indeed, it is the heart.
So faith is more specific than surrender, and excellence is more specific, and a higher level, than faith. The be‐all and end‐all of spiritual excellence is for the servant to ascend the levels of awareness of God Almighty and to witness him in all one’s actions and one’s conduct. This is the third degree, after surrender and faith, and is higher than them both; and it is built upon them, and not extraneous to them. There can be no faith without surrender, and no Excellence without faith. It is an excellence which the believer observes in all situations, and in worship in its most comprehensive meaning, which means more than just rites and supererogatory acts of devotion.
There is no iota of doubt that most of our afflictions are tests of faith. God tests us in many ways. He tests us with our wealth and possessions, our wives, our children and our health. Only the munin among us scale through.
In the Quran, Allah says, *”We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops” in Surah Al-Baqarah, (Quran 2:155).*
Allah is saying that he will test people with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and loss of life. Allah tests people to distinguish between believers and non-believers. Allah promises to give good news to those who are patient.
There is no doubt Allah has been testing us with the death of loved ones. Last Wednesday, January 15, our friend Oriyomi Onanuga passed away after she had been tested with illness. A two term Federal legislator, Oriyomi represented Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. She left behind her children and her aged mother (Iya Yomi) who has now lost her only child, which she had in London 59 years ago. May Allah give her and the children succour. A vivacious and lively lady, ‘NNS Oriyomi’ will sing no more. May Allah give her husband, Alhaji Onanuga, a fellow member of Anwar-ul-Islam National Executive Council, the fortitude to bear the loss. May Allah obliterate her shortcomings and grant her Jannatul Firdous. Inna lillah wa ina ilehi rajiun.
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
Babatunde Jose
Friday 17th January 2025
