Ahl as-Sunnah defined al-Emaan as being,
"Statements with the tongue, beliefs in the heart and actions of the
limbs."
Imaam Ahmad [May Allaah have Mercy on him]
said, "al-Emaan comprises of statement and actions, it increases and
decreases." [1]
Imaam al-Bukhaaree [May Allaah have Mercy on
him] said in the very beginning of his famous collection of Hadeeth known as
as-Saheeh, "al-Emaan comprises of statement and actions, it increases and
decreases."
He continued until he said, "Loving and hating for the
sake of Allaah are from the acts of al-Emaan."[2]
Nevertheless, we are not reduced to just these
two Imaams for proof, rather qoutations are far more extensive. The Companions
[May Allaah be Pleased with them all] and Ahl as-Sunnah in general have all
given this very defintion, and this is what has been narrated and recorded by a
multitude of scholars.
Al-Haafidh Ibn 'Abdul-Barr [may Allaah have
Mercy on him] said:
al-Emaan has been defined by Ahl as-Sunnah, and
they are the people of narration and understanding. Consensus[3]
between the scholars of al-Fiqh and al-Hadeeth is that al-Emaan comprises of statements
and actions and that no action is done except with an intention. They are all in
agreement that al-Emaan increases with acts of obedience and it decreases with
acts of disobedience. All acts of obedience with them are acts of al-Emaan. End
quote.
He then went on to describe the differences
that Ahl as-Sunnah have with the scholars of the Murji'ah (otherwise known as
the Murji'ah al-Fuqahaa).[4]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer [May Allaah have Mercy
on him] said:
Al-Emaan in the Sharee'ah cannot be attained
except with belief, statements and actions. This is the definition given by most
of the scholars. Rather as-Shaafi'ee, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Aboo 'Ubyadah and
others from the scholars of old. They even proclaimed consensus on this point,
that al-Emaan comprises of statement and actions, it increases and decreases."[5]
Imaam al-Baghawee [May Allaah have Mercy on
him] said in his book known as Sharh as-Sunnah:
"The Companions were all in agreement, as
well as the generation that came after them and those after them, the scholars
of the Sunnah, that actions are part of al-Emaan. They stated that al-Emaan is
comprised of statements, actions and beliefs ('Aqeedah)[6]."
After mentioning these statements, it is not
conceivable that any one could possibly disagree.
Although some of the definitions that one may
come across do not mention any connection to the heart, what is intended as al-Emaan
being statements and actions alone, is that it comprises of statements of the
limbs and the tongue, stemming from the actions and beliefs of the heart.
This is extremely important, because if one was
to misunderstand this then it is feared that they could define the word
al-Emaan as statement and actions of the limbs alone, without including beliefs
as being an aspect of al-Emaan.
Some of the scholars defined the word al-Emaan
with an extra wording of, 'Statements, actions and intentions'. Others added
the wording, "and to follow the Sunnah" as a fourth condition. What
this means is that Emaan consists of the statements and the actions of a
believer that are Beloved to Allaah, which can only be gained if one follows
the Sunnah.
Sahl as-Tastaree was asked what is al-Emaan and
he replied, “It is statements, actions, intentions and the following of the Sunnah.
One cannot have al-Emaan except if one has statements and actions, without this
the person would be guilty of committing Kufr. Had Emaan been statements and
actions without intention then this would be hypocrisy. And had Emaan been
actions, statements and intiontion without the following of the Sunnah then
this would be an innovation (Bid’ah)[7]”.
[3]
This is known
as Ijmaa' or scholarly consensus. Ibn Taymiyyah [May Allaah have Mercy on him]
said in defining it, “If Ijmaa’ is confirmed on a particular ruling of Islaam,
then it is not permitted for any Muslim to conflict that which there is
consensus on. This is because the Ummah agreeing on something cannot be
misguidance.” [Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa (20/10)]
[4]
At-Tamheed (9/238). Also see:
Sharh Usool al-'Itiqaad of Laalikaa'ee (4/832) and Fath al-Baaree (1/47)
"Who believe in
the Ghaib" [al-Baqarah 2:3]
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