Belief
كتاب الإيمان
Chapter 1: The statement of the Prophet (saws) "Islam is based on five principles"
And belief is both saying and acting, and it increases and decreases. Allah تعالى revealed the following Verses concerning the subject: "That they may grow more in faith along with their (present) faith." (V.48:4) "And We increased them in guidance." (V.18:13) "And Allah increases in guidance those who walk aright [true believers in the Oneness of Allah - who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)]" (V.19:76). And said, "As for those who accept guidance, He (i.e. Allah جل جلاله) increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety." (V.47:17) "And the believers may increase in faith." (V.74:31) "Which of you has had his faith increased by it? As for those who believe, it has increased their faith." (V.9:124) And, also the Statement of Allah تعالى: "Fear them. But it (only) increased them in faith.'" (V.3:173) And also the Statement of Allah جل جلاله: "And it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness (to Allah)." (V.33:22).
And to love and hate for Allah's sake is a part of faith.
'Umar bin 'Abdul 'Aziz wrote to 'Adi bin 'Adi: "Belief includes Fara'id (enjoined duties), legal laws and Hudud (Allah's boundary limits between lawful and unlawful things) and Sunan [legal ways and deeds (acts) of worship etc.]. And whoever follows (and acts on) all of them completely, has a complete belief, and whoever does not follow them completely (does not act on them), his belief is incomplete. And should I live I will tell you all about them so that you may act on them. And should I die, I am not anxious to have your company."
And the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) عليه السلام said, "But to be stronger in faith" (V.2:260). Mu'adh said (to Aswad bin Hilal, one of his companions), "Let us sit for a while so that we may dedicate that period of time to faith." lbn Mas'ud said, "Yaqin is perfect faith." And Ibn 'Umar said, "A person cannot attain true sense of piety unless and until he removes all suspicions from his heart." (i.e. gives up all kinds of polytheism, evil deeds, and doubtful things, and start doing righteous good deeds regularly) [See Fath Al-Bari, Vol. I, Page 54].
And Mujahid said, "He (Allah تعالى) has ordained for you…” (V.42:13) means "0 Muhammad (ﷺ)! We have ordained for you and him (Noah) one religion (i.e. Islamic Monotheism).”
And Ibn 'Abbas explained: "A law and a clear way" (V.5:48) as Islamic way and Sunna (traditions of the Prophet ﷺ).
Chapter 2: Your invocation means your faith
Your invocation means your faith. And Allah تعالى said: "Say (O Muhammad ﷺ to the disbelievers): My Lord pays attention to you only because of your invocation to Him." (V.25:77).
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):
1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity) .
4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)
5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.
Chapter 3: (What is said) regarding the deeds of faith
And the Saying of Allah تعالى: "It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) that you turn your faces to east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book (Holy Scripture), the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of the love for it, to the kinsfolk and to the orphans and to Al Masakin (the poor) and to the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and gives the Zakat , and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient (in severe poverty), and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of truth, and they are Al Muttaqun." (V.2:177) "Successful indeed are the believers." (V.23:1)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term "Haya" covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith."
Chapter 4: A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden."
Chapter 5: Whose Islam is the best (Who is the best Muslim)?
Some people asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), "Whose Islam is the best? i.e. (Who is a very good Muslim)?" He replied, "One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands."
Chapter 6: To feed (others) is a part of Islam
A man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) , "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not Know (See Hadith No. 27).
Chapter 7: To like for one's (Muslim's) brother what one likes for himself is a part of faith
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."
Chapter 8: To love the Messenger (Muhammad saws) is a part of faith
"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind."
Chapter 9: Sweetness (delight) of faith
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith:
1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else.
2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake.
3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire."
Chapter 10: To love the Ansar is a sign of faith
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith and hatred for the Ansar is a sign of hypocrisy."
Chapter 11
who took part in the battle of Badr and was a Naqib (a person heading a group of six persons), on the night of Al-'Aqaba pledge: Allah's Apostle said while a group of his companions were around him, "Swear allegiance to me for:
1. Not to join anything in worship along with Allah.
2. Not to steal.
3. Not to commit illegal sexual intercourse.
4. Not to kill your children.
5. Not to accuse an innocent person (to spread such an accusation among people).
6. Not to be disobedient (when ordered) to do good deed."
The Prophet (ﷺ) added: "Whoever among you fulfills his pledge will be rewarded by Allah. And whoever indulges in any one of them (except the ascription of partners to Allah) and gets the punishment in this world, that punishment will be an expiation for that sin. And if one indulges in any of them, and Allah conceals his sin, it is up to Him to forgive or punish him (in the Hereafter)." 'Ubada bin As-Samit added: "So we swore allegiance for these." (points to Allah's Apostle)
Chapter 12: To flee (run away) from Al-Fitn (afflictions and trials), is a part of religion
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A time will soon come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take on the top of mountains and the places of rainfall (valleys) so as to flee with his religion from afflictions."
Chapter 13: The statement of the Prophet (saws): "I know Allah Ta'ala better, than all of you do."
And knowledge is the act of the heart as it is referred to by the Statement of Allah (جل جلاله), "But He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned." (V.2:225)
Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered the Muslims to do something, he used to order them deeds which were easy for them to do, (according to their strength and endurance). They said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are not like you. Allah has forgiven your past and future sins." So Allah's Apostle became angry and it was apparent on his face. He said, "I am the most Allah fearing, and know Allah better than all of you do."
Chapter 14: Whoever hates to revert to Kufr (atheism of disbelief) as he hates to be thrown in fire, is a part of faith
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness of faith:
1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle become dearer than anything else.
2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake.
3. Who hates to revert to disbelief (Atheism) after Allah has brought (saved) him out from it, as he hates to be thrown in fire."
Chapter 15: The grades in superiority of the believers will be according to their good deeds
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell will go to Hell, Allah will order those who have had faith equal to the weight of a grain of mustard seed to be taken out from Hell. So they will be taken out but (by then) they will be blackened (charred). Then they will be put in the river of Haya' (rain) or Hayat (life) (the Narrator is in doubt as to which is the right term), and they will revive like a grain that grows near the bank of a flood channel. Don't you see that it comes out yellow and twisted"
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "While I was sleeping I saw (in a dream) some people wearing shirts of which some were reaching up to the breasts only while others were even shorter than that. Umar bin Al-Khattab was shown wearing a shirt that he was dragging." The people asked, "How did you interpret it? (What is its interpretation) O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) replied, "It is the Religion."
Chapter 16: Al-Haya (self-respect, modesty bashfulness, honour etc.) is a part of faith
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) passed by an Ansari (man) who was admonishing his brother regarding Haya'. On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Leave him as Haya' is a part of faith." (See Hadith 9)
Chapter 17: (The Statement of Allah Jalla Jalalahu) "But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism] and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat then leave their way free."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."