The Difference Between Islam and Faith
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
This questioner, may Allah bless you, is from outside the Kingdom, from Belgium. He says: What is the difference between Islam and Iman? Which of them is higher? And what is the meaning of the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):[Al-Hujurat 49:14]?
The Shaykh:
Yes, religion has levels: the first is Islam, the second is faith, and the third is excellence in worship. These are the three levels of religion. So the Muslim progresses from Islam to faith to, meaning that you worship Allah as if you see Him with your heart, or you are conscious of His watching. If you do not see Him, then you know that He sees you, Glorified and Exalted is He. Yes.
The questioner:
Yes, excuse me, Shaykh, what is absolute Iman?
The Shaykh:
Absolute, complete Iman, complete Iman. As for absolute Iman, it is deficient Iman. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you.
This questioner, may Allah bless you, is from outside the Kingdom, from Belgium. He says: What is the difference between Islam and Iman? Which of them is higher? And what is the meaning of the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic):
The bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts.
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْThe Shaykh:
Yes, religion has levels: the first is Islam, the second is faith, and the third is excellence in worship. These are the three levels of religion. So the Muslim progresses from Islam to faith to
Excellence in worship and perfection is that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then He sees you.
الإحسان والإتقان أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإن لم ترى فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراكThe questioner:
Yes, excuse me, Shaykh, what is absolute Iman?
The Shaykh:
Absolute, complete Iman, complete Iman. As for absolute Iman, it is deficient Iman. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you.
Source
قناة «السعودية»، برنامج فتاوى ليوم الأربعاء 1439/08/23هــ — youtube.com (18:51)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.