The Difference Between Islam and Faith
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His Eminence the Shaykh: There is a principle among scholars: that every believer is a reformer, but not vice versa. Is this principle absolute?
May Allah reward you. Islam and faith: sometimes Islam is intended to mean the entire religion, in which case faith is included in it.Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 3] This includes Islam, which is the outward laws, and faith, which is the deeds of the heart and the words of the heart.And likewise, if faith is used in a general sense, such as His saying: [Al-Baqarah: 223] This includes even the Muslims.But if it is said: A believer and a Muslim. So faith is in the heart, and Islam is in the limbs. And faith is more complete than Islam.And the evidence for that is the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Hujurat: 14] And it is also indicated by the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Adh-Dhariyat: 35-36] Because Allah saved Lut and his family except for his wife. His wife was with him in the house, outwardly a Muslim, appearing to be a believer in Allah and His Messenger, but she concealed disbelief. So Allah called the house a house of Islam, and called all its people Muslims, but He did not save from it except the believer. Because Lut's wife, as Allah mentioned in the Qur'an, betrayed him and disbelieved in a way he did not know, so she thereby became one of the hypocrites.
And on this basis, we say: Every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer.Because Allah said: [Al-Hujurat: 14] .
The questioner: Can a Muslim be without faith?The Shaykh: No, but his faith is weak. The believer's faith is complete.So now, if we were to ask: Is every believer a Muslim?We say: If faith is used in a general sense, Islam is included in it. If Islam is used in a general sense, faith is included in it. If both are used in a general sense, this is the difference.
May Allah reward you. Islam and faith: sometimes Islam is intended to mean the entire religion, in which case faith is included in it.Such as the saying of Allah the Exalted:
and have approved for you Islam as religion
وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلامَ دِيناًAnd give good tidings to the believers
وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَThe 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 قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْأِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ(35) So We brought out whoever was in the cities of the believers. (36) And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims.
فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ * فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَAnd on this basis, we say: Every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer.Because Allah said:
Say, "You have not believed, but say, 'We have submitted.'"
قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَاThe questioner: Can a Muslim be without faith?The Shaykh: No, but his faith is weak. The believer's faith is complete.So now, if we were to ask: Is every believer a Muslim?We say: If faith is used in a general sense, Islam is included in it. If Islam is used in a general sense, faith is included in it. If both are used in a general sense, this is the difference.