What is the difference between Islam and faith?

Abu Layla : Shaykh, we were in the middle of a discussion about the Muslim and the believer.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Abu Layla : Could you repeat it, Shaykh, from the beginning?

The Shaykh : The reality that is not hidden from any scholar is that there is a difference between Islam and faith. Between them, as the jurists say, there is a relationship of generality and specificity. That is, every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer. Every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer. Why? Because faith is belief, so it is a matter of the heart, whereas Islam is a practical, outward matter. Islam is an outward action, an action of the limbs. Faith is internal, hidden, and not apparent. Islam, on the other hand, is outward and practical, so it is visible. It is possible for some people to become Muslims for a personal interest, an interest that changes and varies according to time and place. In the early period, the time of the strength of Islam, a specific legislation emerged from it. Among that is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So if they say, "There is no god but Allah," their blood and wealth are protected from me, but their reckoning is with Allah. Did they say it out of conviction and faith, or out of fear of being killed, fear of paying the jizyah, or something similar? Therefore, Islam is not faith. Islam is an outward action, and faith is an internal action. So if we know this reality, which is stated in the Book of Allah and in the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), in many texts, the most famous of which is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): . So the divine command is: . These people submitted and appeared to testify that there is no god but Allah and to stand for prayer. But our Lord knew that faith had not yet entered their hearts. So these are Muslims, meaning they may be hypocrites in their hearts, but they are Muslims in their actions. Therefore, whoever is truly a believer in his heart is a Muslim, without doubt, and the reverse is not the case, meaning not every Muslim is a believer. That is why I disapproved of that young man's statement. When you say, "I am a believer," he says, "No, you are a Muslim, not a believer." When that person said to you, "No, you are not a believer, you are a Muslim," I thought it would have been better to turn the question back on him. So, are you a believer or a Muslim? If he says, "I am a believer," then what is the difference between you and me? Why do you deny my saying, "I am a believer"? In reality, from this question and some of the discussions that took place between you and him, it appeared to me that he had heard words, picked up some phrases from some lectures or some lessons, but did not understand them. Among the scholars of the Salaf, there is this hadith: if a person is asked, "Are you a believer?" he should say, "I am a believer, if Allah wills." While others say, "No. Do not say 'if Allah wills'; say, 'I am a believer,' I am certain." The viewpoint of the one who says, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," is not doubt in his faith. You and I, each of us knows himself: I am a believer in Allah and His Messenger and what came in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. So when a true Muslim is asked such a question, the Salafi methodology is to say, "Do not say, 'I am a believer' with certainty and truth. But say, 'I am a believer, if Allah wills.'" Why? Because faith is not just belief. Rather, righteous deeds are added to it. Therefore, when Allah mentions faith, He pairs it with righteous deeds. And so it is established among the scholars of the Salaf that righteous deeds are part of faith. While those called the Maturidiyyah say that righteous deeds are on their own and faith is on its own. That is, righteous deeds have no relation to faith. You know, that is what they say, and this is undoubtedly an error. And they built a second error on this error. That is, this Maturidi, if asked, "Are you a believer?" will say, "I am truly a believer." Why? Because he is talking about creed, which does not mean righteous deeds. Because he says faith has no relation to righteous deeds. It is true that righteous deeds are an obligatory duty. But they do not fall under the definition of faith. While for the majority, one of the meanings of faith is righteous deeds. From here, the answer differs. The one who says faith is firm belief is asked and says, "I am truly a believer." But the one who believes that righteous deeds are part of faith will say to you, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," because he does not know that he is fulfilling this faith properly...
Abu Layla : Or not?

The Shaykh : Yes. This young man may have heard that the Salaf do not say, "I am truly a believer," but say, "I am a believer, if Allah wills." So he interpreted it to mean that you should not say "believer" absolutely, but rather say, "I am a Muslim." You can call a person a Muslim if you doubt his faith, like the hypocrites who were in the time of the Messenger. And I do not think he wants to accuse you of hypocrisy. Therefore, I thought it would have been very good for you to say to him, "You are a believer." This question, I answered you: what is your answer to it if I asked you, "Are you a believer?" If he says to you, "I am a believer," it means he has exposed you as accusing him of hypocrisy. That is, he is saying to you, "You are a disbeliever who displays Islam." And if he says to you, "I am a Muslim," and does not say that he is a believer, it is confirmed that he does not understand the issue and that he has only taken the headlines from the words of the Salaf, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," and if he does not say, "I am a believer." So when you say to him, "I am a believer," you were wrong in his view, but what is the correct thing? You must say, "I am a Muslim." No, the correct answer is, "I am a believer, if Allah wills." As for if you intended or understood from the question...The questioner : ...whether you believe with firm conviction in Islam, the Qur'an, and the Sunnah, and so on. And you said to him, "Yes, I am a believer." There is no objection to this answer. But when asked an absolute question, "Are you a believer?" the Salafi answer is: "I am a believer, if Allah wills." Because righteous deeds are included in the definition of faith. This...The questioner : ...when he asked you, "Are you a believer?" We do not know what he intended. So I fear, and I fear one of two things, both of which are bitter. The first is that he is accusing you of disbelief. And so he says to you, "No, you are not a believer, you are a Muslim." The second thing he might intend is this meaning that a scholar does not say, because the Salafis, followers of the people of hadith, say, "I am a believer, if Allah wills." The Maturidiyyah say, "I am truly a believer." So how does he deny this and deny that?
Abu Layla : Neither this nor that.

The Shaykh : Neither this nor that. That is why he told you to say, "I am a Muslim." The question is repeated back to you: you asked me this, and I told you, "No, you must say, 'I am a Muslim.'" So what do you say? You will then clarify what you intended by this question.
The Shaykh : Make tea and drink, sweeten it, eat, sweeten it, and add more.
Abu Layla : Thank you, Shaykh.