Are deeds a condition for the validity of faith, or a condition for its perfection? And are they among the branches in which the Salaf differed?
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The Shaykh : And this is what 'Adil Abu al-Qutuh Ahmad says: Are deeds a condition for the validity of faith or for its perfection, and is this issue among the branches in which the Salaf differed or not?
Faith, according to the Salaf, encompasses belief in the heart, speech with the tongue, and action with the limbs. This is the position of the Salaf, and there is evidence for it, including:
The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 35b. So saying "La ilaha illa Allah" is speech, and removing harm is an action. As for belief, his saying (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is: Musnad Ahmad 367, 368Lts isnad is Sahih, Muslim (8). This is the statement of the Salaf, and it is what the evidence indicates.
But some deeds, if left, constitute disbelief, such as prayer. And some are a deficiency in faith and not disbelief, like the other deeds other than prayer.
Faith, according to the Salaf, encompasses belief in the heart, speech with the tongue, and action with the limbs. This is the position of the Salaf, and there is evidence for it, including:
The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) said: Faith has over seventy branches or over sixty branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is injurious from the path: and modesty is a branch of faith.
الإيمان بضع وسبعون شعبة، أعلاها قول لا إله إلا الله، وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريقFaith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers
الإيمان أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسلهBut some deeds, if left, constitute disbelief, such as prayer. And some are a deficiency in faith and not disbelief, like the other deeds other than prayer.