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﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

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Also, Shaykh Muhammad says in his letter: What is the difference between a Muslim and a believer? May Allah guide you.

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The questioner : Also, Shaykh Muhammad says in his letter: What is the difference between a Muslim and a believer? May Allah guide you?

The Shaykh : Islam and faith are two words that agree in meaning when they differ in wording.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : This means that if one of them is mentioned in a place without the other, it includes the other.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And if both are mentioned together in the same context, each of them has its own meaning. So, Islam, when mentioned alone, encompasses all of Islam, including its laws, beliefs, manners, and morals, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:
Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الأِسْلامُ
[Ali 'Imran 3:19]
. Likewise, a Muslim, when mentioned in this absolute sense, includes everyone who practices the laws of Islam, including beliefs, deeds, manners, and others.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And likewise, faith. The believer is the opposite of the disbeliever. So, if faith and a believer are mentioned without Islam being mentioned with them, it encompasses the entire religion. But if Islam and faith are mentioned in the same context, faith is interpreted as the deeds of the hearts and their beliefs.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And Islam is interpreted as the deeds of the limbs. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in his answer to Jibril:
Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah الإسلام أن تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله
Sahih Muslim 8a
up to the last of the pillars of Islam. And he said regarding faith:
To believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه
Musnad Ahmad 191Sahih (Darussalam)
up to the last of the known pillars of faith.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And this difference is indicated by the saying of Allah the Exalted:
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 الأَعْرَابُ ءامَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الأِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ
[Al-Hujurat 49:14]
This indicates the difference between Islam and faith. Faith is in the heart, and its presence in the heart necessitates the rectification of the limbs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart. ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا وهي القلب
Sahih al-Bukhari 52
Unlike Islam, which is in the limbs. It may come from a true believer, or it may be from one whose faith is deficient.
This is the difference between them, and it has become clear that they are not distinguished except when they are gathered in the same context.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And if one of them is mentioned alone in a context, it includes the other.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : You have done well. May Allah reward you.
Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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