The Difference Between Faith and Islam

Question:
What is faith, and what is the difference between it and Islam?

Answer:
The religion has three levels. The first level is Islam. Higher than that is faith, and higher than faith is excellence in worship. This is as it came in the hadith of Jibril (peace be upon him) when he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about these levels, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answered him regarding each level. In the end, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his Companions: “This is Jibril who has come to you to teach you the matters of your religion.” He mentioned them in order, starting with the lowest, then what is higher than it, then what is higher than that. So when the Bedouins came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the beginning of their entry into Islam, they claimed for themselves a level they had not yet reached. They came as Muslims and claimed faith, which was a level they had not yet attained. For this reason, Allah responded to them by saying: “The Bedouins say, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed, but say, “We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered your hearts”” [Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (1/36-38), from the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). It is part of the long hadith of Jibril]. So in the beginning of their Islam, faith had not become established in their hearts, even though they had faith, but their faith was weak or little. It is derived from His saying: “for faith has not yet entered your hearts” that it will enter in the future. They are not disbelievers or hypocrites, but they are Muslims with some faith, but it is little, and they do not deserve to be called believers. But faith will become established in their hearts later, as in His saying: “for faith has not yet entered your hearts” [Surah al-Hujurat: Verse 14]. When Islam and faith are mentioned together, they are distinguished. So Islam has a specific meaning and faith has a specific meaning. As in the hadith of Jibril, where he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Islam, and he said: “Islam is that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, give zakah, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House if you are able to find a way to it.” And he asked him about faith, and he said: “Faith is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, its good and its evil” [Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih, from the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). It is part of the long hadith of Jibril]. So according to this, Islam is outward submission, and faith is inward submission, when both are mentioned together. But if Islam is mentioned alone, or faith is mentioned alone, then one is included in the other. If Islam is mentioned alone, faith is included in it. And if faith is mentioned alone, Islam is included in it. For this reason, the scholars say: When they are gathered together, they are distinguished, and when they are separated, they are gathered together. So faith, according to the people of the Sunnah and the community, is: action by the limbs, speech by the tongue, and affirmation by the heart. And Islam is included in it, becoming speech by the tongue, action by the limbs, and affirmation by the heart, when it is mentioned alone.