One of the biggest problems for those who do not understand Arabic is understanding the basic meaning of Islam, because some key words for understanding Islam have no analogue leading to their exact meaning in English, so a Muslim must inevitably learn Arabic to understand the Quran and Sunnah
In this article, we will clarify the meaning of one of those keywords, the word Iman which is usually translated as "faith" which is a mistranslation, because the word "faith" does not mean conviction with evidence, while the word Iman means that.
I will explain the word Iman through the following axes:
What does Iman mean in the Arabic language?
Iman is derived from the root a-m-n about which Ibn Faris said:
(A-m-n) Hamza, Meem and Noon has two converging origins: one is honesty, which is against betrayal, meaning stillness of the heart, and the other is believability. The two meanings, as we have said, are close to each other.
Ibn Faris Maghayiss Alogha (Matrices of the Language) 1/133
So Amana has two meanings, the first one is giving security, being honest, and the second is being convinced that something is true .
Therefore Amana the verb of Iman has two senses:
Amana someone means giving him security.
Amana in something means to be convinced that it is true.
And the last meaning is the meaning of Iman in the Arabic language, Because the Al-Mumin (the one who has Iman), is the one who is convinced that Allah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with the Qur'an and Sunnah.
What does Iman mean in the Quran?
In the Qur'an, the word Iman goes beyond the meaning of conviction to conviction and practicality, in other words if you are convinced that Allah sent Muhammad peace be upon him, but you do not obey him, then to Allah you are not yet a Mumin in Muhammad
We find Iman that means practical application in many verses, from which the words of God Almighty:
﴿وَإِذ أَخَذنا ميثاقَكُم لا تَسفِكونَ دِماءَكُم وَلا تُخرِجونَ أَنفُسَكُم مِن دِيارِكُم ثُمَّ أَقرَرتُم وَأَنتُم تَشهَدونَثُمَّ أَنتُم هؤُلاءِ تَقتُلونَ أَنفُسَكُم وَتُخرِجونَ فَريقًا مِنكُم مِن دِيارِهِم تَظاهَرونَ عَلَيهِم بِالإِثمِ وَالعُدوانِ وَإِن يَأتوكُم أُسارى تُفادوهُم وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيكُم إِخراجُهُم أَفَتُؤمِنونَ بِبَعضِ الكِتابِ وَتَكفُرونَ بِبَعضٍ فَما جَزاءُ مَن يَفعَلُ ذلِكَ مِنكُم إِلّا خِزيٌ فِي الحَياةِ الدُّنيا وَيَومَ القِيامَةِ يُرَدّونَ إِلى أَشَدِّ العَذابِ وَمَا اللَّهُ بِغافِلٍ عَمّا تَعمَلونَ﴾
Approximate translation
And (recall) when We took your covenant (Saying), Do not shed your (i.e., each other's) blood or evict one another from your homes. Then you acknowledged (this) while you were witnessing. Then you are those (same ones who are) killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes cooperating against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their eviction was forbidden to you, so do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do .
Albaqara, 84-85
In the Quran Allah used the verb Amana which translated by believe.
So Allah in those verses considered practicing of ransom the captives as Iman in part of Scripture, and killing a part of them and evicting them as kufur (against Iman) in part of Scripture, so Iman here had taken the meaning of practicing, and when they didn't practice some of Scripture they aren't considered as Mumins in it.
Another example in the saying of Allah Almighty:
﴿مَثَلُ الَّذينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوراةَ ثُمَّ لَم يَحمِلوها كَمَثَلِ الحِمارِ يَحمِلُ أَسفارًا بِئسَ مَثَلُ القَومِ الَّذينَ كَذَّبوا بِآياتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهدِي القَومَ الظّالِمينَ﴾
Approximate translation
The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and they did not take it is like that of a donkey who carries volumes (of books) wretched the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Al-Jumu'a, 5.
God entrusted the son of Israel with the Torah, but when they did not apply the Torah as God commanded, God considered them like people who deny the Torah, even though they believed the Torah was from God, and they were proud of the Torah:
wretched the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah.
Signs of Allah mean the Torah, and Allah called them as wrongdoing people.
And does not guide the wrongdoing people
Allah revealed His words for humans to apply, so if you accept that the Qur'an is the word of Allah SWT, but you have not acted on it, then you have not yet done what Allah commanded, so you are considered someone who denies the Qur'an
For example if someone said that he is totally sure that Allah said:
﴿الَّذينَ يَأكُلونَ الرِّبا لا يَقومونَ إِلّا كَما يَقومُ الَّذي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيطانُ مِنَ المَسِّ ذلِكَ بِأَنَّهُم قالوا إِنَّمَا البَيعُ مِثلُ الرِّبا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ البَيعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبا فَمَن جاءَهُ مَوعِظَةٌ مِن رَبِّهِ فَانتَهى فَلَهُ ما سَلَفَ وَأَمرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَن عادَ فَأُولئِكَ أَصحابُ النّارِ هُم فيها خالِدونَ﴾
Approximate translation
Those who consume interest cannot stand except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say: Trade is just like interest. But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from His Lord and desists may have what in past, and his affair rests with Allah. But whoever returns those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein
Albaqara, 275.
And he is sure that interest is forbidden in Islam, but he will eat it, and his job is leaning on it. This person doesn't have Iman in the previous verse, because he doesn't apply it. So he is considered as not Muslim at all, and hance he will abide eternally in the Fire as Allah told us. May Allah protect us.
| Therefore, Iman means applying Islam's decision to God, which is submission to God alone without a partner. |
The pillars of Iman
When the Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him was asked by Angel Gabriel about Iman, he replied:
Iman is getting Iman in Allah, His angles, His books, His messengers, Last Day and Fate its good and its bad
So Iman has six pillars, they serve as the foundations on which it based, and we will debating them in the following:
Iman in Allah
Iman in God does not only mean making sure that God exists, that He created everything, but it means doing what this truth leads to .
The fact that God created you, created the earth, the sky, food, animals and everything means that you must obey Him alone without a partner, because no one else can do anything for you without His permission, and therefore no one else deserves to be obeyed .
Iman in Allah means submitting to Allah, obeying all His orders, and if we refuse to obey one order we became kafirs like what happened with Satan when he refused to obey the order of Allah to prostrate for Adam:
﴿وَإِذ قُلنا لِلمَلائِكَةِ اسجُدوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدوا إِلّا إِبليسَ أَبى وَاستَكبَرَ وَكانَ مِنَ الكافِرينَ﴾
Approximate translation
And when We said to angels, Prostrate for Adam; so they prostrated except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the kafirs.
Al-Baqara, 34
Although he acknowledges that Allah is his Lord, and asks Him not making him dying before the Day of Resurrection:
﴿قالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرني إِلى يَومِ يُبعَثونَ﴾
Approximate translation
He said my Lord reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected
Sad, 79.
| So Iman in Allah means obeying all His orders however are they. |
Iman in angels
Iman in angels means being sure that Allah created angels and made them perfect creatures, about them Allah said:
﴿يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا قوا أَنفُسَكُم وَأَهليكُم نارًا وَقودُهَا النّاسُ وَالحِجارَةُ عَلَيها مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدادٌ لا يَعصونَ اللَّهَ ما أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلونَ ما يُؤمَرونَ﴾
Approximate translation
O you who have believed protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones over which are [appointed] angels harsh and severe, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commended
At-Tahrim, 6.
Iman in Books of Allah and His messengers
Iman in all of the books of Allah and His messengers means being sure that they are from Allah, and follow all of them.
You can ask, how can I follow all of them and I don't have them?
My answer is if you follow the Quran and Sunnah you are following all of them, because all of them have the same message "submission to Allah alone without a partner" and that what is mentioned in the saying of Allah Almighty:
﴿وَأَنزَلنا إِلَيكَ الكِتابَ بِالحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِما بَينَ يَدَيهِ مِنَ الكِتابِ وَمُهَيمِنًا عَلَيهِ﴾
Approximate translation
And We have revealed to you the Book in truth confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.
Al-Ma'ida, 48.
Iman in the Last Day
Iman in the Last Day means being sure that all of us will be resurrected and judged according to our deeds, and work for the success on that Day, which is being protected from Fire and entering Paradise.
Iman in the Last Day means focusing on it, and not being deceived by the worldly life.
Iman in fate
Iman in fate means being sure that nothing happens without be predestined by Allah, so be satisfied and sure that behind everything happens however good or bad, there's the mercy of Allah, because Allah is the Merciful.