32 - The reformer says:

"We should reform the religion. We should begin with iman first. Iman could not be mere belief by the heart and affirmation by the tongue. The religion distinguishes good from bad, beautiful from ugly. Goodness should be the fundamental of iman and evil should be the cause of disbelief. As a fard has various fundamentals, so iman should have fundamentals such as justice, direction, patriotism, honor and honesty. The six fundamentals of Amantu could not be Islam. Islam, which is a perfect social religion, causes misery just for this reason. Iman should be corrected in such a manner as to value the Muslim."

Is iman solely to believe or should it include beautiful a'mal (deeds, conduct or practice) as the reformer claims? Islamic scholars examined it centuries ago and parted into groups for this reason. According to the Ahl as-Sunnat, iman is only to believe with the heart, and if one cannot express it with the tongue, he will be forgiven. The Mutazila and especially the Khawarij, said, "Iman could not be apart from deeds; he who commits a big sin loses his iman." However, the disagreements between these groups were always based on the knowledge they understood from the Qur'an and Hadith. As for religion reformers, who know nothing about religious knowledge, they attempt to change iman with their defective minds and corrupt intentions. They try to inoculate the youth with this idea, which sounds very right but which in fact bears a very secret danger. By pretending to compare a Muslim who both believes in Allahu ta'ala's religion and follows it with the Muslim who only believes in it but does not follow it, they try to make iman lose its value and to distort Muslims' belief, rather than trying to defend following Islam. As a matter of fact, it is written in the book The Evidences of Divine Mercy by the excessive Russian reformer Baykiyev, "Muslims who have remained behind in comparison to the disbelievers who have advanced cannot be called believers, and since every religion or faith is right, a polytheist or disbeliever cannot be considered bad." Obviously, such writings are intended to belittle iman, which is peculiar to Muslims. The excessive reformer tries to inoculate Muslims all over the world with the idea of reforming the religion.

Religion reformers in Muslim countries cunningly pretend to be Muslims. They say that they want to strengthen and improve the religion. When due attention is paid to their words, it is seen that they take the religion as a man-made system put forth by Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) but not as a religion sent by Allahu ta'ala.

The above-mentioned idea of reformers that good conduct must be added to iman is not intended to reveal the knowledge discussed by Muslim scholars for centuries but to hold good deeds superior to iman, that is to shape Islam in a new form by discarding the religious fundamentals of iman and 'ibadat and pushing forth only their uncertain good conduct and beautiful morals that will be taught with the training methods of the present century. But this new system will be a religion believed just for the sake of this world.

Religion reformers think only of ethics and the order of the world. As quoted at the beginning of this book, they say that though the religion is without foundation, it will be good to believe it superficially and to make the people believe as if it were true, since it is a useful force correcting morality. They want deeds to be a part of iman, but they cannot show any naqli (narrated, traditional) or 'aqli (mental) document for this. They only utter words having nothing to do with knowledge and reason but sensations fit for the understanding of the ignorant, such as, "What's the use of iman without a'mal? By excluding a'mal from iman, the scholars of kalam have reduced Islam to a theoretical religion, though it is a perfect social religion." They rave these words among the smoke which the fire of their hostility against Islamic scholars heaps in front of their reason. Because they know nothing about the books of the scholars of kalam, they attack Islam under the pretext of criticizing the immoralities which they witness in those carrying the name of Muslim. In order to expose to view how much unright and immoral they themselves are, the words of the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars, especially of the specialists of kalam, are explained briefly in the following:

According to the Ahl as-Sunnat, he who commits a big sin does not lose his iman, that is, he does not become a disbeliever. A Muslim who commits a sin is called "fasiq" (sinner). Sinners with sound iman or itiqad may or may not be subjected to torture in Hell in the next world. If they are subjected to torture later they will attain the Divine Mercy and will go out of Hell. The basis of Islam is to believe in the Oneness of Allahu ta'ala and in all the rules, that is, the commandments and prohibitions which were brought by Allahu ta'ala's Prophet Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) certainly from Him. Though it is not a condition of iman to carry out the commands and to abstain from prohibitions, belief in the necessity of doing the commands and not doing the prohibitions is a condition of iman. He who does not believe as such is not a Muslim and is called "kafir". However good work and inventions useful to humanity disbelievers may do, they will not escape punishment in the next world. 'Ibadat and all good deeds, valuable as they are, remain secondary in comparison to belief in them. Iman is essential and all good deeds are accessory. Iman and the deeds done by one who has iman are useful to him both in this world and in the next world. They make man attain salvation. good deeds done without having iman may make one attain happiness only in this world but not in the next world. The religion reformers think of good deeds only, probably because they do not believe in the next world. Because they think only of worldly ease and happiness, they regard good deeds superior to the iman. In the book Kavm-i Jadid (Modern People), which was published in the time of the Party of Union, real Muslims, having iman and good deeds are called "Kavm-i Atik" (Ancient People). It ridicules Muslims and says, "They say that a man who has iman will be rescued in the next world, no matter how much evil he commits, and the person without iman will get no good in the next world, even if he does every kind of goodness in the world." However, Allahu ta'ala declares, "Disbelievers' good deeds [and inventions useful to men] in this world are like a mirage seen distant in the desert. A thirsty man supposes it to be water from the distance. But when he gets near it, he cannot find what he expects. On the Day of Judgement, he will find Allahu ta'ala and give his account to Him, who makes the good deeds done by disbelievers in this world look like a mirage, that is, who annihilates them" (surat an-Nur, 19); "The good deeds of those who disbelieve in Allahu ta'ala are like ashes blown about by the wind on a stormy day. In the next world, they get no use from those deeds" (surat Ibrahim, 18); "On the Day of Judgement, We will turn their good deeds into thin dust flying towards those for whom they do them, since they do not do for us," (surat al-Furqan, 23) and "Shall we declare those whose labors prove most vain? They suppose they do good actions in the world. Whereas, they are the people who strive in vain. They have not believed the ayats of their Rabb and that they would enter His presence in the Judgement. We annihilate their favors. We do not neutralize their evils with their favors." (surat al-Kahf, 103-4) These ayats show that the Ahl as-Sunnat belief is right.

Although the ayats stating the worthlessness of the favors done by disbelievers in this world show that they will be given no reward, they will cause the punishment to be lightened according to some Islamic scholars. For the ayat, (Their punishment will not be lightened," (surat al-Baqara, 86; surat al 'Imran, 88) these scholars said, "It will not be lightened in respect of time; they will be tortured eternally." These scholars based their view upon the ayats, "On the Day of Judgement, we will put forward the balance of justice. No one will suffer. He who does goodness as small as a mustard seed will attain its reward." (Surat al-Anbiya, 47) and "He who does goodness in the slightest degree will get its reward." Furthermore, there are the hadiths stating that Hatim Tai who was very generous and Abu Lahab who emancipated his jariya Suwaiba, who had given him the good news of the Prophet's birth, will be tortured lightly. And the hadith reporting that the punishment of Abu Talib, who loved the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) very much, will be light is very famous. Disbelievers living in dar al-Islam have to follow the muamalat part of Islam, and following Islam causes one to earn reward or one's punishment to be lightened. Since there is no reward for disbelievers in the next world, it is probable that their punishment will be lightened. Moreover, one who embraces Islam will attain the rewards of the good deeds he has done before becoming Muslim. As it is reported in the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim, Hakim ibn Hazam, when he embraced Islam, asked the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) about the good deeds he had done before embracing the true faith. The Prophet said, "You became Muslim, the auspicious and useful deeds you have done before being acceptable." When an unbeliever becomes a Muslim, all the sins he has committed are forgiven. [And he becomes absolutely pure. Therefore, we should try to win his prayer for us by showing respect and affection.] Similarly, when a Muslim (Allah forbid!) loses his iman and becomes an apostate, all the favors he has done become vain.

The Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif show that iman is the belief within the heart, that is, its affirmation by the heart.

The ayats "Those who believe and those who do pious deeds," and "Those who perform pious deeds after having believed," indicate that belief and deeds are separate. If deeds were a part of iman, they would not be declared separately. When something is attributed to something else, it will be understood that the two things are different. In the ayat, "When two groups of Muslims fight each other, reconcile them," (surat al-Hujurat, 9) those Muslims who commit sins, like fighting each other are still called "Muslims". The ayat, "Certainly Muslims are brothers. Reconcile your brothers!" (surat al-Hujurat, 10) declares that they are believers. Allahu ta'ala says, "Certainly Allah does not forgive polytheism. He forgives the sins except polytheism of whomever He wills," (surat an-Nisa, 47, 115) and the hadith says, "Hadrat Jabrail (Gabriel) came to me. He brought the good news; he who dies without having attributed anything as a partner to Allahu ta'ala, that is, without being a disbeliever, Paradise is the place where he will go at last, even if he has committed adultery, even if he has committed theft." The above ayats and hadiths indicate that belief and practice are different from each other. The Mutazila and the Khawarij, who said that practice was a part of belief, put forth as documents the ayats, "If one becomes a disbeliever, it does not harm Allahu ta'ala who needs nothing," (al 'Imran, 97) and "Allahu ta'ala made you love iman. He placed it into your heart and He made disbelief, sins and disobedience seem ugly to you." (al-Hujurat, 7) They further said that the following words of 'Umar (radi-Allahu 'anh) also emphasized the meaning they understood from the former ayat: "I wish I could send official inspectors out to find those who have properties but do not go on hajj and to make them pay jizya, for they are in disbelief." Whereas, the word 'disbelief' in the ayat and in this quotation means the 'denial of hajj'. In the last ayat, iman and sins are classified in different classes, but it does not mean that they are opposite. There are many a thing which may be together though they differ in respect of beauty and ugliness. The ayat, "What a bad quality it is to be sinful after having believed," in the same sura very openly defines the places of iman and sins. It tells that sinfulness is a bad quality unbecoming to Muslims and that the sinner has iman. The latter is understood from here, because real evil and misuse is in bringing iman and sinning together, hence a believer's sinning is worse than a disbeliever's sinning.

A Muslim, who affirms the Existence and Oneness of Allahu ta'ala and the rules He has declared through His Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam), certainly feels sorry if he somehow fails to follow these rules. Someone else who does not acknowledge Allahu ta'ala and His Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) and does goodness not as a command of Allahu ta'ala but for some other reason does not even accept to be a human creature to Allahu ta'ala. Allahu ta'ala's treatment of these two surely will not be the same. A lazy son useless to everybody but decent and thinks of his faults and feels shame in the presence of his father and another son, who is studious, clever and helpful to everybody but one day opposes his father and utters offensive terms such as, "Who are you? I don't recognize you," are to be treated differently by the father. The first one is tolerated, while the other's every goodness comes to nothing at once and he is dismissed; begging to be pardoned is the only thing he can do. The Muslim sinner and the disbeliever are like these children.

It simply is not right to get a Muslim, who believes and likes Islam, out of Islam just because of his faults. Iman, since it means accepting the Muslim program and respecting it even if none of its rules is carried out, is the basis of Islam. If deeds were a part of iman, every sinner would be a disbeliever. There would be no Muslim in the world. In the Hadith, some good acts were connected with iman and some evils with disbelief, but such analogies were intended to tell about the extent of goodness or badness of those good acts and evils. Other ayats and hadiths show that they are apart from iman and disbelief. The hadiths, "Modesty is a branch from iman"; "Cleanliness is half of iman"; "Iman is salat"; "A Muslim is a person in whom people will trust"; "A Muslim does not commit adultery while being Muslim"; "Every habit, every disposition may exist in a Muslim. Only perfidy and mendacity do not exist in him," must be interpreted in the same sense. By likening the absence of the good qualities such as modesty, cleanliness, salat, trustworthiness, chastity and rectitude and the existence of the evils such as mendacity, perfidy and adultery to the absence of iman, these hadiths point out their importance. By esteeming some actions as highly as iman, their importance is emphasized. For the religion reformers who say, "How can the Ahl as-sunnat scholars separate from iman the things which the Prophet included in iman?" the hadith, "The person who dies as a Muslim will go to Paradise at last even if he has committed adultery and even if he has committed theft," is a good answer. The ayat, "Men will not be freed after just having said, 'We believe,' but it will be understood from their enduring the troubles they meet on the way of religion whether their word, 'We believe,' is true or false" (surat al-Ankabut, 2) points out the great importance of enduring troubles.

The 18th ayat of the surat al-Ahzab declares that the people who prevented others from going to jihad with Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) and who, in the battles in which they occasionally took part pretendedly, did not help him and his companions and who stayed deadly motionless at moments of danger in the battles and whose tongues were sharper than their swords and longer than their spears during the sharing of booties and who escaped from charitable actions were not Muslims. It is meant that the people of real and firm iman would not be so and that all the worship and useful deeds of those who did so were unacceptable. Hadrat Hasan al-Basri, one of the distinguished among the Tabiin, has a well-known saying: "One simply does not insert his hand into a hole in which it is known that there is a snake. If he does, it means that he does not believe that there is a snake there." Likewise, a person who believes in Allahu ta'ala and in Hell should not do things prohibited by Islam. A sinner's saying, "Allah is the most generous, He likes to forgive. I sin because I rely on this," is like inserting his hand thinking that the snake will not bite.

Sins taste sweet to the nafs. A Muslim may commit sins being deceived by his nafs, but his reason and iman make him feel distress while sinning. Man believes with his reason, and he is dragged into sins because they taste sweet to the nafs. Therefore, iman and disobedience are different. If inserting one's hand into the snake's hole tasted sweet to the nafs, or if this action caused something that would taste sweet to the nafs, for example, if he was told he would be given certain sum of money if he inserted his hand, perhaps then he would follow his nafs and insert his hand.

Deficiency in a'mal (deeds) does not cause man to depart from the religion. When a sin destroys iman in the heart, for example, if the sinner disbelieves that it is a sin then it becomes disbelief. Actions peculiar to disbelievers and considered as signs of disbelief, such as wearing rope girdle called "zunnar" worn by Christian priests and worshiping idols have been regarded as signs indicating denial and removing iman from the heart. The religion reformer say, "Why should a Muslim become disbeliever just because of using a thing? Why should an action done with the hand, foot or head take away iman from the heart?" These actions themselves are not disbelief, but they are signs indicating that iman in the heart is corrupt. Throwing the Qur'an into dirty places and making up words, writings, caricatures, plays and motion pictures ridiculing one of the commands and prohibitions of Islam are actions which they themselves cause disbelief.

When the religion reformers who want good deeds to be included in iman are observed carefully, there is next to none among them who performs salat, fasts and abstains from alcoholic drinks and pork. They believe they should not commit these evils so they may be called Muslims. This shows that their proposals are insincere and that they in fact want not do good actions but to demolish iman. If also good actions or conduct were a condition of iman, all of those who do evils had to be non-Muslims except prophets who do no evil, and no one on the earth could be called Muslim. Religion reformers choose some good habits to be condition of iman, since, according to them, men make the religion. Therefore, whatever they want is good to them. In fact, they indirectly say that it is not evil to commit adultery, to have alcoholic drinks, to ignore zakat and salat, and indeed they do not regard observance of these as conditions of iman. They probably do not know that Islam has punishments for many crimes also in this world, and it urges people to do good; it is fard to exercise al-amru bi 'l-maruf wa'n-nahyu 'ani 'l-munkar, that is, to give advice, for the 'ulama' to the cruel and for ordinary Muslims to one another. While Islam provides for the performance of good deeds and the abstention from evil things in this manner, reformers do not regard this sufficient, or, to be more exact, they want none of the Islamic commands but some other concepts to be fundamentals of iman so they may call most of Muslims disbelievers; what might be the purpose of such an attempt?

Islam considers wearing rope girdle worn by Christian priests and worshiping idols and similar acts as signs of disbelief. A person does not necessarily become a member of another religion because of having done something peculiar to that religion, yet it comes to mean that he admits that the thing peculiar to that religion be seen on him, and iman in his heart may be thought of having been shocked. Hadrat al-Imam-al-azam Abu Hanifa said, "One may go out of Islam through the way through which he enters Islam." Here, the 'way' means 'believing of the heart', that is, when iman goes into the heart one becomes Muslim, and when iman goes out the heart one departs from Islam.

A person who says he is Muslim should not do or use the things peculiar to disbelievers unless there is strong necessity, and he should try not to give the impression of a disbeliever. He should think not that he will be mocked when He does the things peculiar to Islam but that he will be respected, and he should feel honor in doing them. It is not permissible to slight the things which are reported by the scholars of Islam to be important by saying, "What do these have to do with iman in the heart?" Because, there is a way leading to each organ from the heart. The acts which Islam commands are good, and those it prohibits are evil. This is true, though people may not understand it today. When the things Islam prohibits are done, the heart darkens and hardens. When big sins are committed frequently, iman may go away.

As it is necessary to carry out the duties commanded in Islam, so it is necessary to believe that each of them is a duty. A Muslim who believes so will for certain carry out these duties willingly.

Believing by the heart is not only the basis of Islam but it is also the highest worship. As it is written in the Sahih of al-Bukhari, when Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was asked which was the highest deed, he said, "It is to believe in Allahu ta'ala and His Messenger." and he recited the Amantu.

That iman is essential in Islam does not reduce the importance of deeds (a'mal, 'ibadat ), for it is iman that causes the performance of deeds. Strong means secures the result. A Muslim whose iman is strong lays more stress on the importance of a'mal. Since Muslims have to believe every duty to be a duty separately, those who commit sins fear that their iman may be shocked and even gone. As a matter of fact, he who slights a sin, for example, by saying, "What if I do it," will become a disbeliever even if he does not commit that sin. I wonder if religion reformers, who want to add some a'mal to iman, can realize the importance of a'mal that well? Those who say that one cannot become a Muslim only by believing with the heart but he must have good actions think of such deeds not to be for love of Allahu ta'ala and for attaining the next world but to be for the world and worldly happiness.

It is equally wrong to say, "Accept and believe the commands and prohibitions of the religion and then nothing else can make you in more ease; then either perform them or not," since he who slights these commands and prohibitions becomes a disbeliever.

Iman means believing by the heart. For achieving this, first of all knowledge is necessary. Knowledge and practice are two different things. Though knowledge necessitates practicing strongly, the two are not the same. They are separated in the French proverb, "Bien penser et bien dire ne sert rien sans bien faire" (Unless done well, pondering well and saying well are useless.) Contrary to this proverb, Islam says that thinking well without including doing well, that is, sole iman, is useful.

In summary, the good deeds performed without believing in Allah or not because they are His commands but for some other reasons are of no value. Iman without comprising deeds, however, is valuable and useful. Muslims carry out the rules of Islam in order to escape the probability of being punished in the next world. Especially the attainment of worldly happiness is possible for them by carrying out these rules. Deed is an essential part of not iman but of the maturity of iman. In one respect, iman is knowledge. While every kind of improvement and happiness in the world is expected from knowledge, why should one be surprised at that in the next world man will attain happiness owing to iman, which is based on strong knowledge? Iman, which is so valuable, should not be supposed to be unimportant. Those who despise it despite the greatness of the eternal reward it will bring to man are the poor people who have not been honored by attaining it.

While people deliberate much about and try hard for worldly advantages, they do not pay attention to the fact that they are near an endless happiness or calamity. They never think about this. Allahu ta'ala has given men reason and imposed useful duties on them. In order to make them known, He sent prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam). If one does not know about the laws of life and how to struggle for life, or if he knows but does not work in accordance with them, he will suffer harm. Similarly it will certainly be harmful not to know or, though known, not to follow the religious laws pertaining to the next world, the laws which were put and commanded by Allahu ta'ala more importantly. As such questions as "Why did He create the miserable and the destitute? What fault do they have?" are out of place and do not help such people, so it is useless to say, "Why has He created the men whom He will torture in the next world?" Man, whose birth and death are not in his own power, has no right to speak ill of Allahu ta'ala's laws pertaining to this and the next worlds. He can attain happiness only by following these laws.

Some ignorant people who have believed in the lies of communists and freemasons say, "What is religion on earth? Who has seen Paradise and Hell? Such words are the stories of early people and bigots; they are false." If they understood scientific knowledge and Islamic history by learning them from conscientious teachers and if they saw that scientific improvements and new inventions strengthen and prove Islamic beliefs they would cling to Islam tightly, or at least be respectful, decent towards it. If they learned Muhammad's life ('alaihi 's-salam) from books written correctly, they would love his intellect, beautiful habits and accomplishments. The events showing that hundred thousands of people have been attached to him very sincerely, their manners, obedience and excessive love towards him, and that they would sacrifice their possessions and lives for his sake, fill thousands of pages of histories all over the world. It is as obvious as the existence of the sun that such a person, who is the source of all knowledge and the master of all beautiful habits and goodness, is Allahu ta'ala's Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam). The Hero, who began alone, defeated the two great empires of the world down to the ground with his intellect, patience and keen sight, established a devoted nation within twenty-three years and left behind an unchangeable book that would make people attain ease, happiness and civilization until the end of the world: these suffice for reasonable and just people to embrace Islam. There is no need for another miracle or witness. Disbelieving the words of this exalted Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) is the denial of history and events. He who knows but does not believe him is a slave to his nafs, to his sensual desires, or an eccentric person who does not want goodness, working, progress, mutual love, social justice and who does not think of his and all people's happiness, or an utterly ignorant person who knows nothing about science and history. Every reasonable and just man who learns the beautiful life of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) and the subtleties and uses in the commands and prohibitions of Islamic faith should believe him at once, like him and become a Muslim willingly, as humanity requires. It was true that Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl did not believe him though they saw him and the Byzantine Emperor Heracles and Persian Shah Perviz did not believe him though they read his letters. Their disbelieving him was a sign of their ignorance, stupidity, ill spirit, or foul heart and persistence.