Iimaan

Iimaan is an Arabic term meaning belief or faith. In Islam, it refers to a person's acceptance and conviction in things stated to be true, particularly the existence of God and what He has revealed. The related word "amn" (security) points to peace and trust, showing that the concept of belief is rooted in mental certainty.

Islamic scholars generally divide iimaan into three components: conviction held in the heart, verbal affirmation (the shahada), and deeds carried out by the body. Different legal schools have disagreed on whether action is part of iimaan or separate from it, and on whether iimaan increases and decreases.

The Six Pillars

Sunni tradition emphasizes a list of six articles known as arkaanul iimaan: belief in God, in the angels, in the revealed scriptures, in the messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and in divine decree (God's prior determination). This list is grounded in hadith and Quranic verses and is taught in standard Islamic curricula.

Islam, Faith, and Excellence

Islamic tradition distinguishes three levels: Islam (the performance of outward acts such as prayer and fasting), Iimaan (inner conviction), and Ihsan (the highest level, in which one worships God while feeling watched). This distinction comes from a well-known hadith about questions posed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Jurisprudential Disputes

In the early centuries of Islamic history, groups such as the Murji'a, Khawarij, and Mutazila disputed the relationship between iimaan and major sin. The central question was: does a person who commits a major sin leave the faith, or does he remain within it? Different answers to this question produced significant theological divisions that affected Islamic politics and society.