—yet his deeds belie his knowledge, for the very existence of knowledge necessarily entails the presence of the heart-work that accompanies it: the heart’s Islam through love and humble submission. When the effect that knowledge should produce is absent, the knowledge itself may disappear (1) altogether from the heart; a seal is then set upon it, so that the person comes to repudiate what he had once recognized and becomes ignorant of what he had previously known. Both this knowledge and this inner work (2) are included in the semantic range of the relevant expressions.

Hence the words testimony, acknowledgment, faith, and affirmation together encompass (3) this (4) entire reality, whereas terms such as report and tidings denote bare knowledge; although they may imply these actions, they do so only insofar as knowledge itself implies them.

Therefore, when one of these knowledgeable yet defiant people who are not believers says, “Muhammad (5) is the Messenger of Allah,” as those Jews and others said (6), his statement is nothing but a factual report consistent with his knowledge, concerning which Allah said:

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons, yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth.” (Qur’an 2:146) (7)

But just as mere knowledge does not benefit them, a mere verbal report is of no benefit either. Inner knowledge must be accompanied by its requisite action—love, reverence, compliance, and the like; and the outward report must be accompanied by its requisite outward surrender, submission, and basic obedience (8). Thus those who know the truth that Allah sent with His Messenger yet neither believe in it nor affirm it are called unbelievers and deniers; they are said to have lied with their tongues and to have spoken with their tongues