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As for faith (īmān), the majority of people—indeed, almost all—lay claim to it. Yet the Most High has said, “And most of mankind, even though you strive [for it], will not believe” (12:103).

Most believers possess only a general, undefined faith. The detailed faith in everything the Messenger ﷺ brought—knowing it, understanding it, affirming it, loving it, recognizing its opposite, and detesting and rejecting that opposite—belongs solely to the elite of this community, the Prophet’s select companions. It is the faith of the Siddīq, Abū Bakr, and his party.

Many people’s share of faith is no more than acknowledging the existence of a Maker and that He alone created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them—something even the idol-worshippers of Quraysh and the like never denied!

For others, faith in their estimation is merely uttering the two testimonies, whether or not any deeds accompany them and whether or not the heart truly confirms them.

Still others maintain that faith is nothing but the heart’s affirmation that Allah, exalted is He, created the heavens and the earth and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, even if the tongue never confesses it and no action follows it—indeed, even if the person were to curse Allah and His Messenger and commit every enormity while believing in Allah’s oneness and the Prophethood of His Messenger, he would, in their view, remain a believer!

Yet others regard faith as denying the Lord’s attributes: His exaltedness above His Throne, His speaking through His words and scriptures, His hearing and seeing, His will, power, volition, love, hatred, and every other attribute with which He has described Himself or His Messenger has described Him. For them, faith is to negate and reject all these realities, clinging instead to the opinions of reckless speculators and the notions of over-subtle thinkers, whose theories each one undermines and