since he has not submitted by openly professing faith. It has also been said that Islam and faith are two names for the same meaning. Those who hold this view cite the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic—whose words are true:

“So We brought out the believers who were there.” [al-Dhāriyāt: 35]
“But We found there only one household of Muslims.” [al-Dhāriyāt: 36]

This, however, does not establish their case, for believers who openly profess their faith are Muslims by virtue of that profession, as we have explained. The evidence that faith differs from Islam is the saying of Allah Most High:

“The Bedouins say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have not believed; rather, say, “We have submitted,”’” [al-Hujurāt: 14]

—that is, we have yielded—

“for faith has not yet entered your hearts.” [al-Hujurāt: 14]

He thus denied that they possessed faith in their hearts, while affirming their Islam: submission through outwardly professing faith without inwardly believing.

Further evidence is the report: “Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the form of a Bedouin and said, ‘O Muhammad, what is faith?’ He replied, ‘To believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, its good and its evil, its sweetness and its bitterness.’ He asked, ‘What, then, is Islam?’ He replied, ‘To bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, give zakāh, fast Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the House.’ He said, ‘You have spoken the truth.’”

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus distinguished between faith and Islam, making faith an inward act of the heart and Islam an outward act of the limbs. Faith is therefore one of the aspects of Islam through which a person accountable under divine law submits to the command of Allah Most High, just as he submits through fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, and all other acts of worship.

Section

This, then, is faith in its religious sense. In ordinary Arabic usage, however, anyone who outwardly expresses assent is called a believer. A Muslim is therefore a believer in the linguistic sense, and may also figuratively be called a believer in religious usage, because openly professing the testimony of faith indicates belief. Anyone who professes it is consequently treated as a believer in this world; this does not mean that such profession constitutes faith that will benefit him in the Hereafter.

The Arabs sometimes name something after that which is closely associated with it. On this basis, all outward acts of obedience may properly be called faith, since they indicate faith and are among the deeds and characteristic qualities of believers. There is also another sound and valid explanation, namely that deeds