the signs, of which they were inwardly certain despite denying them with their tongues. Nor do they call the Jews believers in the Quran and the Messenger, even though they recognize the truth as they recognize their own sons. Nowhere in Arab speech do they call someone a believer merely because he knows that something exists which is feared and hoped for, and ought to be loved and revered, while he neither loves nor reveres it, neither fears it nor hopes for it, but instead denies and rejects it with his tongue. Indeed, even if he recognized it in his heart but denied it with his tongue, they would not say, “He affirms it.” And if he affirmed it while acting contrary to what it requires, they would not say, “He believes in it.” Thus, there is not a single example in Arab speech supporting their claim.

As for His saying:

“You would not believe us,”

we have discussed this elsewhere. This is an argument based on the Quran, and nothing in the verse indicates that “one who affirms” is synonymous with “one who believes.” The fact that one of these expressions can correctly convey this meaning does not establish that it is synonymous with the other, as we have explained at length in the relevant discussion.

(The eighth): He says, “They recognize no other meaning of faith in the language.” On what basis does he make this denial, when exhaustive knowledge of the matter is impossible? Rather, this is a statement made without knowledge.

(The ninth): There is the view of those who say that faith (īmān) is derived from security (amn), whose statements will be presented below, Allah willing. They have also reported a linguistic meaning of faith other than this, as Shaykh Abū al-Bayān said concerning the statement (1).