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When faith is qualified by being mentioned alongside Islam or righteous deeds, everyone agrees that it may refer to the faith within the heart. But does it also include what is conjoined with it, making this a case of mentioning the specific after the general? Or, when the two are mentioned together, does the other term fall outside what faith denotes, while remaining a necessary implication of it, according to the position of Ahl al-Sunnah? Or is it neither a part nor a necessary implication of faith? People hold three views on this, as will be explained, Allah willing.

This occurs with most terms: what they denote varies according to whether they are used without qualification or with qualification. Examples include the terms “what is right” and “what is wrong.” When these are used without qualification, as in His saying, exalted is He:

“He enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong,”

and His saying:

“You are the best nation brought forth for mankind: you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong,”

and His saying:

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong,”

“what is right” includes every good, and “what is wrong” includes every evil.

Yet a term may be mentioned alongside something more specific than itself, as in His saying:

“There is no good in much of their private conversation, except in that of those who enjoin charity, what is right, or reconciliation between people.”

Here He distinguishes what is right from charity and reconciliation between people—just as He distinguishes the terms faith and deeds, and the terms faith and Islam. Likewise, in His saying, exalted is He:

“Indeed, prayer restrains one from indecency and wrongdoing,”

He distinguishes