which is well known.

Muʿāwiyah ibn ʿAmr related from Abū Ishāq al-Fazārī, from al-Awzāʿī, who said:

“Faith cannot be sound without words; faith and words cannot be sound without deeds; and faith, words, and deeds cannot be sound without an intention that accords with the Sunnah. Our predecessors did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are part of faith, and faith is part of deeds. Faith is a comprehensive term, just as these religions are encompassed by their name, and deeds confirm its truth. Whoever professes faith with his tongue, recognizes it in his heart, and confirms it through his deeds has grasped the firmest handhold, which never breaks. But whoever professes it with his tongue without recognizing it in his heart or confirming it through his deeds will be among the losers in the Hereafter.”

This is well known from numerous scholars among both the earlier and later generations: they regard deeds as confirming the truth of words. They also related this from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as transmitted by Muʿādh ibn Asad:

Al-Fudayl ibn ʿIyād narrated to us, from Layth ibn Abī Sulaym, from Mujāhid:

“Abū Dharr asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about faith. He replied: ‘Faith is acknowledgment and confirmation through deeds.’ He then recited, ‘Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west,’ through to His words, ‘and those are the God-fearing.’”

I say: This hadith of Abū Dharr is transmitted through more than one route. If these are the Messenger’s actual words, there is nothing further to discuss. If, however, they transmitted its meaning, this indicates that it was familiar in their language to say: “His deeds confirmed the truth of his words.” Likewise, Shaykh al-Islām al-Harawī said: “Faith consists entirely of affirmation.”

Likewise, the “second answer” is that, if its fundamental meaning is affirmation, then it is an affirmation