denying the truth of Allah and His Messenger. For a believer knows with certainty that he does not deny the truth of Allah and His Messenger. This is the basis for saying, “I am truly a believer”: the speaker means the firm conviction he knows he possesses. Yet faith is not merely assent to the truth; it must include deeds of the heart that necessarily entail outward deeds, as explained earlier. Loving Allah and His Messenger is part of faith, and loving what Allah has commanded and hating what He has forbidden are among faith’s most distinctive characteristics. Hence the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stated in several hadiths:

“Whoever is pleased by his good deed and distressed by his evil deed is a believer.”

Such a person loves good deeds and rejoices in them, and hates evil deeds and is distressed at committing them, even if he commits them under the sway of overpowering desire. This love and hatred are distinctive characteristics of faith.

It is well known that when an adulterer commits adultery, he does so because his soul loves that act. If his heart possessed fear of Allah sufficient to subdue that desire, or love of Allah sufficient to overcome it, he would not commit adultery. Hence Allah Most High said of Joseph, peace be upon him:

“Thus it was, so that We might avert evil and indecency from him. Indeed, he was one of Our chosen servants.”

Whoever is truly sincere in his devotion to Allah will not commit adultery; he commits it only when he lacks that sincerity. This is the faith that is taken away from him, not his assent to the truth itself. Hence it is said, “He is a Muslim, but not a believer.” A Muslim who deserves reward must necessarily assent to the truth; otherwise, he would be a hypocrite. Yet not everyone who assents to the truth possesses the inward states that faith requires, such as complete love of Allah and His Messenger, fear of Allah, sincerity toward Him in one’s deeds, and reliance upon Him. Rather, a man may believe what the Messenger brought while