faith as narrower in scope and Islam as broader.

He said:

We have in these men an example to follow and guides to emulate, besides the reasoning that substantiates this. Allah has made the designation “believer” one of praise, commendation, and approval, guaranteeing Paradise to its bearer. He says:

“And He is ever Merciful to the believers.”

“Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, ‘Peace,’ and He has prepared for them a noble reward.”

He also says:

“And give the believers good tidings that they will have from Allah a great bounty.”

And He says:

“And give those who believe good tidings that they have an honourable standing with their Lord.”

And He says:

“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right.”

And He says:

“Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into the light.”

And He says:

“Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow.”

He said:

Then Allah prescribed the Fire as the punishment for major sins, thereby indicating that the designation of faith no longer applies to anyone who commits a major sin.

They said:

We have not found that He guaranteed Paradise on the basis of the designation of Islam. Thus, it is established that the designation of Islam continues to apply to such a person as before, while the designation of faith no longer applies to him.

If they are asked concerning this view of theirs, “Is faith not the opposite of disbelief?” they say, “Disbelief is the opposite of the foundation of faith, for faith has a foundation and branches. A person is not deemed to have disbelieved unless the foundation of faith, which is the opposite of disbelief, is lost.”

If they are asked, “Do those from whom you maintain that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, withheld the designation of faith possess any faith?” they say:

“Yes, its foundation remains firmly established; otherwise, they would have become disbelievers. Have you not heard how Ibn Mas‘ūd disapproved of the man who testified that he was a believer, then said, ‘But we believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers’? He is telling you that he has believed in the sense of affirming the truth, yet does not deserve the designation ‘believer’ when he knows that he falls short