and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is they who are truthful.” He also says:

“The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, whose faith increases when His verses are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord.”

There are also all the other texts that deny faith to those who lack the qualities He has mentioned. For many Muslims are Muslims both inwardly and outwardly and possess a general assent, yet do not possess this faith. Allah Most High says:

“Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him.”

And He says:

“And I have approved Islam for you as your religion.”

He did not say, “Whoever seeks knowledge, recognition, assent, and faith other than Islam”; nor did He say, “I have approved Islam for you as assent and knowledge.” Islam belongs to the category of religion, action, obedience, submission, and humility. Thus, whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will not have it accepted alongside Islam. Faith, by contrast, is tranquillity and certainty, rooted in knowledge, assent, and recognition; religion follows from it. One says, “I believe in Allah,” and “I submit to Allah.” Moses said:

“O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him, if you are Muslims.”

If the two terms denoted the same thing, this would be repetition. The same applies to His words:

“Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women.”

He likewise mentions the truthful, the patient, and the humble. The believer possesses all these qualities, but these terms do not have the same general or specific scope as faith.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say:

“O Allah, to You I submit, in You I believe, in You I put my trust, to You I turn, by Your aid I contend, and to You I turn for judgment.”

It is established in the two Sahīh collections that he would say this when he rose to pray at night. It is also established in Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere that he would say during prostration:

“O Allah, to You I prostrate, in You I believe, and to You I submit.”

And when bowing, he would say: “To You I bow, and to You