intend good without knowing what it is. Added to this are conjecture and the pursuit of desires, so that, in reality, neither beneficial knowledge nor beneficial intention remains. Rather, their condition is as Allah Most High said of the polytheists among the People of the Book:
“They will say, ‘Had we only listened or used our reason, we would not have been among the inhabitants of the Blaze.’”
Allah Most High also said:
“We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle—indeed, they are further astray. It is they who are heedless.”
Thus, faith in the heart does not constitute faith through mere affirmation unaccompanied by the heart’s action and what it entails, such as love of Allah and His Messenger. Nor does mere conjecture and desire constitute faith. Rather, the very foundation of faith requires both the heart’s affirmation and the heart’s action. The word īmān (faith) is not synonymous with tasdīq (affirmation), as some people suppose.
For affirmation may be applied to any report. Someone who states something commonly known, such as “One is half of two” or “The sky is above the earth,” may be answered with “You have spoken the truth” and “We affirm that.” But one does not say, using the word for faith, “We believe you” or “We believe in this” unless what is reported concerns something unseen. Thus, regarding the person reporting it, one says, “We believe him,” and regarding what is reported, “We believe in it.” As Joseph’s brothers said:
“But you will not believe us.”
That is, you will not accept and affirm what we say, because they were reporting something he had not witnessed. Other examples include Allah Most High’s words:
“Should we believe you when the lowliest have followed you?”
And His words:
“He believes in Allah and believes the believers.”
And His words:
“Should we believe two human beings like ourselves, while their people serve us?”
And His words:
“If you do not believe me, then leave me alone.”
“Yet none believed Moses except some of the offspring of his people.”
That is, they accepted his word.