what faith and religion encompass has been prescribed for individuals according to what Allah has commanded each of them and what each has fulfilled of His commands. Thus, believers among earlier and later generations—among the Jews, Christians, Sabians, and believers of Muhammad’s community, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—share faith in Allah and the Last Day, and righteous deeds, as the Quran indicates.
Yet the Jews were required to acknowledge matters that we are not required to acknowledge, such as the obligations and prohibitions of the Torah concerning the Sabbath and the fat surrounding the entrails and kidneys. They were not required to believe in detail in matters concerning Allah’s names and attributes and the descriptions of the Last Day that had not been revealed to them. We, however, are required to believe in matters of this kind that were not obligatory for them. We are also required to acknowledge the five daily prayers, obligatory zakat, pilgrimage to the House, and other matters that form part of our faith but did not form part of theirs. Acknowledging these matters is part of faith by the consensus of the Muslim community. Likewise, acknowledging particular prophets formed part of the faith of those before us, whereas our faith includes acknowledging them only in general.
Among those who dispute with Ahl al-Sunnah, some say that faith, as used in revealed law, retains its linguistic meaning, namely, assent. Others say that it is