First: submission to Allah through tawhid. Second: yielding to Him in obedience. Third: disavowal of whatever opposes tawhid and obedience, namely shirk. Fourth: disavowal of the people of shirk. When these qualities are fulfilled you are a Muslim, but if even one of them is missing you are not deemed a Muslim. With these three expressions the shaykh has summarized the definition of Islam—and how many people do not know the meaning of Islam simply because they have never learned it! Were one to ask them, “What is Islam?” they would be unable to give a correct answer. (29) The word maratib means “degrees” or “levels,” for, as we have said, the religion is composed of three ascending levels: first Islam, then iman (faith), and finally ihsan (spiritual excellence).