—if you are able to find a way to it.”
He then asked him about faith, and he replied, “Faith is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in the divine decree, its good and its evil.”

On this basis, Islam refers to outward submission, whereas faith refers to inward submission—this when the two terms are mentioned together.

If, however, Islam is mentioned on its own, or faith is mentioned on its own, one of the two automatically includes the other: when only Islam is cited, faith is subsumed under it, and when only faith is cited, Islam is subsumed under it. For that reason the scholars say, “When the two are combined, they separate; and when they separate, they combine.”

Faith, according to the people of the Sunna and the community, is a statement of the tongue, action of the limbs, and conviction of the heart.

With this definition, Islam is likewise encompassed within it: it is a statement of the tongue, action of the limbs, and conviction of the heart—hence Islam is included under faith.

***

Categories of Tawḥīd (the oneness of God)

Question: Because I do not know the categories of tawḥīd and its reality, and because I wish to rid myself of every form of associationism, I would like you to answer this question: What are the categories of tawḥīd, and could you clarify each one?

Answer: May Allah increase your desire for what is good. In truth, your question shows that you care about your creed; and every Muslim must care about his creed, for it is the foundation