According to the majority of Islamic scholars, faith; It consists of acknowledging with the tongue and confirming with the heart .
According to Imam Maturidi , confirmation with the heart alone is sufficient to believe. (see Şerhu’t-Tahaviye, 2/275-Şamile). Such faith can make a person a believer in the sight of Allah. However, in order for a person to be treated as a believer in the world, he must also declare the existence of this faith with his tongue. On the contrary, someone who only confesses with his tongue but does not believe with his heart becomes a hypocrite; Even if he is treated as a believer in this world, he will be treated as an unbeliever in the afterlife. As a matter of fact, our Prophet (pbuh) addressed some hypocrites and said , “O people who have no faith in their hearts and believe only with their tongues!” he said. (cf. Bakıllani, el-Insaf, 1/18-Şamile) . There are similar expressions in the Quran.
According to Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbalis, acting is a complementary element of faith – although it is not the basic principle. According to them, the exact definition of a perfect faith is as follows: Confessing with the tongue, confirming with the heart and acting with the organs. (see Şerhu’t-Tahaviye, 2/275-Şamile).
However, a person who does not act according to these sects does not become a disbeliever. Because deeds are not the main part of faith, but a complementary element that strengthens it. There is no doubt that deeds are an element that strengthens faith and completes it. Because, experience has proven that the situation of the same person when he is busy worshiping Allah is very different from his situation when he is heedless with the love and respect he feels for Allah. (see Gazali, el-Iktisad fi’l-Itikad-Şamile-1/73).
Bediüzzaman also expressed the relationship between deeds and faith as follows:
“It is only worship that makes the rules of belief and faith a faculty by making them firm and stable. Yes, if the conscientious and rational rules of faith are not cultivated and reinforced through worship, which consists of following Allah’s commands and avoiding His prohibitions, their effects and effects will remain weak. The current situation of the Islamic world bears witness to this situation.” (İşaratu’l-İ’caz, -Envar nşr. İst. 1994- p.82).
Action means living the things one believes in, fulfilling what the religion commands, and avoiding the things it prohibits. Actions are closely related to faith. A person first adopts something, believes in its truth, and then lives by doing what he believes. However, deeds are not part of faith. In other words, even if a person does not follow the commands of the religion and does not perform his worship, he is not considered to have abandoned his faith or denied his belief; He just becomes a sinner.
However, deeds and worship strengthen the faith in the heart, increase its effectiveness, and bring a person to perfection and maturity. Failure to do what one’s faith requires will cause the positive effect of faith on human behavior to disappear and weaken over time.
As the effects of faith on human behavior weaken, negative emotions, bad habits, harmful desires and sins cover the emotional world of the person. Sometimes this situation even leads him to disbelief, that is, to losing his faith. Because every evil and sin committed, every deed and action contrary to the orders of religion penetrates the heart and stains and blackens the light of faith. Our Prophet (pbuh) pointed out this situation with the following statements:
“A black stain appears in the heart of someone who commits a sin.” (see Tirmidhi, Tafsiru Surah 83, 1; Ibn-i Mace, Zuhd 29)
As sins are repeated, the blackness in the heart increases and the light of faith gradually weakens. This state continues until the heart completely darkens and hardens and the light of faith fades away completely. That’s why
“In every sin there is a path to unbelief.” (see Nursi, Lem’alar, Second Lem’a) was said.
In fact, there is no fundamental difference between the two sects of Ahl al-Sunnah, the Asharis and the Maturidis . According to both sects, a believer does not abandon religion even if he commits a major sin. The issue of deeds and faith and the nuances regarding the definition of faith in their discussions among themselves are just some of the details they put forward while responding to the false sects that constituted the opposing groups at that time.
