The definition of Iman

The linguistic meaning of Iman

The word ايمان comes from the word امن. The word امن is the opposite of خوف.

For example in the Quran;

الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ

Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe, [saving them] from fear. Quran 106:4

When the word امن is used in باب افعال it becomes ايمان. The speciality of this scale is تعدي. In this case it will mean to make someone safe.

Usage of the word Iman

The words ايمان is used in 4 different ways in the arabic language:

1. From باب افعال meaning removal of fear. This usage is sometimes with:

  • One مفعول e.g. آمنته meaning i made him free of fear
  • Two مفعول without حرف جر e.g. آمنته غيري meaning I got rid of his fear from something
  • Two مفعول with حرف جر e.g. آمنهم من خوف meaning he saved them from fear

2. Can be used with a ب from the حروف جر giving the meaning of تصديق

e.g. آمنت بالله meaning I believe in Allah

3. Can be used with ل from the حروف جر giving the meaning of تصديق with انقياد (to be subservient) e.g.

 قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الْأَرْذَلُونَ 

“They said, “Should we believe [and be subservient to] you while you are followed by the lowest [class of people]?”. Quran 26:111

4. Can be used with على from the حروف جر giving the meaning of تصديق and اعتماد (reliance).

Note: This usage is very rare. Allama Kashmiri says after searching high and low he has only found one narration in the hadith of Bukhari:

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ نَبِيٌّ إِلاَّ أُعْطِيَ مَا مِثْلُهُ آمَنَ عَلَيْهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللَّهُ إِلَىَّ فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.” Sahih al-Bukhari 4981, Book 66, Hadith 3, كتاب فضائل القرآن

The shariee definition of Iman

The shariee definition of ايمان as found in Ruh al-Ma’ani is:

تصديق بما علم مجي النبي به ضرورة، تفصيلا في ما علم تفصيلا، اجمالا في ما علم اجمالا

This is the definitive definition as agreed upon by the jamhoor, ahl al-ilm, Ahnaf and mutakalimeen.

The word ضرورة signifies ilm al-yaqeen (details below).

The word تفصيلا signifies the detail in a piece of information.

The word اجمالا signifies the undoubted information which can deduced.

For example:

    • We believe in all the prophets which Allah has sent, although we do not know everyone of them. This is أجمالا, as it is undoubted that Allah sent many prophets as mentioned in the Quran.
    • We believe in the prophets Ibrahim, Musa, Isa etc. this is تفصيلا, as it is more specific to details.

How do you get Ilm al-yaqeen?

  1. To hear direct from the Prophet (saw) or be present when the incident happened. For a sahabi this is Qati, for us it becomes zanni because of isnad
  2. Through mutawatir narrations.

The sahaba had both of these means to establish ilm al-yaqeen, we only have the second type.

If someone (negates or) makes inkar of a mutawatir ruling then this may be tantamount to kufr.

Tawatur is of four types:

1. Tawatur bil Isnad – The information is mutawatir because of the sanad. There is such a large number of people narrating this that it is impossible for them all to have colluded upon a lie.

For example:

مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

Whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then (surely) let him occupy, his seat in Hellfire. Sahih al-Bukhari 107, Book 3, Hadith 49, باب إِثْمِ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

Hafiz Iraqi says that more than 70 sahaba have narrated this hadith

2. Tawatur bil Amal – the action has become so widespread in every generation, even though there maybe no isnad for it, that it is impossible for there to be تواتر علي الكذب

For example: the order of the arkaan for salah, the number of rakat in each salah etc.

3. Tawatur al-tabaqah – This is similar to (2) above but rather than an action, a belief has become mutawatir in every era, such that it is impossible for the to be تواتر علي الكذب.

For example: Belief that the Quran is the book of Allah

4. Tawatur al-qadr al-mushtarak, also referred to as tawatur al-ma’nawi – this is when there is agreement to certain aspects of an incident, but ambiguity with regards to the details.

    • For example: If there was a cat in a building, the people might differ as to where the cat went, whether it went next to the window or on top a table etc. but the qadr mushtarak is that there was a cat inside the building.
    • For example: There is differing opinion as to how much Hatim Tay gave in charity, whether it was 100 camels, or 100 dirhams, but the qadr mushtarak is that Hatim Tay was generous.
    • For example: The punishment of the grave is proven through khabr wahid. We know that there will be punishment in the grave, but the details to it are disputed.
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