The Clay from Which the Believers and Unbelievers Are Made

The Clay from Which the Believers and Unbelievers Are Made (additional)

The Clay from which the Believers and Unbelievers are made (additional)

The Messenger of Allah, recipient of divine supreme covenant, Was the First to Respond to the Call of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, and Testify That He Is the Lord

How They Answered While They Were as Small Particles

Creation of the Creatures with Belief in Oneness of Allah in Their Nature

Believers as Offspring of Unbelievers

When Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, Wills to Create a Believer

The Coloring (referred to in the Holy Quran) Is Islam

Serenity Is Belief

Purely Sincere

On the Shari’ a (System of Laws)

The Fundamentals of Islam

Islam Is to Spare Lives (and to Keep the Trust) But Reward Comes From Belief

Belief Is Inclusive of Islam but Islam Is Not Inclusive of Belief

Another Chapter on the Same Issue That Islam Is Before Belief

No name

Belief Spreads In all Parts of the Body

Advancement in Belief

Degrees of Belief

Degrees of Belief (Additional)

Description of Islam

Qualities of a Believer

Description of Belief

Superiority of Belief over Islam and Certainty over Belief

The Essence of Belief and Certainty

Contemplation (Thinking)

The Noble Qualities (of Man)

Excellence of Certainty

To Agree With the Decision (of Allah)

Leaving It to Allah to Be the Person in Charge of Affairs, and Having Trust in Him

Fear and Hope

Hopefulness Toward Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy

To Profess One ’s Shortcomings

Obedience and Piety

Restraint from Worldly Matters (Sins)

Chastity

Abstaining From Unlawful Matters

Fulfilling Obligations

Balanced and Continuous Good Deeds

The Worship

The Intention

Part of Previous Chapter

Moderation in Worship

One Who Has Learned to Receive Rewards from His Lord for a Certain Deed

Patience

Gratitude and Thankfulness

Excellence in Moral Behaviors

Delightful Appearance

Truthfulness and Trust

Bashfulness

Forgiveness

Suppressing one ’s Anger

Forbearance

Silence and Controlling the Tongue

Gentleness in Dealings

Friendliness

Humbleness

Love for the Sake of Allah and Hate for the Sake of Allah

Condemnation of Worldly Matters and Abstaining Thereby

Additional Ahadith on the Above Subject

Contentment

Adequacy

Promptness in Good Deeds

Fairness and Justice

Independence from People

Good Relation with Relatives

Kindness to Parents

Concern for the Affairs of the Muslims, Giving Them Good Advice and to Benefit Them

High Regards for the Elderly

The Believer’s Mutual Brotherhood

The Rights of One Who Accepts the Belief and Then Severs Away

Brotherhood in Belief is not Due to Religion it only is a Way of Recognition

The Rights of a Believer on his Brother (in belief) and his duty to observe Such Rights

Compassion and Leniency

Visiting Brothers (in belief)

Greeting with Handshake

Holding in One ’s Arm

Kissing

Speak of and Remember the Brothers (in belief)

To Please the Believers

Assisting a Believer in his Needs

Endeavor to help a Believer

Relief for the Suffering of a Believer

Providing Food for a Believer

Providing Clothes for a Believer

To Show Kindness to and Honor a Believer

In the Sen’ice of Believing People

Giving Good Advice to the Believers

Improving Good Relations Among People

To Revive the Believer

Inviting one ’s Own People to Belief

Not to Invite People to Belief

Allah Grants Religion only to Whomever He Loves

Sound Religion

Al-Taqiyyah, Guarding and Cautiousness

Silence and Restraint against Publicity

A Believer’s Signs and Qualities

The Rarity of Believers

1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْقَصِيرِ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الإيمَانِ مَا هُوَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ مَعَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ سَأَلْتَ رَحِمَكَ الله عَنِ الإيمَانِ وَالإيمَانُ هُوَ الإقْرَارُ بِاللِّسَانِ وَعَقْدٌ فِي الْقَلْبِ وَعَمَلٌ بِالأرْكَانِ وَالإيمَانُ بَعْضُهُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَهُوَ دَارٌ وَكَذَلِكَ الإسْلامُ دَارٌ وَالْكُفْرُ دَارٌ فَقَدْ يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مُسْلِماً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُؤْمِناً وَلا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِناً حَتَّى يَكُونَ مُسْلِماً فَالإسْلامُ قَبْلَ الإيمَانِ وَهُوَ يُشَارِكُ الإيمَانَ فَإِذَا أَتَى الْعَبْدُ كَبِيرَةً مِنْ كَبَائِرِ الْمَعَاصِي أَوْ صَغِيرَةً مِنْ صَغَائِرِ الْمَعَاصِي الَّتِي نَهَى الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهَا كَانَ خَارِجاً مِنَ الإيمَانِ سَاقِطاً عَنْهُ اسْمُ الإيمَانِ وَثَابِتاً عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ الإسْلامِ فَإِنْ تَابَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ عَادَ إِلَى دَارِ الإيمَانِ وَلا يُخْرِجُهُ إِلَى الْكُفْرِ إِلا الْجُحُودُ وَالإسْتِحْلالُ أَنْ يَقُولَ لِلْحَلالِ هَذَا حَرَامٌ وَلِلْحَرَامِ هَذَا حَلالٌ وَدَانَ بِذَلِكَ فَعِنْدَهَا يَكُونُ خَارِجاً مِنَ الإسْلامِ وَالإيمَانِ دَاخِلاً فِي الْكُفْرِ وَكَانَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَنْ دَخَلَ الْحَرَمَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْكَعْبَةَ وَأَحْدَثَ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ حَدَثاً فَأُخْرِجَ عَنِ الْكَعْبَةِ وَعَنِ الْحَرَمِ فَضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهُ وَصَارَ إِلَى النَّارِ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from ‘Abbas ibn al-Ma’ruf from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn abu Najaran from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qusayr who has said the following: “Abd al-Malik ibn A’yan and I wrote to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) asking him, ‘What is belief?’ He then wrote to us. ‘You, may Allah grant you favors, have asked about belief. Belief is affirmation, with the tongue, that is established in the heart and by the deeds of the body. Beliefs are from each other. Belief is a house. So also, Islam is a house. Rejection (of Islam) is a house. Sometimes a servant (of Allah) is a Muslim before he becomes a believer but he cannot become a believer before becoming a Muslim. Therefore, Islam is before belief and it shares belief. Whenever a servant (of Allah) commits one of the major sins or one of the minor sins that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has prohibited he is out of belief and belief falls off of him but the name ‘Muslim’ still applies to him. When he repents and asks forgiveness he returns to the house of belief. Nothing takes him out to rejection but rejection of what is lawful, such as saying to what is lawful, ‘It is unlawful’ or saying lawful to what is unlawful and living thereby (such attitude) as a religion. In such a case one is out of Islam and belief and is in rejection. It is like one’s entering the Sacred Mosque then the Holy Ka’ba wherein he invents an act of heresy. He then is taken out of the Holy Ka’ba and the Sacred precinct and is decapitated and that turns him to hell (for his act of defiant and treachery).”’ 

2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الإيمَانِ وَالإسْلامِ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الإسْلامِ وَالإيمَانِ قَالَ فَأَضْرِبُ لَكَ مَثَلَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَوْرِدْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ مَثَلُ الإيمَانِ وَالإسْلامِ مَثَلُ الْكَعْبَةِ الْحَرَامِ مِنَ الْحَرَمِ قَدْ يَكُونُ فِي الْحَرَمِ وَلا يَكُونُ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ وَلا يَكُونُ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ فِي الْحَرَمِ وَقَدْ يَكُونُ مُسْلِماً وَلا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِناً وَلا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِناً حَتَّى يَكُونَ مُسْلِماً قَالَ قُلْتُ فَيُخْرِجُ مِنَ الإيمَانِ شَيْ‏ءٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَيُصَيِّرُهُ إِلَى مَا ذَا قَالَ إِلَى الإسْلامِ أَوِ الْكُفْرِ وَقَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً دَخَلَ الْكَعْبَةَ فَأَفْلَتَ مِنْهُ بَوْلُهُ أُخْرِجَ مِنَ الْكَعْبَةِ وَلَمْ يُخْرَجْ مِنَ الْحَرَمِ فَغَسَلَ ثَوْبَهُ وَتَطَهَّرَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُمْنَعْ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْكَعْبَةَ وَلَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً دَخَلَ الْكَعْبَةَ فَبَالَ فِيهَا مُعَانِداً أُخْرِجَ مِنَ الْكَعْبَةِ وَمِنَ الْحَرَمِ وَضُرِبَتْ عُنُقُهُ. 

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a ibn Mihran who has said the following: “I asked the Imam about belief and Islam, inquiring, ‘Is there a difference between Islam and belief?’ The Imam said, ‘I can give an example.’ I said, ‘Please do so.’ He said, ‘The case of belief and Islam is like the Holy Ka’ba and the Sacred precinct. One may have entered the Sacred precinct but not the Holy Ka’ba. One cannot enter the Holy Ka’ba before entering the Sacred precinct. One may become a Muslim but he may not yet be a believer. However, one cannot become a believer before becoming a Muslim.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Can one go out of belief to anything?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘What then does one become?’ He said, ‘One may go out to Islam or rejection (disbelief).’ He then said, ‘If a man enters the Holy Ka’ba and his urine comes out he is taken out of the Holy Ka’ba but he will not be taken out of the Sacred precinct. He washes his cloth and purifies and then he is not stopped from entering the Holy Ka’ba. However, if a man enters the Holy Ka’ba and urinates therein out of animosity he is taken out of the Holy Ka’ba and the Sacred Mosque and is decapitated.’” 

Al-Kāfi - Volume 2

Book 1, Chapter 16