Iman (Faith)
Belief in Allah's oneness, His angels, books, messengers, the Day of Judgment, and divine predestination.
Iman (faith) is the inner foundation of all Islamic worship, including prayer. In Sunni Islam, iman is traditionally defined as believing with the heart, professing with the tongue, and acting with the limbs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) defined iman in the famous Jibril hadith: "That you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine predestination — its good and its evil" (Sahih Muslim).
Imam Abu Hanifah authored "al-Fiqh al-Akbar" (The Greatest Understanding), one of the earliest Sunni theological works that systematically defines the articles of iman. Iman is closely connected with prayer — the Quran calls prayer "iman": "And Allah would not let your iman (i.e., prayers) be lost" (2:143).
Sunni scholars discuss whether iman increases and decreases. The majority, including Imam al-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad, hold that iman rises with obedience and falls with sin, while the Hanafi school traditionally considers the core of iman to be unchangeable. All, however, agree that prayer is the most important manifestation of iman after the declaration of faith.
Related terms
Turbah (Prayer Stone)
A small clay tablet upon which Shia Muslims place their forehead during sujud.
Masjid (Mosque)
The Islamic house of worship, where Muslims gather for congregational prayer.
Tilawah (Quran Recitation)
Recitation of the Quran, which is a central part of prayer and daily worship.
Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Najasah (Ritual Impurity)
Impure substances that must be removed before prayer according to Islamic law.