Faith comprises words, deeds and intentions

Question
Assalamu Alaikum Shaykh. I am sending this question on behalf of some family mem
bers who state that they have a solid belief in Allah but who don't see a need o
r reason to follow all Quranic/Prophetic commandments. For example, they say tha
t Islam is truly in their hearts and that they turn to Allah in gratitude and re
pentance with all humility, but when it comes to hijab, mixed get-togethers, mus
ic and movies, they just do what the world around them is doing. They say that i
n the western countries they live in, by doing all this, they are portraying a m
ore positive image of Islam by not actually displaying their Islamic side in pub
lic whereas they fast, pray and perform their basic Islamic duties. They reason
that it is enough to have belief and the right intention to do any action as the
y see fit and that nothing can harm them if these are in place. I don't think th
at this is right but when I advice them to base their actions on the Quranic and
Prophetic prescriptions, rules and regulations, they say that if by not followi
ng that they are going to Hell, they leave it to Allah! How do I convince them t
hat belief without right action as prescribed is not enough? May Allah reward yo
u. Wassalam, Lisha.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi w
a sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.
Ahlus-Sunnah (the people of the Sunnah) agreed in consensus that faith consists
of words and deeds and that it increases by obedience and decreases by sins. Ima
am Ash-Shaafi'i may Allaah have mercy upon him said, The consensus that rea
ched us from the Companions and their followers after them is that faith is word
s and actions and intention; one of the three is not sufficient without the othe
rs.
Al-Baghawi said in Sharh As-Sunnah: The Companions and their followers and the Su
nni scholars who came after them all agreed that actions are part of faith... an
d they said that faith is words and actions and creed.
They have much evidence that actions are included in the term faith, among which
is the saying of Allaah (which means): {And never would Allaah have caused you
to lose your faith} [Quran 2:143]; i.e. your prayer; Al-Haleemi said: The interpr
eters of the Quran agree in consensus that Allaah means your prayer towards Jeru
salem, so this confirms that the prayer is faith. Given that this is the case, t
hen every act of obedience is faith because I do not know any difference about t
his terminology between prayer and other acts of worship.
Among the evidence from the Sunnah is the hadeeth by Abu Hurayrah may Allaah
be pleased with him in which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam (
may Allaah exalt his mention ) said, Faith consists of more than seventy branche
s, the best of which is saying 'La Ilaaha Illa Allaah' (None has the right to be
worshipped but Allaah) and the lowest of which is the removal of something caus
ing harm from the road, and bashfulness is a branch of Faith. [Al-Bukhaari and Mu
slim]
Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Kitaab as-Salaah (the Book of Prayer): Faith is a principle
that has several branches, and each branch is called faith: the prayer is part
of faith as well as zakaah, Hajj, fasting, and hidden actions, such as bashfulne
ss and relying on Allaah
Some deviated sects excluded actions from faith, as they say, Sins do not harm if
there is faith; likewise, an act of obedience does not benefit if there is kufr

(disbelief). This is false and it is refuted by the previous evidence. Daring to

commit sins is not compatible with claiming that one has perfect faith. If a pe
rson disobeys Allaah, then this is evidence of the weakness of his faith, so his
faith decreases because of this sin. Allaah looks at the heart and actions of a
person. Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that the Pro
phet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: Ve
rily, Allaah does not look at your appearance or your wealth; rather, He looks a
t your hearts and actions. [Muslim]
Al-Hasan Al-Basri may Allaah have mercy upon him said, Faith is not wishful
thinking or an outward appearance; rather, it is what settles in the heart and
is followed by action.
Indeed, you did well by being keen on guiding your family, so you should persist
on this. You should be kind and lenient with them and clarify the truth to them
in a gentle manner in light of what we have mentioned. We advise you to supplic
ate Allaah to guide them and enable them to do whatever He likes and is pleased
with. For more benefit, please see Fataawa 16844 and 53349.
Their claim that their purpose is to soften the hearts of non-Muslims to Islam t
hrough these methods that Islam does not approve of is baseless. Allaah did not
make sins a means for conveying His religion and spreading His dawah (proselytiza
tion). The people who may influence non-Muslims and encourage them to embrace Is
lam are those who are firm on the principles of Islam, not those who flatter non
-Muslims at the expense of their own religion. For more benefit, please refer to
Fatwa 86477.
Allaah Knows best.