Understanding Eemaan: The Three Branches of Faith in Islam

Eemaan: The Foundation of Islam – Belief, Speech, and Actions

WHAT IS EEMAAN

Eemaan is – belief of the heart, speech of the tongue & actions of the limb.

Imaam shafi’i & imaam bukhaari transmitted an ijmaa'(consensus) in this regard. 

From the methodology of ahlus sunnah- eeman increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. 

There are 3 branches:

• Asl/ the foundational branch of eemaan:
• if asl is not there then you are no longer a believer, you left the fold of Islam.
• kamaalul waajib/the obligatory branch of eemaan: if you leave this, you don’t leave the fold of Islam but you are in a serious situation.
• kamaalul mustahabb/the recommended branch of eemaan: this does not cause you to leave the religion, but it makes you lose the completeness of eemaan.

Allah azzawajal did this categorisation in the quraan, He said: 

ثُمَّ اَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتٰبَ الَّذِيْنَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهٖ ۚ وَمِنْهُمْ مُّقْتَصِدٌ   ۚ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِۢالْخَيْرٰتِ بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِ ۗ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيْرُ 

“Then we caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants; and among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah. That [inheritance] is what is the great bounty.”

[Surah Fatir:32]

• the one who wrongs himself has aslul eemaan but not the other two. 

• the one who is moderate has aslul eemaan & kamaalul waajib but not kamaalul mustahabb. 

• the one who is foremost in good deeds has all three.

Ahlus sunnah wal jama’ah differed among themselves in: what is part of asl ul eeman? What can take the person out of the eeman? 

Is the salah part of asl ul eeman or kamalul waajib?

Imam Ahmad made takfeer of those who left any of the four pillars (After the shahadatayn- which are – salah, zakah, saum and hajj)

Ahlus sunnah did takfeer on people who left salaah and other pillars. [shahaadatayn is from asl ul eemaan-this is agreed upon.] 

❛ANYONE WHO MAKES TAKFEER OF A PERSON OTHER THAN FOR LEAVING THE 4 PILLARS IS OPPOSING AHLUS SUNNAH WAL JAMA’AH.❜

[Taken from the lessons of Ustaadh Abdur Rahman Hassan حفظه الله]