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
Salat al-Tasbih (The Prayer of Glorification)
A special voluntary prayer with 300 tasbih recitations, recommended for forgiveness of sins.
Laylat al-Mi'raj (The Night of Ascension)
The night when Prophet Muhammad journeyed to the heavens and received the gift of prayer.
Mashhad (Imam Reza's City)
The sacred city in Iran with Imam Reza's shrine, Iran's most visited pilgrimage destination.
Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Kaaba)
The ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba counterclockwise as part of Hajj and Umrah.
Jam' bayn al-Salatayn (Combining Prayers)
The Shia practice of praying Dhuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together.
Tartib (Order in Prayer)
The correct sequence of the prayer's actions and the daily prayers.