أُنزِلَwas revealedإِلَىtoإِبْرَاهِيمَAbrahamوَandإِسْمَاعِيلَIshmaelوَandإِسْحَاقَIsaacوَandيَعْقُوبَJacobوَandالْأَسْبَاطِthe Tribesوَandمَاwhatأُوتِيَwas givenمُوسَىMosesوَandعِيسَىJesusوَandمَاwhatأُوتِيَwas givenالنَّبِيُّونَthe Prophetsمِنfromرَّبِّهِمْtheir Lordلَاnotنُفَرِّقُwe differentiateبَيْنَbetweenأَحَدٍanyoneمِنْهُمْof themوَandنَحْنُweلَهُto Himمُسْلِمُونَare Muslims
It was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to the Prophets from their Lord; we do not differentiate between any of them, and we are Muslims to Him.
فَإِنْSo ifآمَنُواthey believeبِمِثْلِin what is likeمَاwhatءَامَنتُمyou have believedبِهِin it,,فَقَدِthen they haveاهْتَدَواguidedفَإِنBut ifتَوَلَّوْاthey turn away,,فَإِنَّمَاthen they are surelyهُمْtheyفِيinشِقَاقٍdispute,,نَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُAllah will suffice you against themاللَّهُAllahوَandهُوَHeالسَّمِيعُis All-Hearingالْعَلِيمُthe All-Knowing
So if they believe in what is like what you have believed in, then they are guided; but if they turn away, then they are surely in dispute; Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
وَقَالَAnd he saidفِيinالْآيَةِthe verseالأُخْرَىother::﴿وَمَن﴿And whoeverيَبْتَغِseeksغَيْرَother thanالإِسْلَامِIslamدِينًاas a religionفَلَنthen surely notيُقْبَلَwill be acceptedمِنْهُfrom himوَهُوَand he isفِيinالْآخِرَةِthe Hereafterمِنَofالخَسِرِينَthe losers
And he said in the other verse: 'And whoever seeks other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and he is in the Hereafter among the losers.'
وَكَانَAnd thisيَقْتَضِيentailsأَنَّthatكُلَّeveryمَنْwhoeverدَانَadheresبِغَيْرِto other thanدِينٍa religionالإِسْلَامِIslamفَعَمَلُهُthen his deedsمَرْدُودٌare rejected,,وَهُوَand he isخَاسِرٌa loserفِيinالْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter,,فَيَقْتَضِيtherefore, it necessitatesوُجُوبَthe obligation ofدِينِthe religion ofالإِسْلَامِIslamوَبَطْلَانَand the nullification ofمَاwhatسِوَاهُis other than it,لَاnotيَقْتَضِيentailsأَنَّthatالدِّينَreligionهُوَisمُسَمَّىdesignated asالإِيمَانِfaith,,بَلْratherأَمَرَنَاwe were commandedأَنto say::مَامَنَّاwe believeبِاللَّهِin Allahوَandأَمَرَنَاwe were commandedأَنْto say::وَنَحْنُand weلَمْare notمُسْلِمُونَMuslims
And this entails that whoever adheres to a religion other than Islam, his deeds are rejected, and he is a loser in the Hereafter; therefore, it necessitates the obligation of the religion of Islam and the nullification of what is other than it. It does not entail that the religion is designated as faith, rather we were commanded to say: 'We believe in Allah,' and we were commanded to say: 'And we are not Muslims.'
فَكَيْفَSo howنَجْعَلُهُمَاdo we make themوَاحِدًأ؟one?وَإِذَاAnd ifجَعَلُواthey madeالإِسْلَامَIslamوَالإِيمَانَand faithشَيْئًَاsomethingوَاحِدًًا،one,فَإِمَّاeitherأَنْthatيَقُولُوا:they say:الْلَّفْظُthe termمُتَرَادِف،is synonymous,فَيَكُونُthen it isهَذَاthisتَكْرِيرًأa mere repetitionمَحْضًأ،of the same,ثُمَّthenمَدْلولُthe meaningهَذَاof thisاللَّفْظُtermعَيْنًأis identical toمَدْلولُthe meaningهَذَاof thisاللَّفْظ،term,وَإِمَّاorأَنَّْهُمْthat theyيَقُولُواsayبَلْratherأَحَدُone ofاللَّفْظَيْنِthe termsيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىa characteristicصِفَةٍthat isغَيْرَdifferent fromالصِّفَةِthe characteristicالأُخْرَى،other,كَمَاas inأَسْمَاءِthe Namesاللَّهِof Allahوَأَسْمَاءِand the Namesكِتَابِهِ،of His Book,لَكِنَّbutهَذَاthisلَاdoes notيَقْتَضِيentailالأَمْرَthe matterبِهِمَاwith both,جَمِيعًا،all of them,وَلَكِنَّbutيَقْتَضِيit entailsأَنْthatيُذْكَرَmentionتَارَةًsometimesبِهَذَاby thisالوَصْفِ،description,وَتَارَةًand sometimesبِهَذَاby thisالوَصْفِ،description,فَلاso do notيَقُولْsayقَائِل:the one saying:قَدْAllah has ordainedفَرَضَthe obligatoryاللَّهُGodعَلَيْكَupon youالصَّلَوَاتِthe prayersالْخَمْسَfiveوَالصَّلَاةand the prayerالْمَكْتُوبَةthe prescribedوَهَذَاand thisهُوَisهَذَاthisوَالْعَطْفُand conjunctionبِالْصِّفَاتِby the attributesيَكُونُisإِذَاifقَصَدَintendedبَيَانَto clarifyالصِّفَاتِthe descriptionsلِمَاfor whatفِيَهَاis in itمِنَofالْمَدْحِthe praiseأوorالذَّمِّ،the blame,كَقَوْلِهِ:like His saying:وَسَبِّحِand glorifyاسْمَthe Nameرَبِّكَof your Lordالْأَعْلَىthe Most HighالَّذِيWhoخَلَقَcreatedفَسَوَّىand fashionedوَالَّذِيand He Whoقَدَّرَdeterminedفَهَدَىand guided
So how do we make them one? And if they made Islam and faith one thing, either they say the term is synonymous, then this is a mere repetition, and the meaning of this term is identical to the meaning of this term, or they say rather one of the terms indicates a characteristic that is different from the characteristic of the other, as in the Names of Allah and the Names of His Book, but this does not entail the matter with both, but it entails that sometimes it is mentioned by this description, and sometimes by this description; so do not say: 'Allah has ordained upon you the five prescribed prayers, and this is this,' and the conjunction by the attributes is if the intention is to clarify the attributes for the praise or the blame that is in them, like His saying: 'And glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High, Who created and fashioned, and He Who determined and guided.'
وَقَالَAnd Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi said, may Allah have mercy on him: (فَقَد(IndeedبَيَّنَshownاللَّهُAllahفِيinكِتَابِهِHis Bookوَسُنَّةِand the Sunnahرَسُولِهِof His MessengerأَنَّthatالإِسْلَامَIslamوَالْإِيمَانَand faithلَاdo notيَافْتَرِقَانِpart.فَمَنْWhoeverصَدَقَbelievesبِاللَّهِin Allahفَقَدthen he hasآمَنَbelievedبِهِ،in Him,وَمَنْand whoeverآمَنَbelievesبِاللَّهِin Allahفَقَدthen he hasخَضَعَsubmittedلَهُ،to Him,وَقَدand hasأَسْلَمَsubmittedلَهُ،to Him,وَمَنْand whoeverصَامَfastsوَصَلَّىand praysوَقَامَand fulfillsبِفَرَائِضِthe obligatory acts ofاللَّهِAllahوَانْتَهَىand refrainsعَمَّfrom whatنَهَىHe forbadeعَنْهُ،him,فَقَدthen he hasاسْتَكْمَلَcompletedالإِيمَانَfaithوَالْإِسْلَامَand Islamالْمَفْرُوضَthe obligatoryعَلَيْهِ،on him.وَمَنْو whoeverتَرَكَneglectsمِنْofذَلِكَthatشَيْئًاthing,فَلَنْwill notيَزُولَremoveعَنْهُfrom himاسْمُthe nameالإِيمَانِof faithوَلَاnorالإِسْلَامِof Islamإِلَّاexceptأَنَّْهُthat heأَنْقَصَhas diminishedمِنْfromغَيْرِهِothersفِيinالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faithمِنَofغَيْرِotherنُقْصَانٍdecreaseمِنَofالإِقْرَارِacknowledgmentبِأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahحَقٌّis trueوَمَاand whatقَالَHe has saidحَقٌّis the truthلَاnotبَاطِلٌ،false.
And Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi said, may Allah have mercy on him: (Indeed Allah has shown in His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger that Islam and faith do not part. Whoever believes in Allah has indeed believed in Him, and whoever believes in Allah has submitted to Him, and has submitted to Him; and whoever fasts, prays, fulfills the obligatory acts of Allah, and refrains from what He has forbidden him, then he has completed faith and Islam that is obligatory upon him. And whoever neglects any of that, the name of faith or Islam will not be removed from him except that he has diminished from others in faith and Islam without diminishing from the acknowledgment that Allah is true and what He has said is truth, not false.)