Al-Hujuraat (The Inner Apartments)

14. The Bedouin Arabs say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only say: ‘We have submitted [to the Will of Allah],’ for faith has not yet penetrated your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not decrease an iota in reward for your deeds. Indeed, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

The Arabic word a’rab ad hoc connotes those Bedouin Arabs some of whom were believers and they were cherished elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an¹ :

“And of the Bedouin Arabs there are some who believe in Allah and the Last Day.”

Nonetheless, some of who attached more importance to themselves than they deserved despite the fact that they were newly converted to the Islamic faith.

At times the incentive behind conversion to the Islamic faith is attaining or preserving mundane possessions, but that of faith is certainly spiritual. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Pure blood is preserved through conversion to the Islamic faith and marrying Muslims becomes lawful as well, but the reward in the Hereafter will be bestowed based on heart-felt faith.”2

A number of Qur’anic exegets make mention of an occasion of revelation for the blessed Verse in question whose summary will be mentioned herein.

Some people from the tribe of Banu Asad entered Median in one of the years of famine and aspiring to receive aid from the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) they uttered the formula:

“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad (S) is the Messenger of Allah”

and thus addressed the Noble Prophet (S):

“Mounting Arab tribes waged war against you but we have come to you with our families without engaging in fight with you”

and thus they intended to remind the Noble Prophet (S) of their so-called favor.

It was on this occasion that the blessed in question and the following Verses were revealed reminding them that they have nominally converted to the Islamic faith and faith has not penetrated into their hears. Besides, even if they converted to Islam, they should not remind the Noble Prophet (S) of their so-called favors but God Almighty reminds them of His Guidance bestowed upon them.²

The preceding Verse treated of the standard of the values of humanity, namely fear of God Almighty.

Since fear of God Almighty is the fruit of the tree of faith, the faith penetrating the depth of heart, the blessed Verse in question deals with the truth of faith, saying:

“The Bedouin Arabs say: ‘We believe.’ Say: ‘You believe not but you only say: ‘We have submitted [to the Will of Allah],’ for faith has not yet penetrated your hearts.’”

The blessed Verse reflects the difference between Islam and faith, saying that Islam is the outward and legal aspect of faith and whoever utters the formula:

“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad (S) is the Messenger of Allah”

is recognized as a Muslim and is thus obliged to act upon Islamic laws; but faith is a real and inward affair whose place is human heart rather than his tongue and appearance. There might be different incentives, even personal and materials ones, behind Islam but those of faith are necessarily spiritual springing from knowledge and awareness. Such faith is like a tree bearing on whose branches the rejuvenating fruit of fear of God Almighty.

The same theme is clearly expressed by the Noble Prophet of Islam (S):

“Islam is something evident, but faith resides in heart.”4

It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (as):

“It is through Islam that the [purity] of blood is preserved, one’s trust is guaranteed, and marrying him or her will be lawful, but Divine Rewards will be bestowed upon man through his faith.”5 It is in the same vein that according to some traditions, the meaning of Islam is solely restricted to verbal proclamation whereas faith is mentioned as proclamation together with practice.67The same theme is to be found in a different expression in the chapter on “Islam and Faith.”

Fudhayl ibn Sayyar narrated from Imam Sadiq (as):

“Faith accompanies Islam but the opposite is not true [in other words, every believer is a Muslim but every Muslim is not a believer]. Faith resides in heart but Islam is something thereby people act upon the laws of marriage, inheritance, and preservation of blood.”6

The conceptual difference reveals when the twain words are juxtaposed unless the words Islam and faith are applied to the same referent.

The blessed Verse further adds:

“But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not decrease an iota in reward for your deeds. Indeed, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

The Arabic clause la yaltakum

(“He will not decrease an iota in reward”) derives from l-y-t denoting “decrease what is due. The aforesaid clauses actually make a reference to the Qur’anic principle as per which deeds shall be accepted if they are carried out through faith.

The blessed Verse is saying that the token of obedience to Allah’s and His Messenger’s Commands lies in faith them from the bottom of one’s heart and it is solely in this case that your deeds will be of any significance and God Almighty will accept and reward the least of your righteous good deeds and it is through the same faith that He will forgive your sins since He is Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.