The Entirety of Faith is Deed

Taken from Ibn Rajab’s Explanation of al-Bukhârî’s Kitâb al-Îmân

al-Bukhârî said,

18 – The chapter of whoever said, “Surely faith is ‘deed’,” due to Allah’s statement, exalted is He, «And that is the Paradise which you inherited because of what you used to do» (43:72). Regarding His, mighty and sublime is He, statement, «Thus by your Lord, We will certainly ask them all about what they used to do» (15:92), a number of the people of knowledge said [that] “[it is] concerning the statement: there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.” And He said, «For the likes of this, then let the doers do» (37:61).

Then he brought out the hadîth:

26 – [From] Abî Hurairah: that the Prophet, may Allah send salutations and peace upon him, was asked, “Which deed is most virtuous?” He said, «Faith in Allah and His messenger.» It was said, “Then what?” He said, «Jihâd[1] in Allah’s path.» It was said, “Then what?” He said, «A validated Hajj.[2]»

al-Bukhârî’s aim with this chapter is [to show] that the entirety of faith is ‘deed’; in contradiction to the statement of [those] who said, “Surely ‘deed’ is absolutely not [included] in faith.” For indeed faith’s root is attestation of the heart and what al-Bukhârî affirmed has preceded: that the heart’s attestation is an earning and a deed for it. This attestation is followed by the statement of the tongue. Here, al-Bukhârî’s aim is that it is also called ‘deed’. As for the deeds of the limbs, then there is no doubt in their inclusion in the name of ‘deed’ and there is no need to affirm that because no one differs in it. Thus, all of faith—according to what he affirmed—becomes ‘deed’.