الأَعْمَالُthe worksالظَّاهِرَةُapparentفَقَطُonlyهَذِهِtheseلَاnotتَكُونُbeإِيمَانًاfaithإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithالإِيمَانِthe faithالَّذِيthatفِيinالْقَلْبِthe heartبِاللَّهِin Godوَمَلَائِكَتِهِand His angelsوَكُتُبِهِand His booksوَرُسُلِهِand His messengers.فَيَكُونُSo it becomesحِينَئِذٍat that timeبَعْضَsomeالإِيمَانِof the faithفَيَكُونُso it becomesمُسَمَّىa nameأَفْضَلَbetterكَمَاasدَلَّ عَلَيْهِindicated byحَدِيثٌthe Hadithسَعْدٍof Saad.فَلَاSo there is noمُنافَاةٌincompatibilityبَيْنَbetweenالْحَدِيثَيْنِthe two Hadiths.
The apparent works only; these do not constitute faith except with the faith that is in the heart in God, His angels, His books, and His messengers, so it then becomes some of the faith; thus it is named better as indicated by the Hadith of Saad. There is no incompatibility between the two Hadiths.
وَأَمَّاAnd as forتَفْرِيقٍthe differentiationأَحْمَدَof AhmadبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faithفَكَانَhe used to sayتَارَةًsometimesوَتَارَةًand sometimesيَحْكِيhe narratesالْخِلَافَthe differenceوَلَاand notيَجْزِمُhe is certainبِهِof it.وَكَانَAnd he wasإِذَاwhenقَرَنَhe mentionedبَيْنَهُمَاbetween themتَارَةًsometimesيَقُولُhe saysالإِسْلَامُIslamالْكَلِمَةَthe word.وَتَارَةًand sometimesلَاnotيَقُولُhe saysذَلِكَthat,وَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseالتَّكْفِيرَthe takfirبِتَرْكِfor leavingالْمَبَانِيthe foundations.كَانَHe wasتَارَةًsometimesيُكَفِّرُhe declares unbeliefبِهَاwith itحَتَّىuntilيَغْضَبَhe gets angry.وَتَارَةًand sometimesلَاnotيُكَفِّرُhe declares unbeliefبِهَاwith it.قَالَHe saidالْمَيْمُونِيُّAl-Maimuni:قُلْتُI said:يَاOأَبَاAbuعَبْدِ اللَّهِAbdullahتَفَرِّقُyou differentiateبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faith?قَالَHe said:نَعَمَYes.قُلْتُI said:بِأَيِّBy whatشَيْءٍthingتُحَاجُّdo you argue?قَالَHe said:عَامَّةُThe majority ofالأَحَادِيثُthe Hadithsتَدُلُّindicateعَلَىonهَذَاthis,ثُمَّthenقَالَhe said:لَاnotيَزْنِيَhe commits adulteryالزَّانِيُthe fornicatorحِينََwhileيَزْنِيhe commits adulteryوَهُوَand he isمُؤْمِنٌa believer.وَلَاAnd notيَسْرِقُhe stealsالسَّارِقُthe thiefحِينََwhileيَسْرِقُhe stealsوَهُوَand he isمُؤْمِنٌa believer.وَقَالَAnd God said:تَعَالَىthe Most High:قَالَتِThe Bedouins said:الأَعْرَابُthe Bedouinsوَامَنَّاand we believe,قُلْSayلَمْyou have notتُؤْمِنُواbelievedوَلَكِنbutقُولُواsayأَسْلَمْنَاWe have submitted.[الحجرات[ Al-Hujurat::١٤]14]قَالَHe said:وَحَمَادٌAnd HamadبنbinزَيْدٍZaidيَفَرِّقُdifferentiatesبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faith,قَالَhe said:وَحَدَّثَنَاand narrated to usأَبُوAbuسَلَمَةَSalamaالْخُزَاعِيُّthe Khuza'iقَالَhe said:قَالَhe said:مَالِكٌMalikوَشَرِيكٌand Sharik,وَذَكَرَand mentionedقَوْلَهُمْtheir sayingوَقَوْلَand the sayingحَمَادٍof HamadبِنْbinزَيْدٍZaid:فِيaboutفَرْقٍthe differenceبَيْنَbetweenالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِand faith.قَالَأَحْمَدٌ قَالَ: قَالَA man said to me:لَوْIfلَمْnotيَجِئْنَاcome to usفِيinالْإِيمَانِfaithإِلَّاexceptهَذَاthisلَكَانَit would have beenحَسَنًاgood.قُلْتُI saidلِأَبِيto Abuعَبْدِ اللَّهِAbdullah:فَتَذْهَبُAre you goingإِلَىtoظَاهِرِthe apparentالْكِتَابِof the Bookمَعَwithالسُّنَنِthe Sunnas?قَالَHe said:نَعَمَYes.قُلْتُI said:فَإِذَاIfكَانَتِwereالْمُرْجِئَةُthe Murjitesيَقُولُونَsay:إِنَّthatالإِسْلَامَIslamهُوَisالْقَوْلُthe word.قَالُواThey say:هُمْtheyيَصِيرُونَwould makeهَذَاthisكُلَّهُallوَاحِدًاone,وَيَجْعَلُونَهُand they make itمُسْلِمًاa Muslimوَمُؤْمِنًاand a believer,شَيْئًاas one thingوَاحِدًاoneعَلَىonإِيمَانِthe faithجِبْرِيلَof Gabrielوَمُسْتَكْمِلَand the completeالإِيمَانِfaith.قُلْتُI said:فَمِنْSo fromهَاهُنَاhereحُجَّتُنَاis our argumentعَلَيْهِمْ؟against them?قَالَHe said:نَعَمَYes.فَقَدْIndeedذَكَرَhe mentionedعَنْهُabout himالْفَرْقَthe differenceمُطْلَقًاgenerallyوَاحْتِجَاجَهُand his argumentبِالنُّصُوصِwith the texts.وَقَالَAnd saidصَالِحٌSalihبِنُbinأَحْمَدَAhmad:سُئِلَHe was askedأَبِيmy fatherعَنْaboutالإِسْلَامِIslamوَالْإِيمَانِ؟and faith?قَالَHe said:قَالَIbn AbiذِئْبٍDhiyab:الإِسْلَامُIslamالْقَوْلُthe sayingوَالْإِيمَانُand faith.قِيلَIt was said to him:مَاWhatتَقُولُdo you say?أَنْتَ؟You?قَالَHe said:الإِسْلَامُIslamغَيْرُis different fromالإِيمَانِfaithوَذَكَرَand mentionedحَدِيثَthe Hadithسَعْدٍ،of Saad,وَقَوْلَand the sayingالنَّبِيِّof the Prophet.فَهُوَSo heفِيin thisالْحَدِيثِthe Hadithلَمْdid notيَخْتَارْchooseقَوْلَthe sayingمِنْfromقَالَتِthose who say:الإِسْلَامُIslamالْقَوْلُis the word.بَلْRatherأَجَابَhe repliedبِأَنَّthatالإِسْلَامَIslamغَيْرُis different fromالإِيمَانِ،faith asكَمَاasدَلَّ عَلَيْهِindicated byالْحَدِيثِthe Hadithالصَّحِيحِthe authenticمَعَwithالْقُرْآنِ.the Quran.
As for Ahmad's distinction between Islam and faith, he sometimes says it, and sometimes narrates the disagreement and does not assert it. When he paired them, he sometimes says: Islam is the word, and sometimes does not say that. Similarly, in the matter of takfir for abandoning the foundations, he sometimes declares unbelief until he gets angry, and sometimes does not. Al-Maimuni said: I said, 'O Abu Abdullah, do you differentiate between Islam and faith?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'By what do you argue?' He said, 'Most of the Hadiths indicate this.' Then he said, 'A fornicator does not commit adultery while he is a believer, nor does a thief steal while he is a believer.' And God Most High said: "The Bedouins said, 'And we believe,' say, 'You have not believed, but say, 'We have submitted.' [Al-Hujurat: 14] He said: And Hamad bin Zaid differentiates between Islam and faith. He narrated to us Abu Salamah al-Khuza'i, who said Malick and Sharik, and mentioned their saying and the saying of Hamad bin Zaid: There is a difference between Islam and faith. Ahmad said: A man said to me, 'If nothing about faith came to us except this, it would have been good.' I said to Abu Abdullah, 'Do you go by the apparent meaning of the Book with the Sunnas?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'So if the Murjites say that Islam is the saying, they would make all of this one, and they would make a Muslim and a believer one thing based on the faith of Gabriel and the complete faith-' I said, 'So where is our argument against them?' He said, 'Yes.' He has mentioned the general difference and his argument with the texts. Salih bin Ahmad said: My father was asked about Islam and faith. He said: Ibn Abi Dhiyab said, 'Islam is the saying and faith is the action.' It was said to him, 'What do you say?' He said: 'Islam is different from faith.' He mentioned the Hadith of Saad, and the saying of the Prophet. In this Hadith, he did not choose the saying of those who say: Islam is the saying, but he answered that Islam is different from faith, as indicated by the authentic Hadith and the Quran.