Discover the meaning of the term Al-iman (إيمان) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 6 min readIn language: affirmation of the heart. In the Law: belief of the heart and declaration of the tongue. It has been said: whoever testifies, acts but does not believe is a hypocrite; whoever testifies, does not act but believes is a transgressor (fasiq); and whoever violates the testimony is a disbeliever.
With fatha: plural of yamin (oath). With kasra: in language, affirmation in general; it is a masdar of the af'ala pattern, from amana with hamza, to express a state or to be transitive according to the root. As if the affirmer had become safe from being called a liar, or had made the other safe from falsehood and contradiction, in which case it is transitive by itself.
It may also be transitive by the ba, in consideration of the sense of acknowledgment and confession, as in His word: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers"; and by the lam, in consideration of the sense of compliance and acceptance, as in His word: "You are not a believer for us, even if we are truthful". What is meant by affirmation is not establishing in the heart the truth of the report and the reporter without compliance and acceptance, saying: this report is true, or you are truthful, without compliance and acceptance; rather what is meant is the rational affirmation opposed to mere conception, namely assent to the truth of the relation, called in Persian "bakrouidan"; so iman, in language, is assent to the truth of the relation in general. As for its legal meaning, opinions differ.
In language: plural of yamin; and yamin, in language, is strength, as Allah, the Most High, said: "We would have seized him by the right hand".
With fatha of the hamza and sukun of the ya, singular: yamin.
Affirmation. As for its definition as describing the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): to believe in Allah, His angels, His Book, meeting Him, and His messengers, and to believe in the final rising; reported by Muslim. In another version: to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in the decree, its good and its evil.
Legally: affirming the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in what he reported from his Lord, glorified is He. (Ibn Hajar) In the Law: belief of the heart and declaration of the tongue (al-Jurjani). Among the People of Truth: a pact of the heart, a word of the tongue, and deeds of the limbs, increasing with obedience and decreasing with disobedience.
(Ibn Hazm) Among the Malikis: islam; this is the view of al-Bukhari, ath-Thawri, al-Muzani, the companion of ash-Shafi'i, the Zahirites, the view of the Hanafis, and the view of the Ja'faris and Hanbalis. To this comes the noble verse: "Those who believed, the Jews, the Christians and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous deeds shall have their reward with their Lord; no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve" (al-Baqara 62), and it describes everyone who entered the law of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), affirming Allah and the prophethood of His Messenger. Imam Ahmad firmly asserted their difference, and Ibn as-Sam'ani and al-Lalika'i reported this from the People of the Sunna.
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: where iman is used in the place of islam, or the reverse, or one of them is used for both together, it is by way of metaphor. Among the Hanafis: affirming Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in all he brought from Allah, the Most High, whose delivery is known by necessity. Among the Shafi'is: affirmation of the heart.
Among the Hanbalis: word and deed. Among the Ja'faris: it is guidance, what is established in hearts as a quality of islam, and what appears in deed; or: what settles in the heart and rises to Allah, and the truthfulness of deed by obedience and submission to His command. Among the Ibadis: affirming Allah, the Messenger, the Quran, and accepting the well-known tradition; or: knowledge of Allah, His attributes, His angels, and His messengers.
﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَـٰقَكُمْ وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَكُمُ ٱلطُّورَ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍۢ وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ ۖ قَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَأُشْرِبُوا۟ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ بِكُفْرِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُم بِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنُكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾
« And [recall] when We took your covenant and raised over you the mount, [saying], "Take what We have given you with determination and listen." They said [instead], "We hear and disobey." And their hearts absorbed [the worship of] the calf because of their disbelief. Say, "How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you should be believers." »
Surah البقرة : 93
﴿أَمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَسْـَٔلُوا۟ رَسُولَكُمْ كَمَا سُئِلَ مُوسَىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۗ وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ ٱلْكُفْرَ بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ﴾
« Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way. »
Surah البقرة : 108
﴿وَدَّ كَثِيرٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ إِيمَـٰنِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًۭا مِّنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِهِم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ فَٱعْفُوا۟ وَٱصْفَحُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ﴾
« Many of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allah delivers His command. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent. »
Surah البقرة : 109
﴿وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَسَطًۭا لِّتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًۭا ۗ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا ٱلْقِبْلَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنتَ عَلَيْهَآ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يَتَّبِعُ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِمَّن يَنقَلِبُ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ ۚ وَإِن كَانَتْ لَكَبِيرَةً إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَـٰنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِٱلنَّاسِ لَرَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ﴾
« And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful. »
Surah البقرة : 143
﴿وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عُرْضَةًۭ لِّأَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ وَتُصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« And do not make [your oath by] Allah an excuse against being righteous and fearing Allah and making peace among people. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. »
Surah البقرة : 224
﴿لَّا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا كَسَبَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He imposes blame upon you for what your hearts have earned. And Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing. »
Surah البقرة : 225
This term appears in 71 verses of the Quran.