Question:
What is the difference between Iman and Islam?
Answer:
Iman is Islam and Islam is Iman (i.e. have the same meaning when used) in general contexts, because Iman refers to the belief of the heart and all that belongs to Islam of words and deeds. Likewise, Islam is submission and obedience to Allah by Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/monotheism), sincere devotion to Allah, obedience to His Commands, and avoidance of His Prohibitions. Thus, when they are used in general context, they bear the same meaning. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: “Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.” [Aal Imran: 19] This means that Iman is also included in it.
However, when they are used together in the same context, Islam refers to the evident deeds and Iman refers to the deeds of the heart. If they are both discussed as in the Hadith of Jibril (Gabriel) when he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the meaning of Islam and Iman, the Prophet explained that Islam refers to the apparent deeds, such as Shahadah (Testimony of Faith), Salah (Prayer), Zakah (obligatory charity), Sawm (Fast), and Hajj (pilgrimage) and he explained Iman to mean the belief of the heart, saying: “[Iman is to] believe in Allah, His Angels, Books, Messengers, the Last Day, and the Divine Decree, be it good or bad.”
This is the difference between them when they are both used in the same context to refer to different matters. Therefore, Islam refers to the apparent acts and Iman refers to the beliefs of the heart, but disbelief in any of them includes the other. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Iman has seventy-odd branches, the highest of which is saying La ilaha illa Allah and the least of which is removing a harmful thing from the road. And modesty is a part of Iman.”
Iman has more than seventy branches, including Islam. That is why he mentioned among the branches of Iman the best of it, which is saying: “La ilaha illa Allah.” This is the main pillar of Islam. This indicates that when the word ‘Iman’ is used indefinitely, it includes Islam and when the word ‘Islam’ is used indefinitely, it includes Iman according to the view of Ahl-ul-Sunnah (adherents to the Sunnah).