“It is He Who has created you. However, (inspite of this) some among you are kaafir and some among you are Mu'min.”

[ Aayat 2 Surah Taghaabun ]

“Whoever practises righteous deeds, be it male or female, while he (or she) is a Mu'min, verily, they (Believers) will enter Jannat.”

[Aayat 124 Surah Nisa]

“Those who are kaafir – their (good) deeds are like glittering sand in a plain, which a thirsty person thinks to be water (i.e. like a mirage). But when he (the thirsty one) reaches it, he finds it to be nothing….”

[ Aayat 39 Surah Noor ]

The first Aayat cited above asserts that mankind is divided into two groups, viz., Kaafir and Mu'min . The Kaafir or unbeliever is the one who is ungrateful to Allah . His transgression is rebellion and treason against his Creator. For the kuffaar , the punishment is severe. The Qur'aan Shareef says:

“And for the kaafireen is a disgraceful punishment.”

[ Aayat 90 Surah Baqarah ]

About the disastrous punishment awaiting the kaafireen , the Qur'aan Shareef says:

“They (the unbelievers) will remain therein (in the Fire) forever. The punishment will not be lightened for them…”

The Mu'min or believer is the one who is grateful to Allah . He submits to the command of Allah . For the Mu'mineen , the reward is great. Lofty mansions, peace and perpetual happiness are in store for Believers. The Qur'aan Shareef says:

“Those who have Imaan and practise righteousness, they will be in the Gardens of Paradise.”

[ Aayaat 22 Surah Shuraa ]

It is abundantly clear from the second aayat cited at the beginning, that righteous deeds are acceptable to Allah only if Imaan is present. Without Imaan , righteous deeds are not accepted for reward in the Aakhirah , hence the aayat says: “While he (or she) is a Mu'min.” Thus the basis of acceptable virtuous deeds is Imaan . Entry into Jannat - Najaat in the Aakhirah - is dependent on Imaan according to the Qur'aan Shareef.

The third aayat cited at the beginning states explicitly that righteous deeds of the kuffaar are of no significance in so far as the Aakhirah is concerned. Righteous deeds on the foundations of kufr resemble mirages. Such righteousness is not acceptable to Allah .

We realize from the Qur'aan Shareef and the Ahaadith that the most valuable treasure is Imaan and the greatest calamity is Kufr . Everlasting bliss is the result of Imaan while everlasting damnation is the consequence of Kufr .

What is Imaan and what is Kufr ? It is of vital importance to understand properly the Islamic conceptions of Imaan and Kufr . Salvation in the Hereafter pivots on Imaan while perpetual loss and disaster will be the compensation of Kufr . A thorough understanding of these two concepts is thus imperative.

In these times of liberalism, ignorance and materialism great havoc has been wrought to the pure Imaan of numerous Muslims not versed in Islamic knowledge. The modernists, heavily influenced by westernism with its accompaniment of kufr theories, have thrown many Muslims into confusion and doubt by attributing fanciful interpretations to Imaan . The clear, explicit and well-defined Islamic concept of Imaan has been made to appear as incorporating all theories and views of kufr . On the basis of such ambiguous Imaan , one subscribing to kufr remains a Muslim in the opinion of modernists.

In view of this lamentable situation, there is a dire need for a thorough explanation of the Islamic concepts of Imaan and Kufr so that Muslims become aware of the snares of deception strewn about them- snares which will entrap them, destroy their Imaan and their Aakhirat . This book, Kitaabul Imaan , by the grace of Allah , presents the correct Islamic meanings of Imaan and Kufr . In our opinion great advance in combating kufr will be made if Kitaabul Imaan is introduced to Madressah children. A child thoroughly grounded in the details of Imaan will, Insha'Allah , remain firm in Imaan when later exposed to the incessant torrents of kufr theories and kufr practices which accompany western education and technology.

Imaan is a very delicate entity. Its development and adornment are dependent on steadfast and constant adherence to all aspects of the Shari'ah . Hence, it will be observed that in almost all instances where Imaan is mentioned in the Qur'aan Hakeem, it ( Imaan ) is coupled with A'maal-e-Saalihaat (virtuous deeds), e.g.

“Those who have embraced Imaan and practised righteous deeds, for them is Bliss and a beautiful(i.e. successful) Return (back home to Jannat).”

Minus virtuous deeds, Imaan is shorn off its glitter and vitality. It is weakened dismally. It is for this reason that Muslims in our day, bereft of piety and deficient in Imaan , behave with utter recklessness in the utterance of statements and conclusions –views and opinions which are in conflict with Imaan and Islaam .

By entertaining and uttering the notorieties of liberalism spawned by western material education, Muslims not only violently jar their Imaan , but in fact destroy and eliminate it. This destruction of Imaan manifests itself at the time of maut (death).

At times we find even a pious man, towards the end of his life, committing Kufr or on the threshold of maut he utters Kufr and dies as a Kaafir . People are surprised by such a calamitous event since the dying man was known to be a man of piety. What then induced him to utter Kufr at the moment of his meeting with Allah? What caused him to ruin his everlasting salvation after a lifetime of piety? In fact, his Kufr was not a last moment development. He did not in reality become a Kaafir at the end of his life. He was indeed a life-long Kaafir even though he performed Salaat , paid Zakaat , preformed Hajj and fasted. He had no Imaan in his heart. His Imaan was eliminated long ago by his beliefs of Kufr . Now at death the futility of his righteous deeds and the Kufr latent in him became manifest. He was merely constrained by the reality of the post-maut realm to proclaim his hidden Kufr . It was finally revealed that his “righteous” deeds were nothing but mirages as the Qur'aan says:

“Those who commit Kufr, their (righteous) deeds are like glittering sand in a plain. A thirsty man thinks it to be water, but when he reaches there, he finds it to be nothing…”

May Allah protect our Imaan . Rasoolullah (SAW) said:

“Imaan is suspended between hope and fear”