What is the difference between professing faith with the tongue and believing in the heart?
2026-10-13
F157 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn
الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
The answer distinguishes outward worldly rulings from what is between a person and Allah. Retain the stated exception for inability to speak; this is not a judgment on a particular person’s hidden faith.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
فضيلة الشيخ، ما الفرق بين الاعتراف باللسان والقلب، وهل يلزم الجمع بينهما؟
الجواب
الفرق بين الاعتراف بالقلب واللسان ظاهر، فإن الناس من يعترف بلسانه دون قلبه كالمنافقين، فالمنافقون يقولون عنهم: ﴿إذا جاءك المنافقون قالوا نشهد إنك لرسول الله﴾ [المنافقون:1]، لكن قال الله تعالى: ﴿والله يعلم إنك لرسوله والله يشهد إن المنافقين لكاذبون﴾ [المنافقون:1]، هؤلاء اعترفوا بألسنتهم دون قلوبهم، وقد يعترف الإنسان بقلبه، لكن لا ينطق به، وهذا الاعتراف لا ينفعه بالنسبة لنا ظاهرا، أما فيما بينه وبين الله فحكمه إلى الله، لكنه في الدنيا لا ينفعه، ولا يحكم بإسلامه ما دام لا ينطق بلسانه، اللهم إلا أن يكون عاجزا عن ذلك، عجزا حسيا أو حكميا، فقد يعامل بما تقتضيه حاله، فلا بد من الاعتراف بالقلب واللسان.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic answer. Not an official translation.
Original question
Esteemed Shaykh, what is the difference between acknowledgement with the tongue and in the heart? Must both be combined?
Answer
The difference between acknowledgement in the heart and with the tongue is clear. Some people acknowledge with their tongues but not their hearts, such as the hypocrites. Allah says concerning them: “When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We testify that you are indeed Allah’s Messenger” [al-Munafiqun 63:1]. Yet Allah says: “Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are certainly liars” [al-Munafiqun 63:1]. They acknowledged with their tongues but not their hearts. A person may acknowledge in his heart but not express it verbally. That acknowledgement does not benefit him with respect to our outward dealings with him. As for what is between him and Allah, his judgment belongs to Allah. However, it does not benefit him in this worldly ruling, and he is not judged to be Muslim while he does not express it verbally—unless he is unable to do so, whether through a physical incapacity or an incapacity recognised in the ruling. He may then be treated as his circumstances require. Thus acknowledgement in both the heart and the tongue is required.
Source and editorial notes
Fiqh al-ʿIbādāt, 13th edition, 1441 AH, question 14, pp.33–34
فقه العبادات
Fiqh al-ʿIbādāt
Arabic transcribed and compared against the cited scan and adjacent context.