Another Chapter on the Same Issue That Islam Is Before Belief

كَتَبْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ مَا هُوَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ مَعَ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ سَأَلْتَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ وَ الْإِيمَانُ هُوَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِاللِّسَانِ وَ عَقْدٌ فِي الْقَلْبِ وَ عَمَلٌ بِالْأَرْكَانِ وَ الْإِيمَانُ بَعْضُهُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَ هُوَ دَارٌ وَ كَذَلِكَ الْإِسْلَامُ دَارٌ وَ الْكُفْرُ دَارٌ فَقَدْ يَكُونُ الْ

“Abd al-Malik ibn A’yan and I wrote to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) asking him, ‘What is belief?’ He then wrote to us. ‘You, may Allah grant you favors, have asked about belief. Belief is affirmation, with the tongue, that is established in the heart and by the deeds of the body. Beliefs are from each other. Belief is a house.

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ وَ الْإِسْلَامِ قُلْتُ لَهُ أَ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ الْإِيمَانِ قَالَ فَأَضْرِبُ لَكَ مَثَلَهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَوْرِدْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْإِيمَانِ وَ الْإِسْلَامِ مَثَلُ الْكَعْبَةِ الْحَرَامِ مِنَ الْحَرَمِ قَدْ يَكُونُ فِي الْحَرَمِ وَ لَا يَكُونُ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ وَ لَا يَكُونُ فِي الْكَعْبَةِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ فِي الْحَرَمِ وَ قَدْ يَكُونُ مُسْلِماً وَ لَا يَكُونُ مُؤْمِناً وَ ل

“I asked the Imam about belief and Islam, inquiring, ‘Is there a difference between Islam and belief?’ The Imam said, ‘I can give an example.’ I said, ‘Please do so.’ He said, ‘The case of belief and Islam is like the Holy Ka’ba and the Sacred precinct. One may have entered the Sacred precinct but not the Holy Ka’ba. O