Momin Vs Muslim Any difference? or just a Myth

 

                        

Momin Vs Muslim What's the difference

Bismillah hir Rahman Nir Raheem

My Lord, expand for me my chest [with assurance] And ease for me my task And untie the knot from my tongue That they may understand my speech. Ameen

Momin and Muslim, it is common belief that Momin has a higher status than a Muslim. Although it's wrong and this is fundamental of faith. In this blog I will try my level best to explain the difference among both. When I was little the first I heard about this was, I guess I was in 7th or 8th grade, we friends were discussing something and I said that Prophet SAW said that "a Momin doesn't lie". They started laughing "ohhh so you are a Momin!" and all that I didn't understand it then but later on I came to realise it.

One would say so what! if one believes that Momin is someone higher and Muslim is someone lower. The problem which arises is that they than split the commandments saying this is for if you want to become Momin and this is for us Muslims....😐😐

Let's break it down, Momin comes from the word Iman, normally in English the word faith is used for it and Muslim from the word Islam. First we need to understand the meaning of these two words.

What is Iman (Faith)?

In Arabic Iman is derived from 'a m n' means peace, trust, security and safety. In true spirit this word means certainty, belief and trust. The certainty which has the properties of fear, trust and belief is called Iman. Now the opposite of Iman is doubt even a small amount of doubt destroys the whole of Iman. In plain or normal language Iman is to know and to believe. (Let's keep it short and to the point)

What is Iman Majmil and Iman Mufasil?

Iman Majmil: I believe in Allah, as He is known by His names and attributes, and I accept (to obey) all his commands, by pledging with my tongue and testifying them with my heart.

Iman Mufasil: I believe 

1. in Allah, 
2. His Angles, 
3. His Books, 
4. His Messengers, 
5. the Last Day, 
6. Taqdeer that all the good and bad is from Allah the Most High and
7.  I believe in resurrection after death.

In simple words a person who believes in Allah, His Ayah, His Prophets, His commandments and remains completely satisfied and pleased with His decisions after handing over everything to Him is Momin.

What is Islam?

I will keep it real short, meaning of Islam, it came from the word 's l m' in short Islam means  to surrender one self or peace and when one surrenders his will to Allah we say he has accepted Islam.

What is the difference between Iman and Islam?

Now for this we will take the help of Hadith which is known as Hadith e Jibril. If you guys don't know what Hadith Jibril is, once the Prophet SAW was sitting with his companions and a man came and asked Prophet some question this man was Hazrat Jibril AS.

In these questions he also asked Prophet what is Iman and what is Islam.

"...Gabriel came and asked, "What is Iman?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, 'Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Apostles, and to believe in Resurrection."

Then he further asked, "What is Islam?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan...."

Sahih Bukhari 50

 Now if you have read this closely you might have already gotten the answer to this. Iman is everything related to believe and Islam is all related to doing deeds.

If we analyse the Dua which we recite in the funeral prayer

Allaahumma ighfir lihaayina wa mayitina wa shaahidina wa ghaa’ibina wa sagheerina wa kabeerina wa dhakarina wa unthaana. Allaahumma man ahyaytahu minna fa ahyihi ‘ala’l-Islam wa man tawaffaytahu minna fa tawiffahu ‘ala’l-eemaan. 

O Allaah, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present among us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allaah, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive on Islam, and whoever You cause to die, cause him to die with Iman.

Those who die let them die with Iman because he/she cannot do any further deeds so his believe should be strong. Secondly those who are alive keep them alive on Islam, the deeds, allow them to do good deeds.

Those who have Iman are Momin and those who have Islam are Muslim. If a person don't believe and he do some good deed will it be acceptable? If a person says well this Salah is nothing but as people are praying lets pray will it be beneficial or most importantly acceptable??

and vice versa if a person has belief that one should pray Salah but doesn't physically pray will this be acceptable???

Both these components are important and they make the whole Deen.

Now let's talk about how this confusion started where people started thinking that momin is a higher status and muslim is a lower status. This started from a verse of Quran

The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You do not believe but say, We submit; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Apostle, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

[Al Hujurat 49:14]

Now in this ayah the Arabic word used for believe is آمَنَّا and for we submit is أَسْلَمْنَا due to which most of the scholars have translated to believe into Iman and to submit into Islam and some have even used Momin and Muslim. In reality these words Amanna and Aslamna are used in their original literal meaning to believe and to surrender. As you look into the detail of this verse it is referring to those bedouin muslims who literally became Muslims in term of submitting they saw the power of Muslims and they submitted and became Muslims so that they would not have to fight with them. 

Let's suppose for an instance that Momin is a higher rank than the Muslim than why is Prophet Ibrahim A.S asking Allah to make him Muslim in this ayah and remember this dua is being made while they were building Kabah 

Lord, make us Muslims (one who submits himself to God) and from our descendants make a Muslim nation. Teach us the rules of worship and accept our repentance; You are All-forgiving and All-merciful.

[Al Baqarah 2:128]

If there was any difference wouldn't the Prophet had explained it??

Iman + Islam = Deen

O Allah! Enable us to see the Truth as Truth and give us the ability to follow it. And show us the falsehood as false and give us the ability to refrain from it. Ameen