Question:
Is there a difference between AQEEDAH AND TASDEEQ, believing and trusting; meaning that belief is 100% but trusting is not?
Answer:
`Aqidah is the general term for belief, of which tasdiq is a part. But tasdiq is not just “trusting”: it means confirmation i.e. with the tongue. One definition of iman goes: “`aqd bil-qalb wa tasdiq bil-lisan wal-`amal bil-arkan” i.e. conviction in the heart; confirmation with the tongue; and deeds with the limbs. However, there is Consensus that the most essential part and the indispensable foundation of Islamic belief is conviction in the heart. Yet the latter is not sufficient to be considered a Muslim and confirmation must be added. Then confirmation becomes insufficient and deeds must join it. In this respect there is a difference between `aqd, tasdiq, and `amal, all of which form belief. Similarly in the hadith of Gibril a difference is made between iman and islam although in a different context one never goes without the other.
Hajj Gibril
