Faith (Eiman) is essentially to believe in certain metaphysical, unseen realities. It lends itself to two levels: verbal
attestation and heartfelt conviction.
The first level of faith – legal faith or iman al-fiqhi – is simply the verbal
affirmation in the unity of God, the messengership of Muhammad (SAW), the Hereafter, the Hellfire, the
Paradise, the Resurrection, the Day of Judgment, the Prophets, the Angels, the Divine Books, the
Revelation, etcetera. Anyone who simply professes to believe in these realities is considered a Muslim.
The vast majority of Muslims today have inherited this type of faith from their parents or the surrounding
environment.
The second level of faith – true faith or iman al-haqeeqi – deals with the heartfelt conviction. This is the
level of faith at which the believer consciously asserts and affirms his belief, beyond any shadow of doubt,
in the aforementioned metaphysical realities. It is this type of faith which is actually required of a believer
for it becomes the basis on which he will be judged in the Hereafter.