Advice of Scholars - THE BASIS OF RELIGION

Hadrat Imâm-i Rabbânî says in the  17th letter of the third volume of his Maktûbât:

Each religion which Allahu ta’âlâ declared is of two parts: I’tiqâd (belief) and ’amal (worship); that is, îmân and rules. Of them, i’tiqâd is the same in every religion. I’tiqâd is the essence and the basis of the religion. It is the trunk of the tree of religion. And ’amal is like the branches and leaves of the tree.

The i’tiqâds communicated in ancient religions were defiled in the course of time. The only righteous i’tiqâd today is the i’tiqâd which is communicated by the Islamic religion. He who does not have this correct i’tiqâd will not be saved from Hell. It will be impossible for him to escape the torment of the next world.

There is hope for those without ’amal to be saved. They may depend on the mercy of Allahu ta’âlâ, who may forgive them, if He wants, or may torment them to the extent of their sins, if He wants, and then take them out of Hell. Staying eternally in Hell is for those who do not have the correct i’tiqâd as communicated by the Islamic religion, that is, those who do not believe the tenets that are of the Islamic religion, which were communicated by Muhammad (alaihissalâm). Those who have the i’tiqâd, but who do not have ’amal, that is, who do not carry out the rules with their heart and body, will not stay in Hell eternally, though they may go there.

Since the tenets that must be believed are the essentials, the absolutely indispensable basis of Islam, it is necessary for everybody to teach and to learn them. [It is everybody’s first duty to learn them. He who does not learn correct îmân and its rules and who does not teach them to his children has not done his duty as a human being. Everbody has the right to learn them. It is the first of all human rights. ]