11. The true Muslim believes that man must work out his salvation through the guidance of God.

This means that in order to attain salvation a person must combine Faith and action, belief and practice. Faith without action is as insufficient as action without Faith. In other words, no one can attain salvation until his Faith in God becomes dynamic in his life and his beliefs are translated into reality. This is in complete harmony with the other Islamic articles of Faith. It shows that God does not accept lip service, and that no true believer can be indifferent as far as the practical requirements of Faith are concerned. It also shows that no one can act on behalf of another or intercede between him and God (see, for example, the Qur’an, 10:9-10; 18:30; 103:1-3).

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ بِإِيمَانِهِمْ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ الأَنْهَارُ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ  دَعْوَاهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلاَمٌ وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنْ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلاً﴾ ﴿وَالْعَصْرِ  إِنَّ الإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ  إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

The differences between ‘Islam’ and ‘belief’ (iman) have frequently been the subjects of discussion among Islamic scholars. One group has said that they are the same, while another has said that they are not the same, but that there cannot be one without the other. They have expressed various ideas similar to this. I myself have understood the following difference:

Islam is preference, while belief is a conviction. To put it another way, Islam is taking the part of the truth and is submission and obedience to it, and belief is acceptance of and assent to the truth. Long ago I saw certain irreligious people who fervently supported the injunctions of the Qur’an. That is to say, such people by in one respect taking the part of the truth were Muslim, and were called “irreligious Muslims.” Then later I saw certain believers who did not show any support for the injunctions of the Qur’an they did not take the part of them, and they reflected the term “non-Muslim believers.”

Can belief without Islam be the means of salvation?