--- title: "What Is Iman? Faith in Islam | Islam Is Mercy" description: "Iman means faith: belief in God, His angels, scriptures, messengers, the Last Day and divine decree — held in the heart and shown in deeds." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/iman/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Glossary](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/) 3. What Is Iman? Faith in Islam # What Is Iman? Faith in Islam Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Iman is the Arabic word for faith. In Islam it means firm belief in God, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the Last Day and divine decree — a conviction of the heart, affirmed by the tongue and shown in actions, which can grow stronger or weaker. ## On this page 1. Meaning 2. Faith in the heart and in life 3. Example **Iman** (Arabic: إيمان) is pronounced *ee-MAAN*. A person who has *iman* is called a *mu’min*, a believer. ## Meaning *Iman* comes from a root meaning safety and trust: to believe in something is to rely on it and feel secure in it. In Islam, *iman* is faith in the unseen truths that God has revealed. The Qur’an describes the faith shared by the Prophet ﷺ and the believers: > ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿٢٨٥﴾ > The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and \[so have\] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, \[saying\], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. \[We seek\] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the \[final\] destination." [Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:285](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=285&translations=20)Saheeh International Together with belief in divine decree (*qadar*), these make up what Muslims call the six articles of faith. ## Faith in the heart and in life For Muslims, *iman* is not only an idea in the mind. It is belief in the heart, declared with the tongue and shown in actions such as prayer, honesty and kindness. Muslims also speak of faith rising and falling: it grows through worship, reflection and good company, and it can weaken through neglect and sin. A believer is therefore encouraged to look after their faith like a garden that needs regular care. *Iman* is closely related to *islam* (submission to God) and *ihsan* (excellence in worship); together they describe the whole of the religion. ## Example *“Ramadan always gives my iman a boost.”* To explore each part of Muslim belief, read [The Six Articles of Faith](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/six-articles-of-faith/) and [What Every Muslim Believes](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/what-every-muslim-believes/). ## Key takeaways - Iman means faith — firm belief held in the heart. - It rests on six articles: God, angels, scriptures, messengers, the Last Day and divine decree. - Faith grows with good deeds and remembrance, and weakens with neglect. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Is%20Iman%3F%20Faith%20in%20Islam%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fiman%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fiman%2F&text=What%20Is%20Iman%3F%20Faith%20in%20Islam)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Is%20Iman%3F%20Faith%20in%20Islam&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fiman%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fglossary%2Fiman%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:285](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=285&translations=20) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [Start Here ### The Six Articles of Faith in Islam What do Muslims believe? The six articles of faith — God, angels, scriptures, prophets, the Last Day and divine decree — explained simply. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/six-articles-of-faith/)[What Muslims Agree On ### What Every Muslim Believes The shared core of Islam in plain words — the beliefs and practices that Muslims everywhere agree on, whatever their school or background. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/what-every-muslim-believes/)[Glossary ### What Is Ihsan? Excellence in Faith Ihsan means excellence: worshipping God as though you see Him, and doing every good deed — to people and creatures — as beautifully as you can. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/ihsan/)