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al-isl§m and al-Êm§n 23Disproving the Conventional UnderstandingWe will now turn to the text of the Qur"an, which—according toour terminology—is called the Book. 1 Let us first agree that Allah’srevelation is free from error and (human) interpolation. Let us alsoagree that we must identify the meaning of the terms al-isl§m andal-Êm§n by locating them in the context in which they appear in theBook. It will then immediately become clear that the traditional definitionsof al-isl§m and al-Êm§n do not make sense, and that those whoinsist on the old definitions actually deviate from the Book. The resultsof our findings can be summarised as follows:1. Based on 33:35, ‘men and women who assent to God’ ( al-muslimånand al-muslim§t) are both terminologically and conceptually separatedfrom ‘men and women who believe’ ( al-mu"minån andal-mu"min§t). 232. Based on 49:14, al-isl§m precedes al-Êm§n—chronologically (interms of its appearance in human history) as well as biographically(in terms of the individual’s spiritual progress and transition fromal-isl§m to al-Êm§n).3. Muslims are not the followers of Prophet MuÈammad (ß)! Instead,the Jinns, Abraham, Jacob, the tribes of the Israelites, Joseph, the1MS’s definition of the term al-qur"§n is different from the definition of the termal-kit§b. Whereas in traditional tafsÊr both terms refer more or less synonymously tothe Qur"an—the holy scripture as we understand it—he differentiates al-qur"§n fromal-kit§b. In his arrangement al-kit§b is the generic term (ism #§mm) which stands for thewhole content of the written copy ( al-mußÈaf ), beginning with al-F§tiÈa and endingwith Sårat al-N§s, while al-qur"§n is the more specific term (ism kh§ßß) that comprisesonly one part of al-kit§b. Hence, what we normally describe as Qur"an (the entirecopy of all chapters) should be defined as al-kit§b, the Book, which is henceforth writtenin italics and with a capitalised initial letter in order to distinguish it from otherbooks that the Book also contains. The exact definition of this term and its differencefrom al-qur"§n is given in chapter 3.2‘For Muslim men and women [ al-muslimÊn wa’l-muslim§t] [and] for believingmen and women [al-mu"minÊn wa’l-mu"min§t]’ (Al-AÈz§b 33:35); MF: ‘men and womenwho have submitted’; MP: ‘men who surrender to Allah, and women who surrender’;AH: ‘for men and women who are devoted to God’; AhA: ‘men and womenwho have come to submission’; AA: ‘men and women who have surrendered’; AB:‘men and women who are Muslims’.3‘The desert Arabs say, “We have faith [amann§].” [Prophet], tell them, “You donot have faith [lam tu"minå]. What you should say instead, ‘We have submitted[aslamn§],’ for faith [ al-Êm§n] has not yet entered your hearts’ ( Al-\ujur§t 49:14,AH).