٣ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الإيمَانِ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله [ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله ] وَالإقْرَارُ بِمَا جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الله وَمَا اسْتَقَرَّ فِي الْقُلُوبِ مِنَ التَّصْدِيقِ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ الشَّهَادَةُ أَ لَيْسَتْ عَمَلاً قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ الْعَمَلُ مِنَ الإيمَانِ قَالَ نَعَمْ الإيمَانُ لا يَكُونُ إِلا بِعَمَلٍ وَالْعَمَلُ مِنْهُ وَلا يَثْبُتُ الإيمَانُ إِلا بِعَمَلٍ.
3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan or one other than him from al-‘Ala’ from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah  about belief. He said, ‘It is to testify that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, Muhammad  is the Messenger of Allah and to affirm that whatever he (Muhammad) brought is from Allah. That which is established in the hearts through acknowledgement of such facts is belief.’ I then asked, ‘Is it not that the testimony is a deed?’ He said, ‘Yes, it is a deed.’ I then asked, ‘Is the deed of belief?’ He said, ‘Yes, belief does not shape up without deed. The deed is from belief and belief cannot stand firmly without deed. ’” 