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"Faith" or "Imaan" Is the Fuel That Keeps Us Going Towards Our Creator Without Deflections
There are times when certain events in our lives make us doubt the existence or omnipotence of any of the above epicenters of belief. For example, someone might challenge our knowledge, especially if it is lacking, about why bad things happen to good people if God really exists; why criminals roam scot-free in this world after committing heinous injustices; why some people die of starvation while others have so much wealth that they can live 20 lifetimes on it, etc. At other times, questions about the Unseen (known in Arabic as "ghaib") pop up in our minds, and when we do not find answers, we follow our doubts and slowly move away from firm conviction of imaan to dwindling, half-hearted faith. That is the code red.
Before a Muslim moves towards the danger zone, in which the level of their imaan becomes so low that they start committing major sins, they should follow the steps below to restore their faith to higher levels:
Gain knowledge of the Quran consistently
Just like you cannot know someone until you
communicate with them, you cannot be close to Allah without reading and
understanding His spoken word, the Quran. It is His message to all mankind,
Muslim and non-Muslim. It is normal to have questions, and the Quran has all
the answers. Therefore, it is not enough to read and understand this book
once or twice, but it must be studied consistently throughout our lives.
Maybe a few times a week, it can be recited, read, and studied/discussed
with a group of Muslims. The Quran should never be put away to gather dust.
The greater a Muslim's knowledge of the Quran, the closer he is to Allah. A
point to note is that the Quran cannot be completely understood solitarily.
There are some passages that are deep in meaning, and have to be understood
in the context of revelation, backdrop, historical perspective, narrations
of the Prophet Muhammad [Allah's peace and blessings be upon him] and other
Quranic passages. That is why studying the Quran from a scholar is so
important, although reading it alone is also prescribed for a boost of
imaan.
Recite the Quran
How is this different from point number 1 above?
Reciting the Quran is an act of worship. It requires wudu or
ablution (bodily purity), knowledge of the Arabic language, and command of
how to pronounce each letter. In other words, anyone can read the
translation of the Quran, but only a person who has knowledge of Arabic
Tajweed (art of Arabic recitation in a melodious voice) can recite
it. The relationship between Quranic recitation and imaan is that,
since the Quran is the spoken word of our Creator, when any person recites
it as it should be recited, he pleases his Creator and becomes
closer to Him. It creates an immediate bond. That refreshing worship
rejuvenates the human soul, which needs to listen to some beautifully
spoken, meaningful words in order to lift it out of gloom (that is why
people listen to music and poetry). This need is more than fulfilled by
regular Quranic recitation. It is BEST if the person recites himself; if he
cannot, listening to a good Qari (an expert in Quran recitation) is
also extremely beneficial. After one such session, the person feels
uplifted, calm, serene and revitalized to face the challenges of life. The
more one understands the Arabic of the Quran, the more its recitation leaves
him or her feeling close to Allah. It is, therefore, a must for
every Muslim to improve their tajweed skills and understanding of
Arabic in order to engage in better communion with their Creator.
Find company of righteous people
Sure, the hijab-observing ladies and the men with
flowing beards might be labeled fundamentalists or extremists by some
spheres. But in all reality, they are the ones who remind others most of
Allah, and it is highly likely that Allah is pleased with them. If you want
to remove the doubts in your mind regarding Allah, increase the level of
your faith, and lessen the constricted distress in your soul regarding the
truth about the life of this world (why we are here, what will happen after
we die, etc.), you should try hanging out with these "fundamentalists" once
in a while. If they really are Allah's favorites, they will probably welcome
any questions you have with open arms. They will never scoff at your
beliefs, jeer at the way you dress, or judge you for your actions. Try to be
in the company of such people often, talk to them, befriend them, and
respect them. .jpg)
Engage in remembrance of Allah
There are some non-Quranic Arabic terms that, when
recited, soothe the soul and relieve a person from the effects of his avowed
enemy, the Shaitaan (Satan). Uttering these adhkaar - remembrances - from
the tongue has been prescribed by Prophet Muhammad [Allah's peace and
blessings upon him] himself. Anyone can recite these remembrances in order
to get an immediate boost of faith. Most of them should be uttered a hundred
times each, for best results. It only takes a few seconds or minutes:
1. Laa ilaaha illallaah (there is no god except Allah).
2. Laa hawla wa laa quwata illaa billaah (there is no force that benefits and no strength that causes loss except Allah).
3. Astaghfirullaah (I seek forgiveness from Allah).
4. Allaahumma salli 'alaa Muhammed (O Allah, send peace upon Muhammad).
2. Laa hawla wa laa quwata illaa billaah (there is no force that benefits and no strength that causes loss except Allah).
3. Astaghfirullaah (I seek forgiveness from Allah).
4. Allaahumma salli 'alaa Muhammed (O Allah, send peace upon Muhammad).
Persist in obligatory acts of worship and abstain from sins:
Imaan is affected by our actions. For example, if
we abandon even one obligatory salaah, we will immediately feel a dip in
imaan. It is a must for Muslims to never relinquish those acts of worship
that are obligatory, if they want their faith to remain intact. Similarly,
abstaining from deeds which Allah has forbidden is also a means of
maintaining or increasing imaan. When someone deliberately sins and does not
repent, his heart experiences distress and constriction as Allah's anger is
directed towards him. That is why repentance is a daily requirement for all
believers. It washes away those sins that they commit knowingly and even
those they commit unintentionally. Consequently, Allah is never displeased
with them for long.
Perform supererogatory good deeds and invoke Allah in Du'a
There's nothing better than communicating with
your Lord directly in order to get His attention, so that you feel close to
Him again. Just as you lose touch with a good friend, and start to slowly
forget about her as time passes, when you suddenly decide to call her up on
a whim -- and, after an hour of talking, you feel as if you never lost touch
with her. You feel the same old love for her and chastise yourself for
allowing the relationship to wither like that. he same emotional dynamics
apply to your relationship with your Creator. Communicating with Him is the
best way to revive imaan. You can invoke Him in du'a -- supplication or
prayer -- at any time, while doing any other task. Just talk to Him in a
hushed voice, profess your love for Him, and ask Him to help you. He listens
to and responds to calls, as long as they are sincere. Also, in order to
increase your imaan, you can perform two units of salaah, give some money in
charity, or help someone in need by word or deed. These actions are a means
of getting Allah to be attentive towards you and to be pleased with you. His
mercy will be felt in your heart as a warm, enveloping happiness, and the
high grades of imaan will be felt as a tremendous sense of serenity in your
soul.
Read authentic Islamic literature
While studying the Quran and Prophetic narrations
is obligatory upon every Muslim in order to act upon Islam, reading good
Islamic books and articles in print or on the Internet is a great way to
entertain one's self in free time, remove doubts, and strengthen convictions
about Islam in the heart. One thing to be careful about, though, is to only
read literature written by authentic scholars.
"Behold! In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace." [Quran,
Surah Al-Ra'd: 28]
A person's faith or imaan is completely dependent on their relationship with Allah. The more they strive to improve this relationship, the more steadfast they will be on their faith.
By Sadaf Farooqi
