Our Iman is not always as sound and strong as we want it to be as it often fluctuates according to life circumstances. There are several causes for weakening Iman such as deficiencies in our prayers or the insinuating whispers from the Shaytan. Regardless of the cause, all of us must keep a check on our Iman and if we feel it is faltering in any way then we should take measures to restore it. Allah says:

إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, Let believers put their trust.” (Surah Al Imran 3:160)

Faith and taqwa are two things that must be owned by humans to carry out the command of Allah SWT as well as possible. It is our responsibility to know which things decrease our Iman and how to avoid them and those that increase our Iman and how to embrace them. If we do not have faith, it will certainly bring laziness to carry out all the commands of Allah SWT. Allah says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

“They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His revelations are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord.” (Surah Al-Anfal 8:2)

Trusting in Allah means that when we hear a command, we obey it. We recognize that we are limited and that Allah has no limits. He knows what we do not know. We do not try to explain away the commands of Allah by saying that it is for another time or another people. We do not say that what Allah has commanded for us is oppressive. We accept and obey. This is faith and trust.

Here are some ways that we can brighten up our Iman starting from today:

1. Open the Qur’an and see what Allah wants to tell you
2. Having complete trust in ALLAH and thank ALLAH 
3. Following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
4. Fight with the biggest and open enemy (Shaitan)
5. Talk to a religious and knowledgeable person
6. Fast on a random day and do good on it
7. Giving Charity to the needy and helping 
8. Repent frequently for your mistakes
9. Visualize and read about Paradise
10. Forgive those who do you wrong
11. Do not neglect your salah 
12. Carrying out good deeds
13. Recognize and Repent
14. Remembering death
15. Engage in Dhikr
16. Having Trust in Allah
17. Practising The Good Deeds
18. Follow the Prophet’s Sunnah
19. Trying to get more Istiqamah
20. Making much dua(supplication)
21. Following the Science of Majlis
22. Gaining more religious knowledge
23. Knowing the Holy Book of the Quran
24. Seeking Benefits of Allah’s Command
25. Be grateful to enjoy the life of Allah’s gave

Seek as much information as to the benefits or impacts we can take from Allah’s command. The Holy Quran contains many of the commandments of Allah SWT to Muslims to run. With knowing the many of the commandments of Allah SWT, we will feel grateful and happy because the command of Allah is the command to save and make us happy in the Hereafter. Read more about Right Ways How to be Closer to Allah SWT. Allah says:

اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

“Recite that which hath been inspired in thee of the Scripture, and establish worship. Lo! worship preserveth from lewdness and iniquity, but verily remembrance of Allah is more important. And Allah knoweth what ye do.” (Surah Al-‘Ankabut 29: 45)

Faith and taqwa are two things that must be owned by humans to carry out the command of Allah SWT as well as possible. If we do not have faith, it will certainly bring laziness to carry out all the commands of Allah SWT.  Practising good deeds such as helping fellow Muslims is one of the efforts to increase our faith. The Prophet Muhammad taught us to always do good to fellow Muslims. Islam is a religion that brings goodness and peace.

Signs of weak Imaan: 

• Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves
• Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others
• Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth
• Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat
• Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah
• Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr
• Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Quran
• Committing sins and not feeling any guilt
• Desiring status and wealth
• Neglecting the Sunnah
• Not feeling concerned about the situation of Muslims
• Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves
• Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof
• Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam
• Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque
• Being unable to deal with calamities, for instance, crying and yelling at funerals

Life is full of ups and downs, and the downs are sometimes powerful enough to distract us and lower our enthusiasm. Yet, there are easy solutions that can help us get over an Iman low. To do everything that Allah (SWT) has ordered us to do is a part of faith and to avoid all that He has asked us to avoid is a part of faith. A Muslim’s level and strength of faith are based upon his attitude and approach when he fulfils this.

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

• “Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret.” (Quran 7:55)
• “Remembrance of Allah indeed is the greatest virtue.” (Quran 29:46)
• “…Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Quran 13:28)
• “Seek forgiveness of your Lord and then turn to Him in repentance.” (Hud : 3)
• “Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most suitable.” (Qur’an: Chapter 17, Verse 9)
• “O ye who believe, remember Allah much. And glorify Him morning and evening.”  (Quran 33:42-43)
• “Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.” (Quran 33:21)
• “O ye who believe let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.” (Quran 63:10)

As humans, we all commit sins no matter how hard we try to avoid them because we’re created to be imperfect. Engaging in evil deeds decreases our Iman. Actions like lying, cheating, and stealing, to name only a few, take a toll on the human heart and soul which makes us more susceptible to being lead astray from the Path of Allah. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِّمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“O mankind! There hath come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a guidance and a mercy for believers.” (Surah Yunus 10: 57)

In maintaining the faith of Islam, we need to be Istiqamah. Istiqamah means steadfast, and obedient in following the straight path, you cannot turn left or right. Without the soul of Istiqamah, we will be trapped in the world. Istiqamah in faith is written in the following of this Holy Quranic verse. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and thereafter walk aright, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” ( Surat Al-‘Ahqaf 46:13)

After knowing the Quran well, it is better if we review and notice the contents of the holy book of the Quran. The Quran is a holy book that can give us the right clues of life. From studying the Quran we will gain confidence, devotion, and automatically our faith will be increasing. Allah says:

لَا يَغُرَّنَّكَ تَقَلُّبُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ

“(Let) not deceive you (the) movement (of) those who disbelieved in the land.” (Surah Al-Imraan 3:196)

There are many rewards in trusting Allah, paradise. There is sin in distrusting Him. We need to stop relying on our desires our minds our version of logic and realize that Allah is the one who knows while we know not. Allah is the Wise, and His judgments are wise by default. Allah is the Just and His verdicts are Just by default. We can not see everything in every issue as Allah can, so why do we insist on believing that our minds can be trusted before or instead of Allah? Allah says:

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَيُحْيِي بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

“And of His signs is this: He showeth you the lightning for a fear and hope, and sendeth down water from the sky, and thereby quickeneth the earth after her death. Lo! herein indeed are portents for folk who understand.” (Surah Ar-Rum 30: 24)

Faith and fear of Allah Ta’ala can arise if we use our minds well. Increasing faith is not only for our spiritual but also requires good thinking. With our Thanksgiving, we will feel confident that Allah Ta’ala will always be with us and always help us to gain and fortune. The availability of faith is sometimes absent in humans. The above explanation teaches that our faith must be kept and maintained.