Faith in Islam is acceptance of the belief of Unity of Allah Almighty. Faith is at once confirmation of truth and submission to the truth that is declared. Intellectual concern plays an important factor in the Islamic faith. We can say that faith in Islam means to submit to Allah. Muslim who has a pure heart and performs many good deeds regularly has strong faith in Allah Almighty. Faith always leads a man to a life of obedience and submission to the Will of Allah. The person who lives a life of submission is known as a Muslim. Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ
“Verily, those who had faith and had done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is a great achievement. “ (Surah Al-Buruj 85:11)
However, in the absence of faith and taqwa in a person, they will not have the blessings and guidance from Allah SWT. Faith and Taqwa are the keys that save humanity in the world and hereafter. Thus, faith and taqwa can be interpreted as the foundation of human life. Allah says:
فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ اسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
So the angels prostrated, all of them entirely, except Iblees for he was arrogant and was among the unbelievers. “ (Surah Sad 38:73)
Man must think about how he came into being, what is the purpose of his life, why he will die and what awaits him after death. He must question how he and the whole universe came into existence and how they continue to exist. While doing this, he must relieve himself of all constraints and prejudices. Allah says:
وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِن رِّزْقٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ آيَاتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
In the changing of night and day and in what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and in His directing the winds are signs for people who reason.” (Surah Al-Jathiya 45:5)
Faith in Islam is the belief in the Unity of Allah. This is conveyed in the primary Kalimah of Islam which is: “There is no one worthy of worship but Allah.” Muslims believe in One Lord that is Allah Almighty. Allah alone is the Creator and Provider of this entire universe. Islam did not impose itself by the sword. Faith is at once confirmation of truth and submission to the truth that is declared.
The Quran in many places demands human reason in reaching true belief:
- “There must be no coercion in matters of faith!” (Quran 2: 256)
- Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allaah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allaah hearts are assured.”( Quran 13:28)
- “And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a Fahishah (i.e. anything that transgresses its limits: a great sin), and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allah forgives him).” (Surah Al-Isra:32)
- “Those who believed and did good works, We shall blot out their transgressions and shall reward them according to the best of that which they used to do.” (Quran 29:7)
- “… they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us.” (Surah Al-Anbiya’:90)
- “Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct (Ihsan), and giving to relatives (and He) forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded” (Quran, 16: 90)
- “Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness.” (Surah Al-Baqarah:74)
- “And He (God) answers those who believe and do good works, and gives them more out of His Grace.” (Quran, 42:26)
People who still feel sinful will continue to increase their worship and always improve themselves. They will not also be arrogant. In their heart would be no hatred if they saw other people get a lot of treasure. For them, everyone always has a chance to become a successful person. They will not feel satisfied and always feel less to continue to worship Allah Almighty.
Signs of weak Faith:
- Having a hard heart and no desire to read the Quran
- Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat
- Neglecting the Sunnah
- Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr
- Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shariah
- Desiring status and wealth
- Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth
- Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves
- Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others
- Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque
- Not feeling concerned about the situation of Muslims
- Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam
- Liking to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof
- Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves
- Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time
- Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only, and not avoiding macros (not recommended) things
- Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Quran, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings
- Becoming engrossed and very involved with Dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Do not see those who disbelieved that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, then We parted them and We made from [the] water every living thing? Then will not they believe?” (Surah Al-Anbiya` 21:30)
The heart trembles because listening to the name of God is the fear and love of God embedded in their heart. One that can shake the hearts of believers is reading the Qur’an. No one exceeds the influence of the Qur’an in reminding Allah SWT and warns to always obey the command of Allah SWT. Heart tremble that comes up will also make the heart calmer. Because the heart feels free and there is a desire to avoid immoral acts. Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ يَهْدِيهِمْ رَبُّهُم بِإِيمَانِهِمْ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الْأَنْهَارُ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ
“Those who believe and do good works, their Lord guides them by their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of Delight.” (Surah Yunus 10:9)
Listening to Al Quran recitation by others is the most effective means of raising faith. Because listening to Al Qur’an from others will help in conditioning to contemplate the content and meaning of the Al Qur’an verse. When listening, people will focus more on thinking about the content and meanings of their verses than thinking about the procedure of reading and tajwid. Allah says:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
“And establish the prayer and give zakah and bow down with those who bow down.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:43)
This is a fairly difficult command to practice. The world is full of deceit. People are very easy to be trapped and instigated, so willing to follow their lust. The enjoyment of the world from wealth often deprives common sense and a clean mind. However, believers will realize that it will be bad in the end. Verily all good works will bring good results. However, bad work will bring bad results as well. This is where the faith and piety of a person will be seen. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“If you associate others with God, (then) surely all your works will be rendered vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:65)
How to increase our faith then?
- Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran.
- Tranquillity then descends and our hearts become soft.
- To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you.
- People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.
- Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control.
- There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness.
- Everything happens according to His permission.
- Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black and on a black rock on a black moonless night.
- Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly.
- Know the meanings behind Allah’s names and attributes.
- People who have taqwa are those who know.
- Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings, we are surrounded by angels.
- We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed.
- Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.
- We must fear the miserable end of our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.
- Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don’t covet material things in this life.
- Our love for Subhana Wa Ta’Ala must be shown in actions.
- We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong.
- At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.
- Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one’s faith is increased with good deeds and our faith is decreased by bad deeds.
- Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.
- Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah.
- Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also makes it easy for him or her to do good deeds.
The Ability to See the Signs of God:
- Do not like to interact except associate with people who shower
- They don’t eat and drink from the result obtained with haram
- Always do infaq or give something to other people in need
- When the name of God is mentioned, his heart will tremble
- Their Faith Increases when Hearing the Verses of Allah
- Humble to other people with different religions
- The fear of sin and death due to lack of iman
- Patience with people’s acts and wrongdoing
- Always grateful for the giving from Allah
- Put Their Trust (Tawakkal) in God
- Uphold Shalat
- Represent the Rasulullah’s act
- Have a sincere, unwavering intention
- Align one’s desires with the guidelines
- Give a portion of the sustenance earned for the needy
- If people get a disaster in religious affairs, they will be regret
- God invites men of understanding to think about the issues which other people overlook
- Looking at others more Saleh and better, and seeing themselves full of sin and deprivation
- If a person received a disaster, they considered it as a test and a sense of affection from Allah SWT
- Angry and remind other people when witnessing with his own eyes a violation of the things that Allah forbid
Faith provides the ideological foundation for human existence and the criterion through which to categorize good from bad, right from wrong and righteousness from impropriety. Through faith, we bind ourselves to a system of belief that impacts the personal, social, economic, religious and spiritual dimensions of our lives.
These are the fundamental beliefs that every Muslim must ascribe to:
- Belief in One God, Allah in Arabic
- Belief in the Divine Decree or Predestination, it’s good and it’s bad
- Belief in the Day of Judgment, Life after Death, Heaven, and Hell
- The Holy Quran is the only divine book extant today in the original revealed form
- Belief in the existence of angels
- Believe in all of God’s messengers. Belief in Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) as His last messenger
- Believe in all the books sent down to His prophets. These books include the Torah, Zabur, Injeel (Gospel) and the Quran
Tawakkal is self-serving and rests completely on Allah SWT. Tawakkal did after trying his best. If a person has a strong faith, someone will only trust Allah SWT. Because they realize that tawakkal is a worship that is directed only to Allah SWT alone. Tawakkal can be regarded as the highest level of tawhid. Therefore, the character of a strong and true believer is trust with Allah SWT alone and only asks for protection to Allah SWT. Allah says:
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا
“And He will provide for him from where not he thinks. And whoever puts his trust upon Allah, then He (is) sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah (will) accomplish His purpose. Indeed, Allah has set for everything a measure.” (Surah At-Talaq 65:3)
The calamity given by Allah SWT is one way to test so that we can increase our sense of faith and patience. The calamity if passed with patience will elevate us in the eyes of Allah SWT. The test is not just a disaster, but pleasure is a much bigger test. Because when you get the pleasure of the world, often forget to realize that it is just temporary. Allah says:
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا
“Let spend owner of ample means from his ample means, and (he) who, is restricted on him his provision, let him spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not burden any soul except (with) what He has given it. Allah will bring about after hardship ease.” (Surah At-Talaq 65:7 )
Sustenance gained by a person is not just a treasure or money. But it can be knowledge, position, and so forth. Giving a portion of the sustenance possessed becomes one proof of obedience to Allah SWT. In the Al Qur’an is also an obligation for Muslims who can perform zakat. Also, there are also various ways and other forms of sharing sustenance with others. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
“Only the believers (are) those who when Allah is mentioned feel fear their hearts, and when are recited to them His Verses, they increase them (in) faith, and upon their Lord, they put their trust.” (Surah Al-Anfal 8:2)
Faith always leads a man to a life of obedience and submission to the Will of Allah. The person who lives a life of submission is known as a Muslim. So, we find that faith is the starting point that leads man to a life of submission to Allah and that a man cannot become a Muslim without faith.
