Decreasing of Eemaan

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and ‘Ifta

Second question from fatwa No. (10561):

Q 2: It is admittedly true that faith increases and decreases. However, I suffer from weakness of faith and harshness of the heart. How can I strengthen my faith and soften my heart, and submit my limbs humbly to Allaah amidst the worlds temptations? Dear Sheikh, kindly elaborate on this matter. May Allaah reward you.

 
A: Faith indeed increases if a person obeys Allaah and decreases if they disobey Him.
So, you should be keen to preserve offering the obligatory prayers in congregation, pay Zakah willingly as a means to expiate sins, be Merciful to the poor and the needy. You should keep company of pious and righteous people who may prove helpful to you in applying the rulings of Shari`ah and guide you to attain happiness in life and the Hereafter. You should avoid innovators and sinners lest they should beguile you into temptations and weaken your enthusiastic nature of benevolence. Do as many voluntary acts of goodness as you are able to, resort to Allaah, and ask him to grant you success.

Ibn Qudamah’s comments on the prayer

It is also desirable for the worshiper to make his heart present during all the matters which are related to the prayer. When he hears the call of the Mu’adhin he should liken it to the call on the Day of Judgement and set out to answer it with vigour and determination. Let him consider (the reality of) what he is responding to and in what state his body comes to the prayer. When he has covered himself (for the prayer) he should realize that the purpose behind it is to conceal the shamefulness of his body from the creation. Let him also realize his deficiencies and defects and the scandals and disgraces of his inner self which none can know except the Creator and which none can cover or hide. Only remorse, modesty and fear can expiate for them. 

DON’T RELY ON YOUR INTELLECT ALONE!!!

Sheikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:

'A man can be from the most intelligent of people and among the sharpest of them as far as how he perceives affairs and it will make him blind of the most clearest of things and also you can have a man who is the most slow of people and the weakest of them of how he perceives and sees matters and Allaah will guide him to what was differed in of the truth. There isn’t any might or strength except with Allaah.

The Superiority of the Prophetic Medicine Over All Other Medicine

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله stated in his excellent work, Zaad al-Ma’aad (3/97-98), after discussing the benefits of honey in relation to the man who was advised by the Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم to treat the ailment of his stomach with honey:

“His medicine صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم is NOT like the medicine of the physicians, for the medicine of the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم is certain, definitive, emanating from (Divine) Revelation, the lantern of Prophethood, and perfection of reason. As for the medicine of others, most of it is conjecture, presumptions and experimentation.

DO NOT Despair O' Believer ...!

Knowledge & its carriers...!

'Knowledge is better than wealth, for knowledge guards you while you have to guard wealth. Knowledge increases the actions, but wealth gradually decreases as it is spent. And the love for the scholar is Deen - it being professed through this act of love.  Knowledge secures obedience for the scholar during his life and praise after his death. But the benefit of wealth stops once it finishes.
The people who hoard wealth are (in reality) dead while they live their lives. However the scholar remains as long as time remains - for their bodies may no longer be present, but their examples are found in the hearts.'

(From the book "Words of Advice from the Salaf" - pg.13 the advice of 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib to Kumayl ibn Ziyaad)

People of Paradise and Hell-Fire!

 

Narrated Haritha bin Wahb Al-Khuzai (رضي اللّه عنـه):

I heard the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم saying. "May I tell you of the people of Paradise? They are every weak, poor and obscure person whom the people look down upon but when he takes an oath to do something, his oath is fulfilled by Allaah. And may I inform you of the people of the Hell-Fire? They are all those violent, arrogant and stubborn people."

{Bukhari Vol. 6 : No. 440}

The EASE of having Tawakkul...!

وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَىاللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ

"And whoever relies upon Allaah,  then He is sufficient for Him."

[At-Talaaq 65:3]

With tawakkul, (reliance upon Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى), a person can live his life with contentment and confidence knowing that it is ONLY Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى Who is in control of his affairs, and that Allaah is Sufficient to ease the hardships that come his way. With tawakkul comes ease, alhamdulillah! Allaah alone is enough for me !!

 

إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللّهُ فَلاَ غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكِّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

'If Allâh helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allâh (Alone) let believers put their trust. '

(Aali Imran 3:160)

Indeed, all I have seen teaches me to trust my Creator for all that I have not seen...