Continued from the previous article…
Curing Weak Faith
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak, and al-Tabaraani reported in al-Mu’jam, that the Prophet ﷺ said,
| Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts. [Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, 1/4; see also al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 1585. Al-Haythami said in Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 1/52, “It was reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and its isnaad is saheeh.”] |
What he meant is that faith wears out in the heart just as clothes wear out and become old. The heart of the believer is sometimes overwhelmed by clouds of sin, and so it goes dark. This is the picture drawn for us by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the saheeh hadeeth,
| “There is no heart that is not covered by a cloud like the cloud covering the moon when it is shining, and so it suddenly goes dark, but when it (the cloud) goes away, it shines again. [Reported by Abu Na’eem in al-Hilyah, 2/196; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2268] |
Sometimes the moon is covered by clouds, which conceal its light, but after a little while they go away, and the light of the moon comes back to light up the sky. In the same way, the heart of the believer is sometimes covered with dark clouds of sin, so its light is veiled, and the person finds himself lost in darkness, but when he strives to increase his Iman and seeks the help of Allah, that cloud goes away, and the light comes back to shine in his heart as before.
One of the most important principles which must be understood in order to treat the problem of weak faith is that faith increases and decreases, or waxes and wanes. This is one of the basic principles of the ‘aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, who say that faith is something to be spoken in words, to be believed in in the heart, and to be put into action. Faith increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. There is evidence for this in the Qur’an and Sunnah, for example, Allah says (interpretation of the meanings),
| “… that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith…” [al-Fath 48:4] |
And
| “… Which of you has had his faith increased by it? …” [al-Tawbah 9:124] |
The Prophet ﷺ said,
| Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it by his hand (by action), and if he cannot, then by his tongue (by speaking out), and if he cannot, then by his heart (by feeling that it is wrong), and that is the weakest of faith. [Al-Bukhaari, Fath, 1/51] |
The effects of obedience and sin, which increase and decrease faith respectively, are well known from observation and experience. If a person goes out walking in the market-place, where he looks at uncovered women wearing make-up, and hears the shouting and idle talk of the people, then he goes to the graveyard and stops to think and let his heart soften, he will see the difference between the two environments and how quickly his heart changes.
Another factor in this discussion is the words of one of the salaf,
| “One of the signs of proper understanding is when a slave takes care of his Iman, and pays attention to what decreases it, and knows when it increases and when it decreases, and recognizes the temptation of Shaytaan when he comes to him.” [Sharh Nooniyah Ibn al-Qayyim by Ibn ‘Eesa, 2/140] |
It is important to know that if a decrease in faith leads to one neglecting one’s duties or doing haraam deeds, this slackening is very serious and one must repent to Allah and start to do something about it at once. If it does not lead to neglect of duties and doing haraam deeds, but just makes a person fall short in doing mustahabb (recommended) deeds, for example, then a person still needs to know how to sort himself out and correct himself until he returns to the proper level of energy and strength in worship. This is what we learn from the words of the Prophet ﷺ,
| Every deed has energy and strength, and then this energy and strength is followed by a slackening, so who’s slackening is in accordance to my Sunnah he will be fine, and who’s slackening is to other than that [i.e., doing unlawful or forbidden deeds] he will be doomed. [Reported by Ahmad, 2/210; Saheeh al-Targheeb, no. 55] |
Before we discuss how to treat the problem of weak faith, there is something we should note: many of those who feel that their hearts are hard look for an external solution, hoping that they can rely on others, even though it is within their reach – if they want – to take care of themselves by themselves. This is how it should be done, because Iman is the relationship between the slave and his Lord. Below, we will discuss a number of ways prescribed by Islam by means of which the Muslim can deal with his weakness of faith and hardness of heart, after he puts his trust in Allah and resigns himself to the fact that he faces a struggle to achieve his goal:
Pondering the meanings of the Qur’an, which Allah has revealed to explain everything and as a Light by which He guides whomever He wills of His slaves. There is no doubt that it contains a powerful and effective cure. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning),
| “And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe…” [al-Isra’ 17:82] |
The method of treatment is to think and ponder its meanings.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to ponder the meanings of the Book of Allah and recite it when he stood in prayer at night (qiyaam al-layl). On one occasion, he stood in prayer at night and recited one single aayah from the Book of Allah whilst he was praying, and he did not go any further than that (one aayah) until morning. The aayah in question was (interpretation of the meaning),
| “If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” [al-Maa’idah 5:118 Reported by Ahmad, 4/149; see also Sifat al-Salaah by al-Albaani, p. 102] |
He ﷺ used to ponder the meaning of the Qur’an, to the greatest extent. Ibn Hibbaan reported in his Saheeh with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Ataarah, who said, “‘Ubayd-Allah ibn ‘Umayr and I entered upon ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and ‘Ubayd-Allah ibn ‘Umayr said, ‘Tell us of the most wonderful thing you saw on the part of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ She wept and said, ‘He got up one night (to pray) and said, “O ‘Aa’ishah, leave me to worship my Lord.” I said, “By Allah, I love to be near you, and I love what makes you happy.” He got up, purified himself and stood up to pray, and he kept weeping until his lap got wet, then he wept and kept weeping until the ground got wet. Bilaal came to call the adhaan for him, and when he saw him weeping, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, are you weeping when Allah has forgiven all of your sins, past and future?” He said, “Should I not be a thankful slave? This night some aayaat have been revealed to me, woe to the one who reads them and does not think (about their meaning).” Among them is (interpretation of the meaning), “Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding, those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth…” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:190-191]. (Al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 1/106). This indicates that it is obligatory to ponder the meaning of these aayaat.
The Qur’an speaks of Tawheed, and contains promises of reward, threats of punishment, rules and regulations, reports, stories, etiquette and good morals, and its effects on the heart are various. Some Surahs fill the heart with fear more than others, as is indicated by the hadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ,
| (Soorat) Hood and its sisters made me grey before my time. [al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 2/679] |
According to another report,
| “Hood and al-Waaqi’ah and al-Mursalaat and ‘amma yatasaa’aloon and Idha’l-shamsu kuwwirat” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3297; al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, no. 955] |
The Prophet’s hair turned grey because of what these Surahs contain of the realities of faith and great responsibilities, which filled his heart and had a visible effect on his hair and body.
| “So stand (ask Allah to make) you firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you…” [Hood 11:112 – interpretation of the meaning] |
The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ recited the Qur’an and pondered its meaning and were moved by it. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a gentle, soft-hearted man, and when he led the people in prayer and recited the words of Allah, he could not stop himself from weeping. ‘Umar became ill after reciting the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning),
| “Verily, the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass, – there is none that can avert it” [al-Toor 52:7-8 This report and its isnaad are in Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 7/406] |
His sobs could be heard from the back of the congregation when he recited Allah’s words about Ya’qoob (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning),
| “He said, ‘I only complain of my grief and my sorrow to Allah…’” [Yoosuf 12:86 Manaaqib ‘Umar by Ibn al-Jawzi, 167] |
‘Uthmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
| “If our hearts were pure and clean, we would never have enough of the Word of Allah.” |
He was killed unjustly as a martyr and his blood fell on his mus-haf – the reports from the Sahaabah concerning this are many. Ayyoob said,
| “I heard Sa’eed (ibn Jubayr) reciting this aayah twenty-odd times: “And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah…” [al-Baqarah 2:281 – interpretation of the meaning Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 4/324] |
This was the last aayah to be revealed of the Qur’an, and the ending of it is (interpretation of the meaning),
| “… Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.” [al-Baqarah 2:281] |
Ibraaheem ibn Bashshaar said,
| “The aayah which ‘Ali ibn Fudayl was reading when he died was (interpretation of the meaning), ‘If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say, “Would that we were but sent back (to the world)!…”’ [al-An’aam 6:27] When he reached that point, he died, and I was one of those who prayed for him [at his funeral], may Allah have mercy on him.” [Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 4/446] |
Even when they prostrated as required when reading Qur’an (sajadaat al-tilaawah – prostrations required when reciting certain aayaat of the Qur’an), they reacted in different ways. One of them was the man – may Allah have mercy on him – who, when he read the aayah (interpretation of the meaning),
| “And they fall down on their faces weeping and it adds to their humility” [al-Isra’ 17:109] |
Prostrated as required, then he rebuked himself by saying: “This is the prostration, but where is the weeping?”
Among the features of the Qur’an which are most deserving of contemplation are the examples and parables which Allah sets forth and urges us to ponder and think about. He tells us (interpretation of the meanings),
| “ … Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember” [Ibraaheem 14:25] |
And
| “… Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.” [al-Hashr 59:21] |
One of the salaf once read one of these parables of Allah and could not grasp the meaning, so he began to weep. He was asked, “What makes you weep?” He said: “Allah says (interpretation of the meaning), ‘And these similitudes We put forward for mankind, but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His Signs, etc.)’ [al-‘AnkAbut 29:43] And I do not understand the parable. I am not one who has knowledge, and I am weeping for all the time I have wasted and not gained knowledge.”
Allah sets forth many parables for us in the Qur’an, such as the following (interpretation of the meanings): the one who kindled a fire [al-Baqarah 2:17], the one who shouts to the (flock of sheep) that hears nothing [al-Baqarah 2:171], the likeness of a grain (of corn) that grows seven ears [al-Baqarah 2:261], the dog who lolls his tongue out [al-A’raaf 7:176], the donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but learns nothing from them) [al-Jumu’ah 62:5], the fly (which none but Allah can create, even if they join together for that purpose) [al-Hajj 22:73], the spider (which builds a house for itself, but it is the frailest of houses) [al-‘AnkAbut 29:41], the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer [Hood 11:24], the ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day [Ibraaheem 14:18], the goodly tree [Ibraaheem 14:24], the evil tree [Ibraaheem 14:26], the water which is sent down from the sky [al-An’aam 6:99], the niche within which is a lamp [al-Noor 24:35], the slave under the possession of another who has no power of any sort [al-Nahl 16:75], the (slave) man belonging to many partners [al-Zumar 39:29], and others. The point here is that we should refer to these aayat and pay special attention to them, pondering their meanings.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) summed up what the Muslim has to do to remedy the hardness of his heart with the Qur’an. He said,
| “There are two main things you have to do. The first is to move your heart from dwelling on the things of this world and move it to dwell on the Hereafter, then focus all your heart on the Qur’an and ponder its meanings and why it was revealed. Try to understand something from every aayah and apply it to the disease of your heart. These aayaat were revealed (to treat) the disease of the heart, so you will be healed, by the permission of Allah.” |
Trying to feel an awareness of the might of Allah, learning His names and attributes, pondering their meanings, trying to understand them and to establish these feelings in the heart so that they may have an effect on one’s actions. The heart is the controller of the faculties, which are like soldiers and followers; if it is sound, they will be sound, and if it is corrupt, they will be corrupt.
The texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah which speak of the greatness and might of Allah are many. When the Muslim reads them, he is shaken and becomes humble before the Most High, the Most Great, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and his fear and submission to the Lord of the first and the last increases. Many of His names and attributes are mentioned in the Qur’an. He is the Most Great (al-‘Azeem), the Watcher over His creatures (al-Muhaymin), the Compeller (al-Jabbaar), the Majestic (al-Mutakabbir), the Most Strong (al-Qawi), the Subduer (al-Qahhaar), the Great (al-Kabeer), the Most Exalted (al-Muta’aal). He is the Living Who does not die, although jinn and men die. He is the One Who has irresistable power over His slaves. The thunder glorifies and praises Him, and so do the angels because of His awe. He is All-Mighty, All-Able of retribution. He is the Self-Sustaining who does not sleep. He has full knowledge of all things. He knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. He has described His vast knowledge in the following terms (interpretation of the meaning),
| “And with Him are the keys of the ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry but is written in a Clear Record.” [al-An’aam 6:59] |
One of the aspects of His greatness about which He has told us is (interpretation of the meaning),
| “… And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand…” [al-Zumar 39:67] |
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
| Allah will seize the earth on the Day of Resurrection and will roll up the heavens in His right hand, then He will say, ‘I am the King, where are the kings of the earth? [Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6947] |
The heart trembles when one reads the story of Moosa and how he said (interpretation of the meaning),
| “‘O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.’ Allah said, ‘You cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain, if it stands still in its place, then you shall see Me.’ So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Moosa fell down unconscious…” [al-A’raaf 7:143] |
When the Prophet ﷺ explained this aayah, he said, “Like this”, and gestured with his thumb on the highest knuckle of his little finger, then he said, “and the mountain trembled and collapsed.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 3074; Ahmad, 3/125, 209. Ibn Katheer quoted its isnaads in his Tafseer, 3/466. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Its isnaad is saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim. Al-Albaani quoted it and classed it as saheeh in Takhreej al-Sunnah by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim, hadeeth 480] Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has “a veil of light, and if He lifted it, the glory of His countenance would burn all of His creation as far as he could see.” [Reported by Muslim, no. 197]
Another aspect of Allah’s might was described by His Messenger ﷺ,
| “When Allah settles a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in humility and submission to His words, (with a sound) like a chain (beating) on a rock. When they settle down, they say, ‘What did your Lord say?’ They say, ‘What He says is the Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.’” [Reported by al-Bukhaari, 7043] |
There are many such texts, which indicate that feeling the greatness of Allah by pondering the meaning of these texts and others is one of the best ways of dealing with the problem of weak faith. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) described the greatness of Allah in the most beautiful way,
| “He is controlling the affairs of all the kingdoms. He commands and prohibits, creates and gives provision, and gives death and gives life. He raises and lowers people’s status, alternates night and day, gives days (good and not so good) to men by turns, and causes nations to rise and fall, so that one nation vanishes and another emerges. His command and decree are carried out throughout the heavens and on earth, above it and below it, in the oceans and in the air. He has knowledge of all things and knows the number of all things. He hears all voices, and does not mistake one for another; He hears them all, in all the different languages and with all their varied requests and pleas. No voice distracts Him from hearing another, He does not confuse their requests, and He never tires of hearing the pleas of those in need. He sees all that is visible, even the walk of a black ant across a solid rock in the darkest night. The unseen is visible to Him, and secrets are known to Him… ‘Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Every day He has a matter to bring forth (such as giving honour to some, disgrace to some, life to some, death to some, etc.)!’ [al-Rahmaan 55:29 – interpretation of the meaning] |
He forgives sins, eases worries, relieves distress, helps the defeated person back on his feet, makes the poor rich, guides the one who is astray and confused, fulfils the needs of the desperate, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, conceals faults, and calms fears. He raises the status of some and lowers the status of others… Even if all the inhabitants of heaven and earth, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn alike, were to be as pious as the most pious among them, this would not increase His sovereignty in the slightest; if they all, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn alike, were to be as rebellious as the most rebellious among them, this would not decrease His sovereignty in the slightest. If everything in heaven and on earth, the first and the last of them, mankind and jinn, living and dead, animate and inanimate, were to stand in one place and ask of Him, and He were to give them everything that they asked for, this would not decrease what He has by even an atom’s weight… He is the First, before Whom there is nothing, and the Last, after Whom there is nothing, may He be blessed and exalted. He is the Most deserving of being remembered, the Most deserving of being worshipped, the Most deserving of being thanked. He is the Most Compassionate of kings, the Most Generous of those who are asked… He is the King Who has no partner or associate, the One who has no rival, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no son, the Most High, and there is none like unto Him.
| “Everything will perish save His face” [al-Qasas 28:88 – interpretation of the meaning] |
And everything will vanish except His sovereignty… He will not be obeyed except by His permission, and He will not be disobeyed except with His knowledge. He is obeyed, so He shows His appreciation, and He is disobeyed, so he forgives. Every punishment on His part is justice, and every blessing from Him is a favour. He is the closest of witnesses and the nearest of protectors. He seizes people by their forelocks, records their deeds and decrees the appointed time for all things. Hearts conceal nothing from Him, for secrets are known to Him. His gift is a word and His punishment is a word,
| ‘Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, “Be!” – and it is.’ [Yaa-Seen 36:82 – interpretation of the meaning].” [Adapted from al-Waabil al-Sayib, p. 125] |
Seeking Islamic knowledge, which is knowledge that leads one to fear Allah and which increases one’s faith in Him, may He be glorified. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning),
| “… It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah…” [Faatir 35:28] |
Those who have knowledge and those who do not are not equal in faith. How can one who knows the details of sharee’ah, the meaning and implications of the Shahaadatayn, the things that will happen after death – such as the torment of the grave, the horrors of the final gathering, the stages of the Day of Resurrection, the delights of Paradise and the punishments of Hell, the wisdom of sharee’ah in prescribing halaal and haraam, the details of the Prophet’s seerah, and other kinds of knowledge… How can one who knows all this be equal in faith with one who is ignorant of the religion and its rulings and what Islam says about matters of the Unseen. All the latter knows about his religion is mere imitation, and the little knowledge he has is of poor quality.
| “…Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know? …” [al-Zumar 39:9 – interpretation of the meaning] |
Regular attendance at gatherings of dhikr (remembrance of Allah). This leads to an increase in faith for a number of reasons, such as the mentioning of Allah, the descent of mercy and tranquility, the angels surrounding the people present, and Allah mentioning them to the chiefs (angels) on high, showing His pride in them to the angels and forgiving their sins. This was mentioned in saheeh ahaadeeth, for example, when the Prophet ﷺ said,
| No people sit together remembering Allah, but the angels surround them, mercy envelops them, tranquillity descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are in His presence. [Saheeh Muslim, no. 2700] |
Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
| “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘No people gather together to remember (Allah) and then disperse, but it will be said to them: “Get up, you are forgiven.”’” [Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5507] |
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
| “When he spoke of remembering Allah (dhikr), he meant doing it regularly and persistently, by doing acts that are obligatory or encouraged, such as reciting Qur’an, reading hadeeth, and studying with other people.” [Fath al-Baari, 11/209] |
Another indication that gatherings of dhikr increase one’s Iman is the report narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh from Hanzalah al-Usaydi, who said, “I met Abu Bakr, and he asked me, ‘How are you, O Hanzalah?’ I said, ‘Hanzalah has become a munaafiq (hypocrite).’ He said, ‘Subhaan-Allah! What are you saying?’ I said, ‘We sit with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he tells us about Hell and Paradise until it is as if we can see them, then when we leave the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we get involved with our wives and children and earning a living, and we forget a lot.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I feel the same way.’ So Abu Bakr and I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I said, ‘Hanzalah has become a hypocrite, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Why is that?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we sit with you and you tell us about Hell and Paradise until it is as if we can see them, then when we leave you, we get involved with our wives and children and earning a living, and we forget a lot.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you continued to be as you are when you are with me, and to make dhikr, the angels would shake your hands in your beds and on the road. But, O Hanzalah, there is a time for this and a time for that’ – and he said this three times.’” [Saheeh Muslim, no. 2750]
The Sahaabah, may Allah be pleased with them, were keen to sit toegther for the purpose of dhikr, which they used to call Iman (faith or belief). Mu’aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) said to a man,
| “Let us sit and believe for a while.” [Its isnaad is saheeh; Arba’ Masaa’il fi’l-Iman, revised by al-Albaani, p. 72] |
Doing a lot of righteous deeds and filling one’s time with them. This is one of the best ways of dealing with weak faith, and is clearly very effective in strengthening faith. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) set the best example of this, when the Messenger ﷺ asked his Sahaabah, “Who among you got up fasting this morning?” Abu Bakr said, “I did.” He asked, “Who among you has attended a funeral today?” Abu Bakr said, “I have.” He asked, “Who among you has fed a needy person today?” Abu Bakr said, “I have.” He asked, “Who among you has visited a sick person today?” Abu Bakr said, “I have.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “No man does all of that but he will enter Paradise.” [Reported by Muslim, Kitaab Fadaa’il al-Sahaabah, Baab 1, Hadeeth 12]
This story demonstrates that Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) was keen to make the most of every opportunity and to do a variety of acts of worship. Because this was an unexpected question on the part of the Prophet ﷺ, this indicates that Abu Bakr’s days were filled with acts of obedience and worship. The salaf (may Allah have mercy on them) reached the highest levels in their efforts to do righteous deeds and fill their time in this manner. An example of this is what was said about a group of the salaf among whom was Hammaad ibn Salamah. Imaam ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Mahdi said,
| “If it were said to Hammaad ibn Salamah, ‘You will die tomorrow,’ he would not be able to do more good deeds (than he was already doing).” [Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 7/447] |
In the next part of the article series we will be looking at more ways in which the weakness of faith can be cured.
(NOTE: If you want to build a strong and powerful relationship with Allah, check out Islamia TV, where you can watch Islamic speakers from across the globe deliver inspiring and motivational courses. Learn more at www.islamia.tv.)
