The sweetness of Islamic faith

Posted by: "Mohammad Usman" musman@kindasa.com   usmankkkk

Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:43 pm

Adil Salahi | Arab News

 

Anas ibn Malik quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: "Any

person who combines these three qualities will experience the sweetness

of faith: 1) that Allah and His messenger are dearer to him than anything

else; 2) that his love of others is purely for Allah's sake; and 3) that

he hates to relapse into lief as much as he hates to be thrown in the

fire." (Related by Al-Bukhari).

 

The first thing to note in this Hadith is that certain qualities are

necessary before a person experiences the sweetness of faith. This

suggests that a person may look at the message of Islam and find it

reasonable and logical. He declares himself a believer and expresses his

unhesitating belief in Allah's oneness and in Prophet Muhammad's message.

Such a person is a Muslim, no doubt. He earns the reward of believers.

However, he needs to do more in order to experience what the Prophet

describes as "the sweetness of faith."

 

Such sweetness is like the fruit of a tree. Thus, when one is convinced

of the truth of faith, that person has planted a shoot, which one needs

to nurture and look after so that it grows into a tree and producdisbees

its fruits. Nurturing the tree of faith is by fulfilling Allah's orders,

doing what He wants us to do and refraining from what He has forbidden

us. Indeed when a believer begins to do that, committing himself to do

what Allah has bidden, he will soon find the effects of such commitment

within himself and in his life generally because Allah only orders us to

do what is good for us, and He forbids us only what is evil and harmful

to us or others. Thus, such committed person will realize that his

commitment brings him increasing benefits in this present life, in

addition to what he hopes to receive of Allah's reward. He would then love

his commitment and do it more than willingly.

 

Islam forbids all intoxicating drinks, putting extra emphasis on even

tasting an alcoholic drink. Take the case of a young Muslim studying in

Europe or America. He may find himself among a group of friends who are

all drinking. They try to persuade him to have a small glass of wine,

concentrating on its benefits and saying that drinking in moderation

causes no harm. He may feel tempted to join, but then he looks at one of

his friends on whom the effects of alcohol are beginning to tell and

realizes how that person is starting to lose control of himself. Our

Muslim friend will then step back, finding extra strength to resist the

temptation. The more he reflects on the effects of drinking the greater

is his love of the Islamic way that forbids all alcoholic drinks, even

in the smallest measure. His commitment to do Allah's bidding grows always

stronger. It is such strong commitment that is the mark of his love of

Allah and His messenger.

 

The two other qualities develop in consequence of the first. A Muslim's

commitment to obey Allah in all that He bids us to do or refrain from will

begin to influence his social life. His relations with other people will

put much importance on their attitude to Islam and Islamic life. He will

love those who do what He does of obeying Allah and following the

Prophet's guidance. His relationship with them will be based on the fact

that they share a commitment and a method of living that places

obedience to Allah as paramount. They will all feel a bond uniting them in

a cause that brings only goodness in human life. Such bond generates a

sort of happiness that envelops them all, a happiness that can transform

every human society and bring the best out of it.

 

Experiencing all this, a true believer is always increasingly happy with

his faith and way of life. He will not barter it for anything on earth.

He realizes that this happy life will also bring him far superior

happiness in the life to come. He cannot imagine himself going back to

disbelief. Indeed, to him the very thought is so repugnant that he would

prefer to be thrown in the fire rather than be an unbeliever.

 

Authored By: Adil Salahi < islam@arabnews. com

<mailto:islam@arabnews. com> >

 

With Kind Regards

 

Mohammad Usman

 

Jeddah-SAUDI ARABIA

 

The sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad <http://muhammad. net/>

(peace be upon him) 'Acquiring (religious) knowledge in company for an

hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer.'

 

< Al-Tirmidhi; Narrated: Abdullah ibn Abbas (r) >