WHY ARE SOME MUSLIMS IN HELLFIRE

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL

On the Day when We will say to Hell: “Are you filled?” It will say: “Are there any more (to come)?” Qur’an surah Qaf (50) verse 30.

For disbelievers/those who do not submit to Allah (non Muslim), no doubt Allah has informed us in the Qur’an:

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.” [Qur’an surah Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

“By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no-one of this ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me then dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hell.” (Reported by Muslim, may Allaah have mercy on him, in al-Saheeh, 153).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah says, ‘The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: He will not remake me as He made me at first – and the initial creation [of him] is no easier for Me than remaking him. As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allaah has taken to Himself a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4974. 

From the above, it is clear that whoever does NOT SUBMIT to Allah will NOT enter Paradise.

Allah has also chosen for us ISLAM as a way of life:

“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” (Qur’an surah al Maedah 5: 3)

“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam….” (Qur’an surah Ali ‘Imran 3: 19)

“O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah.” (Qur’an surah ali ‘Imran 3: 102)

For Muslims, however, our submission to Allah will be a passport for our entry to Paradise inshaAllah. However, we need a VISA. The VISA will be:                                      ALLAH’S MERCY.

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Be deliberate in worship, draw near to Allah, and give glad tidings. Verily, none of you will enter Paradise because of his deeds alone.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “Not even me, unless Allah grants me mercy from himself. Know that the most beloved deed to Allah is that which is done regularly even if it is small.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6099, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2818

However, some Muslims will have to enter Hellfire to be purified before they can enter Paradise. We need to know inshaAllah what makes some Muslims enter Hellfire:

Basic Principles

1. Qadr of Allah

Allah is Omniscient and knows what has happened and is happening and what is yet to come. Allah knows the believers and the disbelievers, and what they will do, and He knows what their fate will be in the Hereafter. He has written all this in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet), as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And all things We have recorded in a Book.” [Qur’an surah al-Naba 78:29] 

Al-Qadr is an Arabic word meaning Allah’s predestination of measurements and sustenance of everything and everyone, according to His Knowledge and Wisdom. It comprises the following four aspects:

1. Knowledge

The belief that Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything, every matter, major or minor, and the time frame of everything that happens in this universe. Allah’s Knowledge encompasses all of His actions and actions taken by His slaves.

1. Pre-Recording

The belief that Allah recorded everything in a Tablet that He kept with Himself, called ‘Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth’ (The Preserved Tablet). Allah Says (what means): “Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed that is in a Record [i.e., Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth]. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy.” [Quran 22:70] Abdullaah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘Aas  said that he heard the Messenger of Allah  say: “Allah recorded the measurement of all matters pertaining to creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and earth.” [Muslim]

1. The Will of Allah

The belief that nothing, whether related to Allah’s actions or actions taken by His slaves, can occur without His permission. Allah Says (what means): “And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses…” [Quran 28:68] And (what means): “…And Allah does what He wills.” [Quran 14:27] And (what means) “It is He who forms you in the wombs however He wills…” [Quran 3:6] As for actions taken by His creation, Allah Says (what means): “…And if Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you.” [Quran 4:90] And (what means): “…And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and that which they invent.” [Quran 6:137]

1. Creation

The belief that Allah created all creation, all what they possess of attributes, and all their actions. Allah Says (what means): “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.” [Quran 39:62] And (what means): “…He has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.” [Quran: 25:2] Also, Ibraheem  said to his people (what means): “While Allah created you and that which you do?” [Quran 37:96]

IMPORTANT HADITH:

Narrated Abi Abdurrahman Abdullah bin Mas’ud, May Allah is pleased with him: 
Allah’s Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, “(The matter of the Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who breathes the soul into him, and is ordered to write four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature’s) deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). So, by Allah the One, a man amongst you may do good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the (Hell) Fire. And similarly, a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari. 

We really need to fully understand the above hadeeth:

The answer to this is that it applies to the one who does not do deeds with sincerity and faith, rather he does deeds of the people of Paradise as it appears to people only, as is explained in another version of the hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari (4207) and Muslim (112) from Sahl who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the mushrikeen met in battle and fought. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went back to his camp and the others went back to their camp, there was among the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)a man who killed anyone (of the enemy) who got in his way. They said: No one has done better today than So and so. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Rather he is one of the people of Hell.” A man said: I am going to follow him. So he went out with him; every time that man stopped, he stopped with him, and when he hastened, he hastened with him. He said: The man was badly wounded, so he sought to hasten his death. He put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the middle of his chest, then he leaned [on his sword] and killed himself. The man went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allaah (S). He said: “Why is that?” He said: The man who you said was one of the people of Hell and the people were astounded by that. I said, I will find out about him for you. So I followed him until he was badly wounded, then he sought to hasten his death.  He put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the middle of his chest, then he leaned on it and killed himself. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man may do the deeds of [the people of] Paradise, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Hell, and a man may do the deeds of [the people of] Hell, or so it seems to the people, although he is one of the people of Paradise.” 

As for the one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise in a real sense, sincerely and on the basis of faith, Allaah is too just, merciful and generous to let him down at the end of his life. 

Rather these are the ones who are guided, directed and helped to persist, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allaah Alone and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go astray those who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and Allaah does what He wills”

[Ibraaheem 14:27] 

“As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allaah is with the Muhsinoon (good-doers).”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:69] 

“Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost”

[Yoosuf 12:90]

ONE MUST ASK ONESELF – IS THE INTENTION SINCERE ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH

Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Fawaa’id (p. 163): With regard to the fact that a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him, this refers to the actions of the people of Paradise as they appear to other people. If it was a righteous deed that is acceptable to Allaah, then Allaah would love it, accept it and not cancel it out. Someone may say that this phrase, “until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit”, does not support what we have suggested; the answer to that is that if deeds are to be judged by the way they end, this man did not have enough patience to complete his deeds properly; rather there was a hidden problem and something wrong with his deeds, by means of which he was let down towards the end of his life, so that hidden, serious, fatal problem caused his downfall at the time of need. If there was no problem and no insincerity, Allaah would not have turned his faith into disbelief. And Allaah knows better than all people what they do not know of each other. End quote. 

Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  

The words “as it appears to people” indicate that what is hidden may be different from what is apparent to people, and that a bad end is because of a hidden problem in a person that people are not aware of, whether it is a bad deed and the like, so that hidden quality may lead to a bad end at death. 

• Guidance (- Allah will Guide whomever He Wills)

With Allah’s Will, He did NOT Guide:

• father of Ibrahim (AS)
• wife and son of prophet Nuh (AS)
• son of prophet Lut (AS)
• Uncle and some relatives of prophet Muhammad (SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam)

Guidance is in the hand of Allah. If Allah willed, He could guide all of mankind, for there is nothing that He cannot do on this earth or in the heavens. Nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He wills. 

“Say: ‘With Allah is the perfect proof and argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allah, the sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books, to mankind); had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all.’” [Qur’an surah al-An’am 6:149] 

“Say: ‘O you mankind! Now truth (i.e. the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad), has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self; and whosoever goes astray, he does so to his own loss; and I am not (set) over you as a Wakeel (disposer of affairs to oblige you for guidance).’” [Qur’an surah Yoonus 10:108] 

But in His Wisdom, Allah has created us with the ability to choose, and He has sent down to us guidance and the Criterion. So whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will enter Hell, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his ownself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own harm, and I (Muhammad) am not a watcher over you.”

[al-An’am 6:104] 

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has no part in guidance; all that he and the Muslims have to do is to explain and convey the message, and show them guidance but they cannot force people to follow it, as Allah said to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad) then compel mankind, until they become believers?”

[Qur’an surah Yoonus 10:99] 

And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And the duty of the Messenger is only to convey (the Message) plainly.”

[Qur’an surah al-‘Ankaboot 29:18] 

Guidance to the truth is in the hand of Allah alone and no human being has any share in that, as Allah said to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided.” [Qur’an surah al-Qasas 28:56]  

Allah guides whomsoever He wills and sends astray whomsoever He wills. He has told us that He guides those who obey Him and turn to Him, as He says : 

“While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their piety.” [Qur’an surah Muhammad 47:17] 

But whoever disobeys Allah and turns away from Him, Allah will not guide him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever.” [Qur’an surah al-Zumar 39:3] 

• Lack of knowledge – fail to seek knowledge, especially on the following:
• Shirk: major and minor (Riya’)

Allah does NOT forgive shirk and a person who commits shirk will end up in hellfire forever if he/she fails to repent BEFORE death.

Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.                                                      (Qur’an surah an Nisa 4: 48)

Not only that – ALL DEEDS will be nullified for those who commit shirk and kufr

And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ), as it was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: “If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.”                                                  (Qur;an surah az Zumar 39: 65)

“And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever”

[al-Baqarah 2:217] 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/321-322):  

The Sahaabah and Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah are of the view that those who commit major sins will be brought forth from Hell and intercession will be made for them. A single major sin does not erase all good deeds, but it may erase an equivalent amount of them, according to most of Ahl al-Sunnah. Nothing erases all good deeds except kufr, just as nothing erases all bad deeds except repentance. If the one who has committed a major sin does some good deeds, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allaah, Allaah will reward him for that, even if he deserves to be punished for his major sin. The Book of Allaah distinguishes between the ruling on thieves, adulterers and believers fighting with one another, and the ruling on the kuffaar with regard to how they are labelled and the ruling applicable to them. The mutawaatir Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the consensus of the Sahaabah points to that. According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, good deeds are accepted from the one who fears Allaah and does them purely for the sake of Allaah and in accordance with the command of Allaah. If a person is sincere towards Him in doing an action, He will accept it from him, even if he disobeys Him in other ways; if a person is not sincere towards Him when doing it, He will not accept it from him, even if he obeys Him in other ways. End quote. 

The hadeeth which is mentioned in the question is the hadeeth narrated by Thawbaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said: “I certainly know people of my ummah who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like the mountains of Tihaamah, but Allaah will make them like scattered dust.” Thawbaan said: O Messenger of Allaah, describe them to us and tell us more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He said: “They are your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of Allaah.” 

Narrated by Ibn Majaah in his Sunan (no .4245); al-Rawiyaani in al-Musnad (1/425); al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat (5/46) and al-Sagheer (1/396); Musnad al-Shaamiyeen (no. 667); al-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws (7715). Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (505). 

• Innovations

Linguistically bid’ah (innovation) means ‘a newly invented matter’. The Sharee’ah definition of bid’ah is: “A newly invented way [beliefs or action] in the religion, in imitation of the Sharee’ah (prescribed Law), by which nearness to Allaah is sought, [but] not being supported by any authentic proof – neither in its foundations, nor in the manner in which it is performed.” Al-I’tisaam of ash-Shaatibee (1/37). The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Every innovation is misguidance and going astray” Reported by Abu Daawood (no. 4607), at-Tirmidhee (no. 2676) and it is saheeh. Ibn Hajr authenticated it Takhreej Ahaadeeth Ibn ul-Haajib (1/137). And he (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) also said: “… and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire.” Reported by an-Nasaa’ee (1/224) from Jaabir bin Abdullaah and it is saheeh as declared by Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmoo’ ul-Fataawaa (3/58). The Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) also warned against the People of Innovation, from befriending, supporting or taking from them saying: “Whoever innovates or accommodates an innovator then upon him is the curse of Allaah, His Angels and the whole of mankind.” Reported by Bukhaaree (12/41) and Muslim (9/140) And in his footsteps, we find the Noble Companions and the Taabi’een after them warning from the danger of innovations upon the Ummah, its people and their unity, since it is innovations which have divided the Ummah and split it asunder. Ibn Abbaas (d. 68H) said: “Indeed the most detestable of things to Allaah are the innovations.” Reported by al-Bayhaqee in as-Sunan al-Kubraa (4/316) Ibn Umar (d. 84H) said: “Every innovation is misguidance, even if the people see it as something good.” Reported by Abu Shaamah (no. 39) Sufyaan ath-Thawree (d. 161H) said:”Innovation is more beloved to Iblees than sin, since a sin may be repented from but innovation is not repented from.” Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee (no. 238) Al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyaad (d. 187H) said: “I met the best of people, all of them people of the Sunnah and they used to forbid from accompanying the people of innovation.” Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee (no.267)

• Lack of understanding on how deeds are accepted

Two conditions which must be met: 

The first condition: the  act of worship should be devoted to Allah Alone. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him).”

[al-Bayyinah 98:5] 

The meaning of worshipping Allah alone is that the person should intend in all his words and deeds, both inward and outward, to seek the Face of Allah (i.e., His pleasure). Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to be paid back,

Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the Most High.”

[al-Layl 92:19] 

“(Saying): “We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.”

[al-Insan 76:9] 

“Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world (by his deeds), We give him thereof (what is decreed for him), and he has no portion in the Hereafter.”

[al-Shoora 42:20] 

The second condition is that the action should be in accordance with the only way which Allah has prescribed for worship, which is by following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  in the laws that he has brought. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Aqdiyyah, 3243). 

Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This hadeeth (narration) forms one of the most  important principles of Islam. It is like a scale for weighing up deeds according to their outward appearance, just as the hadeeth ‘The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions’ is the means of weighing up the inner nature of deeds. Just as every action which is not intended for the sake of Allah brings no reward to the one who does it, so too every deed which is not in accordance with the command of Allah and His Messenger will also be rejected and thrown back at the one who does it. Everyone who innovates in Islam something for which Allah and His Messenger have not granted permission, that thing has nothing to do with Islam. 

(Jami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hikam, part 1, p.176) 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined following his Sunnah (ways) and teachings, and made them binding. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You have to follow my Sunnah (way) and the way of my rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa’ al-rashidoon); bite onto it with your eyeteeth (i.e., cling firmly to it).” And he warned against bid’ah (innovation), as he said: “Beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is a going astray.” (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-‘Ilm, 2600; classed as saheeh/authentic by al-Albani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2157) 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Allah has made devotion of worship to Him alone and following the Sunnah the means of deeds being accepted; if these conditions are not met, then deeds are unacceptable.” 

(al-Rooh, 1/135) 

• Lack of understanding on principles of tawbah

{Say: “O ‘Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh: verily, Allâh forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Surah Az-Zumar 39:53]

From  Muhammad As-Saalih Al-‘Uthaimeen

Sincere Repentance: Must meet five conditions (in order to be accepted), which are:

1. Sincerity to Allaah, the Most High: This is by the person doing it only for the sake of Allaah and seeking His reward and salvation from His punishment.

2. Remorse: for the sin that was committed, such that he is sad he did it and wishes he had never done it.

3. Ceasing: to commit the sin immediately. If the sin was against Allaah, then he should (1) stop doing it if it was an unlawful act, or (2) hasten to do it if it was an obligation that he abandoned doing. And if the sin was against a created being (such as humans), then he should hasten to free himself from it, whether by returning it back to him or seeking his forgiveness and pardon.

4. Determination: to not go back to doing that sin again in the future.

5. The repentance should not occur before the time when its acceptance is terminated, either by death or by the sun rising from the west. Allaah says: “Repentance is of no effect for those who commit sins constantly until when death faces one of them, he says: Verily I repent now.” The Prophet ( sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever repents before the sun rises from its west, Allaah will accept his repentance.” [Reported by Muslim]

• Obtaining intercessions from prophet Muhammad (SallAllaahu alayhi wa salaam), al Mulk, Fasting, Qur’an, pious friends, etc

• Overpowered by love of dunya

The more people increase in comfort and luxury and the more they open up before the people (with the dunya), the more evils will open up before them.

“And this life of the world is only an amusement and a play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter – that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew.” [Qur’an surah Al-Ankaboot, 64]

For the sake of dunya, some Muslims may compromise the basic principles of Islam:

• missed prayers, indulge in riba’, free mixing, with alcohol for social office events, eating in places with no halal food, dressing inappropriately for sisters, etc

Thawbaan رضي الله عنه (the freed slave of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

 “Nations are about to unite (and call) each other to set upon you, just as diners are invited to a plate of food.” It was said: “Will it be because of our lack of numbers that day (i.e. will be be small in number)?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Rather, you will be many on that day, but you will be like scum foam (that floats) on the river. Allaah will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and put Wahn into your hearts.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what is Wahn?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:“Love for the dunya and hatred for death.”

[Related by Abu Da’wud, 4297 and others – graded as saheeh by Al-Albani in ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’, 958]

• Lack of preparation

Preparations must START NOW, NOT after Haj, NOT after 50 years old, NOT during Ramadan, etc.

O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do. (Qur’an surah al Hashr 59: 18)

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Make the most of five things before five others: life before death, health before sickness, free time before becoming busy, youth before old age, and wealth before poverty.” See Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 1077. 

• Never pondered that death is around the corner

You know that death is an inevitable reality that will come to every living thing, and no one will be spared that, no matter how noble his status before Allaah. Allaah said to His Prophet, the noblest of all creation (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die”

Qur’an surah [al-Zumar 39:30] 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)” [Qur’an surah Aal ‘Imraan 3:185] 

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.’‘ Then (giving a warning) he said, “Are you waiting for poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion, or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or a disease which will disable you, or senility which will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death which will take you all of a sudden, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected, or the Hour; and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Remember more often the destroyer of pleasures – death.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

1. The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you,

2. Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).

3. Nay! You shall come to know!

4. Again, Nay! You shall come to know!

5. Nay! If you knew with a sure knowledge (the end result of piling up, you would not have occupied yourselves in worldly things)

6. Verily, You shall see the blazing Fire (Hell)!

7. And again, you shall see it with certainty of sight!

8. Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight (you indulged in, in this world)!

Qur’an Surah at Takathur (102)

• Good deeds lighter than bad deeds

6. Then as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy,

7. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise).

8. But as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light,

9. He will have his home in Hawiyah (pit, i.e. Hell).

10. And what will make you know what it is?

11. (It is) a hot blazing Fire!

Qur’an surah al Qari’ah 101

“Whosoever does righteous good deeds, it is for (the benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.”

[Qur’an surah Fussilat 41:46] 

• Bankrupt person

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do you know who is bankrupt?” They said, “The one without money or goods is bankrupt.” The Prophet said, “Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and charity, but also with insults, slander, consuming wealth, shedding blood, and beating others. The oppressed will each be given from his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2581

• Debt

It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say in his prayer: “Allaahumma inni a’oodhi bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from sin and heavy debt).” Someone said to him: “How often you seek refuge from heavy debt!” He said: “When a man gets into debt, he speak and tells lies, and he makes a promise and breaks it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (832) and Muslim (589). 

Al-Nasaa’i (4605) narrated that Muhammad ibn Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: 

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he raised his head towards the sky, then he put his palm on his forehead and said: “Subhaan-Allaah!  What a strict issue has been revealed to me!” We remained silent and were afraid. The following morning I asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is this strict issue that has been revealed?” He said, “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if a man were killed in battle for the sake of Allaah, then brought back to life, then killed and brought back to life again, then killed, and he owed a debt, he would not enter Paradise until his debt was paid off.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 4367.  

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had died owing two dinars, until Abu Qataadah (may Allaah be pleased with him) promised to pay it off for him. When he saw him the following day and said, I have paid it off, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Now his skin has become cool for him.” Musnad Ahmad(3/629); classed as hasan by al-Nawawi in al-Khalaasah (2/931) and by Ibn Muflih in al-Adaab al-Shar’iyyah (1/104).  

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fath al-Baari (4/547):  

This hadeeth indicates how difficult the issue of debt is, and that it should not be undertaken except in cases of necessity. End quote. 

It was narrated from Thawbaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 

“Whoever dies free from three things – arrogance, cheating and debt – will enter Paradise.” 

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1572); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 

“The soul of the believer is suspended because of his debt until it is paid off.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1078). 

1. Choosing good companions

“The likeness of a good companion and a bad companion is that of a perfume seller and one who works the bellows. With the perfume seller, either he will give you something or you will buy something from him, or you will notice a good smell from him, but with the one who works the bellows, either he will burn your clothes or you notice a bad smell from him.” Narrated by Muslim, no. 2628. 

“A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend.” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]
This means that a person will be upon the same methodology as his friend, the same path as his friend, the same nature, manner and behavior as his friend. So we must be careful about whom we befriend. There is an Arabic saying: ‘Your companion is what pulls you to something.’ So if your companion is good, he will pull you towards that which is good. He will order you to do what is good and forbid you from doing what is evil. 

Allah the Exalted says in the Qur’an: “And (remember) the Day when the wrong-doer will bite his hands and say: Woe to me! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger. Woe to me! If only I had not taken so- and-so as a friend! He has led me astray from this Reminder (the Qur’an) after it had come to me.” [25:27-29].
He also says: “Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except al-Mutt

aqoon (i.e. those who have Taqwah).” [43:67]

• Arrogance

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No one who has the weight of a seed of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise.” Someone said, “But a man loves to have beautiful clothes and shoes.” The Prophet said, “Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 91

See previous notes

Next important point

Who will be saved from hellfire and who will be there forever?

• Hadith on an atom of faith

Al-Bukhaari (44) and Muslim (193) narrated from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his heart goodness the weight of a grain of barley will be brought out of Hell, then whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his heart goodness the weight of a grain of wheat will be brought out of Hell, then whoever says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and has in his heart goodness the weight of an atom (or a small ant) will be brought out of Hell.” 

This idea is repeated in other hadeeths, the wording of which is similar. 

At-Tirmidhi (1999), Abu Dawood (4091) and Ibn Maajah (59) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise in whose heart is an atom’s weight of arrogance and no one will enter Hell in whose heart is an atom’s weight of faith.” A man said: What if I like my clothes to look nice and my shoes to look nice? He said: “Verily Allah loves beauty; rather arrogance means rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi. 

Imam at-Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after quoting this hadeeth: Some of the scholars said, commenting on this hadeeth, that no one who has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will enter Hell; the only meaning is that they will not abide in the Fire forever. This was narrated from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who said: “Everyone in whose heart there is an atom’s weight of faith will be brought out of Hell.” More than one of the Taabi‘een interpreted the verse (interpretation of the meaning), “Our Lord! Verily, whomever You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:192] as meaning: whomever You cause to abide forever in the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him. End quote. 

• Intercession

• Choosing good companions 43: 67

• Shirk

“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah. But those who believe, love Allaah more (than anything else). If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allaah and that Allaah is Severe in punishment.

When those who were followed disown (declare themselves innocent of) those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them.

And those who followed will say: ‘If only we had one more chance to return (to the worldly life), we would disown (declare ourselves as innocent from) them as they have disowned (declared themselves as innocent from) us.’ Thus Allaah will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And they will never get out of the Fire”

[al-Baqarah 2:165-167] 

 “Verily, those who belie Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and treat them with arrogance, for them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise until the camel goes through the eye of the needle (which is impossible). Thus do We recompense the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists, sinners).

Theirs will be a bed of Hell (Fire), and over them coverings (of Hell-fire). Thus do We recompense the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers)”

[al-A’raaf 7:40-41] 

“and whosoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, then verily, for him is the fire of Hell, he shall dwell therein forever”

[al-Jinn 72:23] 

“Verily, those who disbelieve and did wrong [by concealing the truth about Prophet Muhammad and his message of true Islamic Monotheism written in the Tawraatt (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) with them]; Allaah will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to any way.

Except the way of Hell, to dwell therein forever”

[al-Nisa’ 4:168-169] 

———————————————————–

Abu Dawood narrated that Aa’isha (may Allah be pleased with her), said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), used to pray with the door closed, so I arrived and asked him to open it, so he came and opened it and returned to his prayer” (the narrator mentioned that the door was in the direction of the qibla)

Alhamdulillah, we have experienced a beautiful month where Allah has Guided us in the straight path. How was our iman being nurtured during Ramadan?

• It’s a Blessed month
• Shaytan is locked up
• People were fasting – which leads to taqwa (2:183)
• People are starting to pray, and when you pray , you will be getting guidance and preventing yourself from disobedience to Allah (29:45)
• Mosques were full and many people were devoting themselves in worshipping him.
• People were reciting the Qur’an constantly.

So, in fact we were like angels – constantly trying to worship Allah. Even when Allah commanded us not to eat and drink and having sexual intercourse (between husband and wife) during the day, we obey – simply because Allah has Commanded us to do so. No ifs and no buts.

Therefore, our iman in general is boosted in Ramadan by the above factor. After Ramadan, many people would have gone back to the old ways, some to an unacceptable level, as if Ramadan has never come. We must ensure that our iman is maintained inshaAllah. It will never be the same compared to our iman in Ramadan but at least we have to strive to reach an acceptable level so that we are constantly able to worship Him. Until we die, striving must be continuous.

According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, eemaan (faith) is “belief in the heart, words on the tongue and actions of the body.” This includes three things:

 1.     Belief in the heart

2.     Words on the tongue

3.     Actions of the body 

As this is the case, then it will increase and decrease. That is because the degree of belief in the heart differs from one person to another. Believing in what someone tells you is not the same as believing something that you see with your own eyes. Believing in what one person tells you is not the same as believing what two people tell you, and so on. Hence Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said:

“ ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allaah) said: ‘Do you not believe?’ He [Ibraaheem (Abraham)] said: ‘Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith’” [al-Baqarah 2:260]  

Eemaan may increase with regard to belief, contentment and tranquillity in the heart. A person may experience that in himself when he attends gatherings of dhikr where he hears a lesson. Remembering Paradise and Hell increases eemaan to the point where it as if you can see them with your own eyes. But when a person is negligent and leaves those gatherings, this certain faith is reduced in his heart.  

Eemaan in the sense of words may increase similarly. Whoever remembers Allaah a few times is not like one who remembers Him one hundred times. The latter is far better in eemaan.  

And the one who does an act of worship in a perfect manner will have more faith than one who does it in an imperfect manner.

 The same applies to righteous deeds. If a person does good deeds physically more than another, the one who does more will have more eemaan than the one who does less. This is stated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah – I mean the fact that eemaan may increase and decrease. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “And We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that this Qur’aan is the truth as it agrees with their Books regarding the number (19) which is written in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and that the believers may increase in Faith [al-Muddaththir 74:31]

 “And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of them (hypocrites) say: “Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?” As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice.

But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers [al-Tawbah 9:124-125] 

According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have never seen any women lacking in reason and faith who have a more negative impact on the mind of a serious man than you.” 

Thus eemaan increases and decreases. 

———————————————

Signs of weak Faith: 

• Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.
• 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. 
• Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time.
• Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Quran, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
• 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.
• Being concerned with whether something is haram or halal only; and not avoiding makroo (not recommended) things.
• 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 very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling bad only when losing something in terms of material wealth.
• Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves. 

——————————————————————————————

SYMPTOMS OF WEAK OR LOW IMAN

The disease of an ailing Iman has many symptoms, which include:

Committing Sins

Some people insist on committing the same sins over and over again. As a result, repugnance of sins is slowly withdrawn from their heart to the point that they commit these sins openly as described in this Hadith:

“All of my followers will be forgiven except those who commit sins openly. Such is the case of a man commits a sin at night and Allah had his sin concealed till the morning comes. But, he says openly: ‘O so and so, I did such and such yesterday.’ Allah had covered his sin, but he uncovered the veil of Allah from it.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).

Hardening of the Heart

The person reaches a stage where he feels that his heart has turned into a solid rock that is not affected by anything. Allah says: “And yet, after this, your hearts hardened and became like rocks, or even harder.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:74). A hardened heart is not affected by anything – even seeing people die and attending funerals would not move it. The person with a hardened heart may even carry a corpse and bury it, yet, he walks in the graveyard as if he were strolling between pine trees!

Performing Acts of Worship Poorly

Such a person remains absent-minded during prayers and while reciting the Qur’an. He also does not contemplate upon the meaning of the supplications he is making. As a result, he recites them in a monotonous tone void of any reflections. He does not think for a moment about the value of these supplications. He forgets that: “Allah does not accept the supplication from an inattentive, heedless heart.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi).

His acts of worship are reduced to hollow movements with no spirit behind them. Allah describes the hypocrites: “And they do not remember Allah but little.” (Al-Nisa’, 4:142).

A hard hearted person remains indifferent when he does not perform some good deeds and misses those times of worship that have more reward in them. His lack of interest to earn rewards is obvious. Delaying Hajj when he is capable of performing it, missing congregational prayers in the Masjid, and even the Jumu’ah prayer are a few examples of this. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam [pbuh] said: “People will continue to withdraw to rows behind the first one until Allah puts them in a back place in Hell.” (Related by Abu Dawud).

Furthermore, he does not feel remorse if he misses obligatory duties and does not try to perform the different Sunnah prayers or invocations that he misses. He ignores them, convincing himself that they are only Sunnah!

Lack of Tranquillity

His breast gets tightened, his mood changes, he feels as if he is carrying a heavy load, and he becomes annoyed quickly because of minor things. He gets pestered by the behavior of the people around him and he does not forgive them easily. He harbors malice towards fellow Muslims over insignificant issues. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam has described Iman to be forgiveness: “Iman is patience and forgiveness.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi). In another Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam described the believer in the following manner: “He makes friends and is befriended and there is no goodness in (one who) does not make friends or is not befriended.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi).

Verses of the Qur’an Have No Effect Upon Him

The promises, warnings, commands, prohibitions, and descriptions of the Day of Judgment do not make his eyes flood with tears, or his heart quiver, or his soul shiver. Consequently, he gets bored and tired when he listens to the recital of the Qur’an!

He is Negligent in Remembering Allah

This simple act of devotion becomes heavy upon him to the point that when he raises his hands in supplication, he hastens to fold them up quickly to conclude it. He is not eager to repent to Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, and to make invocations to Him for his needs. Allah describes the hypocrites: “And when they stand up to pray, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.” (Al-Nisa’, 4:142).

He Does Not Get Angry When the Commandments of Allah Are Violated

This is because the glowing light of honor in his heart has been extinguished and as a result, his limbs have become numb to repudiate evil. So he does not bother to enjoin good or forbid evil. This is due to a weak heart as indicated by the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam: “Temptations are presented to the heart, one by one. Any heart that accepts them will be left with a black stain, but any heart that rejects them will be left with a mark of purity, until the hearts become one of two types: a dark heart that has turned away and become like an overturned vessel, and a pure heart that will never be harmed by temptation for as long as the earth and the heavens exist.” (Related by Muslim).

So the desire of enjoining good and forbidding evil disappears from a sick heart. Good and evil are the same to it.

Rather, the person may even be happy to hear about the corruption that is being committed on earth. His unfortunate soul forgets that the sin upon him is the same as the sin upon the person who witnessed the evil and approved of it, as the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “When a sin is committed on earth, the one who witnessed it and hates it is like one who was absent from it, and the one who was absent from it but was pleased with it (after he found out about it), it is like he witnessed it. (Related by Abu Dawud)

Since being pleased with the sin is a deed of his heart, it makes the sin upon him equal to the sin of the one who witnessed it.

He loves to be in Gatherings and be Engrossed in Talking

He tries to impose his views on others and likes the discussion to center around him. Gatherings in which idle talk takes prominence are considered like slaughter houses from which the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam warned us when he said:

“Watch out for the slaughterhouses (meaning) gatherings.” (Related by Al-Bayhaqi).

He is Arrogant

He likes people to stand up for him when he enters to meet them because feeling great gratifies his diseased soul. the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “The one who is pleased that the slaves of Allah stand up for him, then let him be assured of his place in the Fire.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)

Mu’awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan entered upon two companions of the Prophet, Ibn ‘Amir stood up and Ibn Zubayr sat down. Seeing this, Mu’awiyah said to Ibn ‘Amir: “Sit down, because I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘The one who loves that another man stand up for him, then let him rest assured of his sitting place in the Fire.”‘ (Related by Abu Dawud).

A similar example is that he will get angry at a person who applies the Sunnah and starts shaking hands with people on his right hand side. Also, when he enters a gathering, he is not satisfied unless someone else, already sitting, gets up so that he may sit in his place despite the fact that he is forbidden to do so by the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam:

“Let not a man make another one stand for him then sit in his place.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).

Stinginess and Greed

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has praised those who spend their wealth for good causes and at the same time blamed those who are miserly. In the Qur’an Allah has praised the Ansar for the way they gave preference to the Muhajirun (Muslims who migrated from Makkah) over themselves: “But they (Ansar) give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that (the booty). And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.” (Al-Hashr, 59:9).

Allah has clarified that the successful ones are those who protect themselves against stinginess. Without doubt, weakness of Iman is born from stinginess as the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “Iman and covetousness can never come together in the heart of a slave.” (Related by Al-Nasa’i).

Concerning the dangers of stinginess and its effects upon one’s soul, the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam explained it to be: “Beware of covetousness, because the ones before you perished because of covetousness. It induces them to be miserly so they became misers and it induced them to break the ties (of kinship) so they broke it and induced them to commit sins so they committed sins.” (Related by Abu Dawud).

A greedy person also has a weak Iman. He scarcely spends anything for the sake of Allah even if he is called to donate in charity when his Muslim brothers are hungry and afflicted by hardships. There is nothing clearer in this matter than the Book of Allah: “Behold! It is you who are called to spend freely in Allah’s Cause: but even among you are such as turn out to be niggardly! And yet, he who acts niggardly in Allah’s Cause is but niggardly towards himself: for Allah is Rich, and you are poor. And if you turn away from Him, He will cause other people to take your place, and they will not be the likes of you.” (Muhammad, 47:38)

He Falls into Doubtful Matters

When he performs an action, he does not ask if it is an act of righteousness, but rather will it earn him any sin or not. This is exactly what the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam informed us of: “But he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all about grazing therein. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions.” (Related by Muslim).

When such people ask for a fatwah (Islamic ruling) about something, and find out that it is forbidden, they do not give up. They want to know how severe the prohibition is. How many sins does he earn if he commits it? He is not concerned to stay away from evil and sinful deeds, rather he is inclined to take the first step towards haram things by belittling the burning effects of sins which run him the risk of committing haram, and remove the screen between him and the sin. This is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “Know that some people from my Ummah will come on the Day of Judgment with good deeds like the white mountains of Tihama, but Allah will make them scattered dust.” Thawban said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us, so that we may not be one of them without knowing it!’ He said, “They will be your brothers, and from your people, and they will take from the night as you do (meaning prayers, etc.), but they are a people who, when they were alone with the prohibitions of Allah, violated them.” (Related by Ibn Majah).

So, you will find him engulfed in forbidden things without any protection or shielding, and this is more evil than the one who commits them but with some reluctance. These people commit sins with ease as a result of their ailing Iman and do not see their act to be an evil one. This is how Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud radhiallahu anhu described the way a believer and a hypocrite perceive sins: “A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain, fearing it might fall upon him, while a sinner sees his sins as a fly passing over his nose, so he gets rid of it with his hand.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).

Belittling Good Deeds

There is lack of concern on the part of the sick at heart to perform small deeds of righteousness contrary to what the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam has taught us when he said: “Do not belittle any small act of kindness even if it is to pour water from your bucket into the vessel of the one who asks for it or to talk to your brother with a cheerful face.” Related by Ahmad.

So, acts that appear to be minor should not be underestimated. Hence, meeting a fellow Muslim with a smiling face and removing trash and dirt from the Masjid – even as little as a straw – entails great rewards. It may be that a small deed becomes a reason for the forgiveness of major sins. Allah thanks His slave for these small deeds and forgives him. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “Once, a man saw the branch of a tree in the middle of a road. So, he said, ‘By Allah, I will remove this from the path of the Muslims so they may not be hurt.’ For this action, he was put in Paradise.” (Related by Muslim).

Mu’adh Ibn Jabal was once walking with someone. He removed a pebble from the way. The man asked Mu’adh why he did that. Mu’adh answered him: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam say: “One who removes a stone from the way has a good deed written for him, and one for whom a good deed is written shall enter Paradise.'” (Related by Al-Tabarani).

Not Caring About the Affairs of Muslims

A person with a sick heart does not react to the needs of Muslims by making supplications, giving charity, or offering assistance. He does not care if his brothers are afflicted by a hardship in any part of the world such as being overwhelmed by the enemy, being persecuted, or being stricken by disasters. It is enough for him that his conditions are good! This is because of his ailing Iman; A believer is the opposite of that as described by the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam: “A believer feels pain for the believers, just as the body feels distress over what is troubling the head.” (Related by Ahmad).

He is Deprived of the Friendship of Brothers

The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “Two persons who became friends for the sake of Allah do not separate except because of a sin committed by one of them.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).

This is a proof of the evil effects of sins: it breaks the ties of brotherhood. This alienation that a person finds between himself and his brothers is sometimes the result of a decline in Iman which results from committing sins. So the love others have for him dwindles.

Showing Grief and Fear When Afflicted by a Hardship or When in Difficulty

Such a person is often found to be shaky in offering obligatory duties, unbalanced, absent minded, lost, and fidgety. He is not able to face reality with unwavering limbs and a firm heart. All of this is due to ailing Iman.

If the Iman were strong, he would have been firm and faced the greatest of hardships with strength and steadfastness.

Disputing and Arguing Unnecessarily

Much engagement in these habits hardens the heart as the Prophet said: “A people never went astray after being upon guidance except through disputes.” (Related by Ahmad).

So, argumentation without proof and proper intention takes one away from the Straight Path. These days, most people argue falsely and without knowledge or guidance. It is enough for them to leave this bad habit after knowing what the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam said: “I guarantee a house in the outskirts of Paradise to the one who gives up arguing even if he were on the right side.” (Related by Abu Dawud).

Attachment to Worldly Life

He is so materialistic that he feels anguish when something of this life, like wealth, honor, status, etc, is taken away from him. He feels as if he has been injured badly because he did not get what others did. His feeling of injury becomes stronger and he feels rejected on seeing his Muslim brother get something of this world which did not reach him. Envy takes root in his heart so he wishes that this bounty be taken away from his brother. This is what the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam warned us against: “Never can Iman and envy come together in the heart of a slave.” (Related by Al- Nasa’i).

His Speech is Void of the Etiquette of the Qur’an and Sunnah

The signs of Imart are absent from him. You will barely find in this person’s speech quotations from the Qur’an, or Sunnah, or the sayings of the early pious generations of Muslims.

These are some of the symptoms of a weak faith. By becoming aware of the symptoms, one has made the first step towards the remedy.

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What causes weakness of faith:

Three broad categories include

1.Failing to seek knowledge on a constant basis.

Many of us have abandoned reading the Qur’an and Hadith on a daily basis and when we do we seldom reflect on its message or seek guidance. Our minds are not focused on the virtue of its message. We starve ourselves in the knowledge of deen by allowing our attention to be diverted by feasting on daily talk shows on TV, or other forms of destructive activities for the passing of time. We miss out on that breeze of Iman that softens hearts.

2 Living in an environment surrounded with sin is conducive to weakening the faith.

In this environment temptation exists, continuously at every point. We need to guard our prayers and our Iman. We are not as Allah conscious as we ought to be, we allow ourselves to be swayed and distracted by temptations. We have been devoid of a faith-filled environment for too long. We’ve become de-sensitised and lost sight of the world of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). We are oblivious to the good as taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). — Moral and spiritual values that elevate man are replaced by the worldly pleasures of today’s society. We fail to protect our families and ourselves from acts of disobedience and often we accept them as the norm.

And seldom do we turn to Allah swt in repentance (taw bah). This is our ignorance, our weakness.

And last but not the least,

3. Preoccupation with our worldly life, while neglecting the hereafter.

Our day to day activities centre around our material world – our business, our work, our money, our bills, the sizes of our homes, our cars, and so on. These take preference both in our minds and speech. This preoccupation with the world enslaves our hearts.

We have allowed the diseases of the heart to flourish such as vanity, pride, fame, glory. We tend to get lost in these illusions, fooled by the worldly glamour and fail to illuminate our hearts with Allah’s Noor.

We remain pre-occupied with our worldly life.

Allah says in

Surah Al Hijr 15:3

“Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!”

And Allah swt created us only for His Ubudiya, for His worship alone, as His slaves but today we have become slaves to this duniya, this world, slaves of our desires and ambitions, slaves to wealth.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “He is doomed, the slave of the dinar and the slave of the dirham” (Reported by al-Bukhari, no. 2730),

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) further said: “Every nation has its fitnah (trial or temptation), and the fitnah of my Ummah is wealth.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2336). So this eagerness to acquire wealth weakens Iman. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) meant when he said: “Two hungry wolves sent against the sheep do not do more damage than what a man’s eagerness for wealth does to his religion.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2376). That is it leaves him injured or dead as far as his Iman is concerned.

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There are three main causes for the decrease in ones iman. A persons iman is sure to take a fall when he loses certainty in the above six beliefs. These beliefs when properly settled into the heart play an important role in a believers life. When a person says, performs, or believes something, which is Islamically known as kufr (disbelief), their iman will be effected in a very negative way. And the final reason for the downfall of iman is performing any type of shirk. These three things all lead to sin, which is what prevents the iman from increasing.

It is a duty of every Muslim to keep his or her iman in check. This means one must constantly guard his or her iman and observe whether it has increased or decreased and for what causes. If it has decreased, one must work to increase it before it falls low enough to destroy the heart. There are many ways to increases ones iman and it involves increasing in righteous deeds and refraining from sins, as well as staying away from sinful activities and people who encourage such activities.

The first thing one should do is renew his or her faith by reciting La ilaha illallah, the meaning of which is: There is no deity except Allah, as the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) advised. A person must also believe in all the aspects of La ilaha illallah and this is done through gaining knowledge. Knowledge is one of the most essential key factors in increasing ones iman. It leads to certainty in the heart, assurance in the mind, and peace felt by the soul. Allah has said in His Holy Revelation:

It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. (Surat al-Malaaikah 35:28)

An increase in knowledge leads to acknowledging Allah in every moment of ones life through taqwa, which leads to a firm iman. The type of knowledge we are discussing is knowing that Allah is One and has no partners, wives, children, or equals. It is knowing Allah through His beautiful Names and Attributes; that Allah is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that it contains. He is the Preserver, as well as the One Who destroys. He gives life and takes it whenever He wills. His knowledge encompasses all things and nothing can ever be hidden from Him.

And with Him are the keys of the invisible. None but He knows them. And He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but He knows it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, nor anything wet or dry but (it is noted) in a Clear Record. (Surat al-Anaam 6:59)

He hears the cries of His servants all at once and is not confused by the countless different number of voices and languages and He is Ever Responding. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Giver of Bounties. He forgives whomever He wills and punishes whomever He wills. He is the Just, the Merciful, and does no wrong to His creation. He sees all things. Not a black ant on a black stone on a black moonless night is hidden from His sight. To Him belongs all praise and glory! He is the Most Great, the Incomparable!

A person who has knowledge of Allah is no way like a person who simply states La ilaha illallah and knows nothing else about its meaning and its impact in the life of a true believer.

Likewise, a person who has knowledge about Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) and his life, noble characteristics, truthful teachings, and exemplary actions and has faith in what he informed his Ummah concerning the torment and bliss in the grave, the Last Day, the Reckoning, the questioning of ones deeds, the scale, the bridge, the rewards of Paradise, and the torments of Hellfire is unlike the person who has no such knowledge or belief. A person with this knowledge will have a purpose and goal in life, which is to obey Allah to the best of his ability and remind himself of the rewards and punishments he may earn depending upon his iman and his deeds.

There is no doubt that knowledge plays a big role in increasing the iman of a weak heart and Allah says it beautifully:

Are those who know, equal to those who know not? (Surat az-Zumar 39:9)

The second key factor, which affects the iman are ones deeds. They can either decrease the iman and weaken the heart and soul or increase it, as well as strengthening the heart and soul. Once a person gains knowledge about something, he should accept it and put it into practice. If a person accepts the forbidden as forbidden and the permissible as permissible, but refuses to act upon it, thereby disobeying Allah and committing sin, not to mention hurting his own soul, he has suppressed his iman. The basis of iman is to accept and practice.

By increasing good deeds and obedience, one nears himself to Allah, increases his iman, and purifies himself. He is less likely to fall into his base desires and worldly pleasures, keeping himself safe from the evils of society by strengthening his soul and weakening his nafs.

A person with low iman should begin by performing the obligatory duties imposed on him, such as performing the five daily prayers at their fixed times and fasting. He should stop committing major sins and eventually begin performing more voluntary and permissible acts of worship and obedience and refrain from minor sins and disliked acts to the best of his ability. When a person refrains from as many sins as possible and does as many good deeds as he can, most importantly his obligatory duties, he weakens Satan against him, which gives him a bigger chance of success. Allah says:

O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not make your deeds vain. (Surah Muhammad 47:33)

One should make sure that everything he does will only benefit him both in this world and in the hereafter. There is no point in doing something that will cause hurt to ones soul and add more weight to ones evil deeds. It is very important and beneficial to follow the Sunnah. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) was the best of mankind and Allah chose him to show us our ways. If we follow him, we are sure to succeed in both worlds, Insha Allah. But if we reject his way and follow our own lusts or the way of the kuffar, we will only destroy ourselves. To be sure that ones deeds will increase the iman, one should do only that which Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) have taught and in that way, one can be safe from bidah and misguidance.

The third key factor to increasing ones iman is remembrance and contemplation. Remembrance refers to the remembrance of Allah, His Names and Attributes, His Greatness, Power, and Majesty, and the fact that He is the Most High. He is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped, thanked, and depended upon. Allah is the Lord of Kindness and the Most Generous. He should be praised and glorified constantly as a part of remembrance. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said that the most beloved and weighty phrases of dhikr (remembrance) are La ilaha illallah Subhannallah, Alhumdulillah, and Allahu Akbar. There are many others like these, which should also be recited. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, The difference between a person who glorifies his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord is like that between the living and the dead. The remembrance of Allah increases iman and brings peace into the heart. There is none more truthful than Allah in speech and so Allah confirms:

Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! (Surat ar-Rad 13:28)

Along with praising and glorifying Allah, one should be regular in reciting His
Holy Speech, the Quran, and ponder upon their meanings and use them as a guide and a healing in ones life.

And we reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe(Surat al-Isra 17:82)

The Quran contains the Truth about monotheism, Allahs promises of success to the true believers and warnings of punishment to the hypocrites and disbelievers. It contains commandments and prohibitions, inspiring stories of the previous prophets and their nations, and codes of the best conduct and behavior. The words of the Quran bring hope into a persons life. They enlighten the heart and open up a path of righteousness for those searching for the truth.

Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity. (Surat an-Nisaa 4:82)

The iman will increase when one connects with Allah through His Holy Revelation and this should lead one to acting upon his Lords Word.

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

Remembering the Hereafter is also a cure for weak iman. When one is one hundred percent certain of the Last Day, Paradise, and Hellfire and feels fear of the mere thought of standing before the All-Powerful Creator and be questioned and judged for each of his thoughts, sayings and deeds, he is bound to think twice before committing an act of disobedience. One should remember the Day of Judgement often, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Quran to remind mankind that he will surely be returned to his Lord.

When we look at the night, full of bright glittery stars, the shining moon and the sunset, as well as the mountains standing firm and the flowers blooming, we should feel Allahs Power and Majesty and contemplate over His creation. It is absolutely amazing and unimaginable as to how Allah created every single thing in existence and how the universe runs so smoothly by the will and control of its Creator. Contemplating over the creation is another way a person can increase his iman and grow closer to Allah.

Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! You created not this in vain. Glory be to You! Preserve us from the doom of Fire. (Surah Ali Imran 3:191)

Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, Allah, the All-Mighty says, I treat my slave according to his expectations from Me and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart. If he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and more noble gathering (i.e. of the angels). If he comes close to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubits length. If he comes toward Me a cubits length, I go towards him an arms length. And if he walks toward Me, I run toward him.

One of the most important things a person should be aware of when trying to increase his iman and at all times, is the vastness of Allahs mercy, compassion, and love. One should put hope and trust in Him. Remembrance of Allah is a key factor in increasing the iman, as are increasing ones Islamic knowledge and good deeds. Allah says:

Then, as for those who have faith and do good deeds, He will pay them fully their rewards and give them more out of His grace and as for those who disdain and are proud, He will punish them with a painful doom. And they shall not find for themselves besides Allah any guardian or helper. (Surat an-Nisaa 4:173)

In the following verse, Allah emphasizes the importance of iman and doing good deeds along with ones belief:

There shall be no sin unto those who believe and do good deeds for what they may have eaten (in the past); so be mindful of your duty (to Allah) and do good deeds and again be mindful of your duty and believe and once again, be mindful of your duty and do good deeds. Allah loves the good! (Surat al-Maidah 5:93)

The life of the dunya is only a test for the creation and one day this test will end. It is the responsibility of each human and jinn to prepare oneself for the final scoring of the test by being mindful of ones duty towards Allah by following the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah and keeping ones iman high. A weak iman will lead one to the Hellfire, while a strong one will lead one to the Gardens of Delight. The reason is because it is the iman that determines the actions of a person. A person with weak or even no iman will commit sin and cause Allah to be displeased, causing him to be thrown into the Hellfire to be punished. But a person with a strong faith will refrain from sins and perform good deeds, which will be the cause of Allahs pleasure and his entrance into Paradise.

In conclusion, Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid wrote in his book, Some of our righteous Salaf said, It is a sign of the slaves fiqh (knowledge of the religion) that he concerns himself with enhancing the status of his iman when it experiences a decrease. Also, it is a sign of the slaves fiqh to know if his iman is on the increase or the decrease. Furthermore, it is a sign of ones fiqh that he knows why and where the evil whispers of Satan are coming from.

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So after Ramadan, what can we do to enhance our iman inshaAllah?

1. Make du’a to Allah
2. Continue with fasting – especially the 6 days of Shawwal fasting and Mondays/Thursdays inshaAllah – to attain taqwa.
3. Continue to recite the Qur’an to obtain Guidance – with proper recitation and understanding.
4. Continue the tarawih prayer with tahajjud, and maintain obligatory prayers on time and with khushoo
5. Continue to be generous and make donations
6. Continue to remember Allah in mornings and evenings
7. Be with the right companions (43: 67)
8. Seek refuge in Allah from shaytan constantly
9. Attend circles of knowledge
10. Remind one another constantly – enjoin good and forbid evil (surah al Asr)
11. Remind ourselves that death may come at any time….and that there is no second chance – you can visit graves or the sick ones to remind ourselves to be grateful to Allah when you are healthy and that you still have time to repent and do good deeds.
12. Be patient at all times – in performing good deeds, in preventing ourselves from disobeying Allah and when tested by Allah. Remember that the more iman we have the more Allah’s Tests will come – in order to purify us.

May Allah continue to Guide us and Maintain our iman till we meet Him in Jannatul Firdaus.