Islamic Morals [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

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Islamic Morals [Electronic resources] - نسخه متنی

Ghulam Reza Sultani

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Lesson: 24 Reality of Faith


Some scholars
of Islam believe that Faith is attestation by heart and, according to some;
attestation of heart must also be combined with verbal witness. Yet some others
also add deed with these two.

For making
this discussion clear let us turn toward to the Holy Quran and the words of
the family of infallibility and purity: The dwellers of the desert say: We
believe. Say: You do not believe but say, We submit; and faith has not yet entered
into your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Apostle, He will not diminish
aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. The believers are
only those who believe in Allah and His Apostle then they doubt not and struggle
hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful
ones.

From this verse
we derive that the reality of Faith means confirmation by heart and its enactment
through deeds but confession of the two Kalimas refer to Islam. Hence it is
recorded from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) ???

In many verses
after the word Aamanoo Believe Amale Swaleh Good deed has been added, indicating
that, perhaps, special inclination is toward the common. Just look at these
four verses:

1 - And
as for those who believe and do good, We will most surely cause them to enter
among the good.

2 - And as for those who believe and do good, We will certainly give them abode
in the high places in gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; how
good the reward of the workers.

3 - As for those who believe and do good, they shall surely have gardens of
bliss, Abiding in them; the promise of Allah; a true promise, and He is the
Mighty, the Wise.

4 - Except those who believe and do good. I swear by the Asr, Most surely man
is in loss, except those who believe and do good.

Question: IN
some of the verses only confession from heart has been taken into account. Is
it not against the abovementioned view?

Answer: Before
replying to this question we look at the circumstance of the revelation of this
verse: But no! By your Lord! They do not believe in reality until they make
you a judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and
then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided
and submit with entire submission.

Zubair bin
Awwaam who was one of the migrants had some dispute with one of the Ansar Muslims
of Medina in the matter of watering their gardens that were adjoining one another.
Both went to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) for solving their dispute. The garden
of Zubair was on the upper side of a stream and that of the Ansari on the lower.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked Zubair to water his garden first and thereafter
the Ansari Muslim may water his and this was in accordance with the way in vogue
about adjoining gardens then. But this Ansari, who was apparently a Muslim,
became displeased with the just judgement of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and
said: Is this verdict not because Zubair is your cousin? The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
became very uncomfortable. So much so that the colour of his cheeks also changed.
It was at this time that the above quoted verse was revealed which cautioned
the Muslims.

The above verse
instructs that true Muslims should always be fully submissive and obedient to
the orders of Allah and His Messenger. But it does not negate the other condition
mentioned in previous verses.

Question: For
being a Faithful, is it enough to believe in heart or is it essential to be
obedient and submissive in practice too along with the belief in heart?

Answer: Undoubtedly
mere belief is not sufficient because, most of the unbelievers, especially the
leaders of Kufr and misguidance, knew it very well that the way of the Messengers
was true and that their own path was false and deviated.

Therefore it
is said in the Quranic verses: And they denied them unjustly and proudly
while their soul had been convinced of them:

And another
ayat says: Those whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize
their sons, and a party of them most surely conceal the truth while they know
it.

And in the
third verse Moosa (a.s.) addresses the children of Israel thus: And when
Moosa said to his people: O my people! Why do you give me trouble? And you know
indeed that I am Allah's apostle to you.

So what we
derive from the verses about Faith is that mere knowledge of truth is not enough
but both belief and submission are required as is seen in the above quoted ayats.

Now we draw
your attention towards some narrations:

1 - It is recorded
from Imam Baqir and Imam Ja'far (a.s.): Faith is confession and practice and
Islam is confession without obedience.

It is obvious that what is aimed by the second confession is oral belief and
the recitation of the two Kalimas of shahaadatain and the word bi laa amal is
added and in the phrase bi laa amal the word laa stipulates a condition. It
does not imply negation. That is to say, for being a Muslim mere oral confession
is enough even it is not practiced. It does not mean that there should be no
practice. It is so because, one who acts according to the demands of Islam has
become a Mo-min and at the same time he is also a Muslim.

2 - It is recorded
from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) of Islam: Faith has three foundations: understanding
and belief by heart; confession by tongue; carrying out the religious duties.

3 - Somebody
asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about Faith. So he said:

Faith is nothing but hearty belief, verbal confession and action through body
organs.

4 - It has
been recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): Emaan faith always accompanies Islam submission
or obedience but obedience is not necessarily always with belief.

That is, every Mo-min Faithful is a Muslim obedient but every Muslim is not
always a Mo-min.

5 - It has
been recorded from Imam Baqir (a.s.) that once Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) was asked:
Is one who testifies the oneness of God and the Prophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.)
a Mo-min? He said: Then where do the commands of God vanish?

This means that only recitation of Kalimas is not sufficient for earning Faith.

6 - Salaam
Jafi says: I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about Faith. So he replied: Eman means
Allah must be obeyed and He must not be disobeyed.

In conclusion,
what we get from the narrations is that which has been derived from the verses
of the Holy Quran and it is that Faith is belief in heart and the following
of Divine orders.

Just pay attention
to these narrations regarding the perfection of Faith:

A - It is narrated
from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): One who has three characters has attained
all the qualities of Faith: when he is happy, his happiness does not attract
him toward untruth; in time of anger, his anger does not drive him out of the
truth; and when he gets power, he does not exceed his limits.

B - Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) said: A man does not become perfectly faithful except by three things:
being aware of religious problems: 2 - moderation in living and 3 - steadfastness
in times of difficulty.

C - Imam Baqir
(a.s.) said: One having the qualities of stinginess, jealousy and timidity is
not a Mo-min and added: a Mo-min is never stingy, jealous and timid.

D - Imam Baqir
(a.s.) is quoted to have said: A Mo-min is more steadfast than a mountain because
something can be taken out of a mountain but nothing can be confiscated from
a Mo-min.

E - Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) said: In truth, a faithful is tougher than a piece of iron because when
iron is put in a furnace it changes and becomes red but if a Mo-min is killed,
then enlivened, then killed and again enlivened his heart does never change..

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