format_quote Originally Posted by
sweetiman
Assalamualaikum,
I just joined this website in order to find some brothers or sisters who can inshAllah help me and give me encouragement and guidance. I reverted to Islam in 2003 alhamdulillah. I am very blessed and so thankful to Allah for everything. Lately, especially in the last year I have been tested with so many, really, so many catastrophe's in my life and I am really scared and afraid that I am losing my faith. I have Islam in my brain. I know what I believe in my mind. But I want to get that feeling back in my heart. I feel hopeful because I am aware of the problem and I think that is a first step. And praying. But I'm searching for some friends out there who I can talk openly with and be honest with who can help me. It's hard to talk to the people in your life about it. Can someone please help save a struggling Muslima. I don't want to lose everything I have been given. I'm terrified.
Iman
My sister in islam don't worry allah has guided you to the truth and he will help you along this journey of life! I have pasted some material that i think will help all of us to increase our iman when it is down!
How to increase our faith
Recite and ponder on the meanings of the Quran. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become soft. To get optimum benefit, remind yourself that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Quran; think of which one you find yourself in.
Realize the greatness of Allah. Everything is under His control. There are signs in everything we see that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission. Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.
Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah's names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge.
Attend gatherings where Allah is remembered. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels.
We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.
We must fear the miserable end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures.
Remember the different levels of akhirah, for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell.
Make dua, realize that we need Allah. Be humble. Don't covet material things in this life.
Our love for Subhana Wa Ta'Ala must be shown in actions. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day.
Realize the effects of sins and disobedience- one's faith is increased with good deeds and our faith is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamity befalls us- it is also from Allah. It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah.
by: Abu Banan
From a Past Post by Shaykh Nazim Mangera:
�If a sick person doesn�t realize that she is sick, the doctor will never be able to cure her. So realizing that there is a spiritual sickness is a sign that your faith is strong. I have the following words of advice for you:
Al-Haakim reported in al-Mustadrak, and al-Tabaraani reported in al-Mu�jam, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Faith wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.� (Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, 1/4;. Al-Haythami said in Majma� al-Zawaa�id, 1/52, �It was reported by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and its isnaad is saheeh.�) This Hadith tells us that our faith will become weak but we will have to strengthen it with various actions and different good deeds. If we try to implement the following, Insha Allah it will help us all.
On a weekly basis, try to attend some Halaqah or an Islamic gathering. That is a great way of keeping the battery of Iman and actions charged.
A good suggestion would be that you join some weekend or evening Islamic course or something of that sort. You will find good company there which will be a means of strengthening your faith and Iman. And when you feel like you are all 'burnt out', there will be others there who will guide you and help you out and get you back up on your feet again.
Try to read some portion of the Quran everyday and make Zikr of Allah. It will not be a bad idea to start off the day by reciting Surah Yaseen.
Try to have a daily Halaqah of reading from a Hadith book at home. The most widely used Hadith book in English is probably Riyadh us Salihin. Set aside a time at home, and try to sit down with other family members. It does not have to be long. Even five minutes or ten minutes will suffice. A daily dose of the words of Allah and his beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam goes a long way in keeping us attached to our faith.
After prayers or whenever, try to recite as many times as possible the words which are mentioned in the following Hadith: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Do not forget to say in every prayer, Rabbi a'inni ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni ibaadatika (O Allah, help me to remember You, thank You and worship You properly.).(al-Nasaa'i, 1303)
Sometimes we commit sins which eventually make us weak in our faith. Islam will prevent us from sins....or sins will prevent us from Islam. Repenting over past sins will not be a bad idea at all. The way we have a habit of sinning, the same way, as soon as a sin is committed, we should make a habit of seeking forgiveness for our sins. We should never procrastinate because death could over take us anytime.
You also must understand that we all go through these weaknesses. We all have those moments when we don't feel like doing anything Islamic. Faith increases and decreases. This is natural and it will happen many times in our lives.
It is important to know that if a decrease in faith leads to one neglecting one's duties or doing Haram 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 Haram 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 herself out and correct herself until she returns to the proper level of energy and strength in worship. This is what we learn from the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), 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).
Read up on the benefits of performing Salat and harms of not performing them. Read those Ahadith again and again. Read up on the bounties of Paradise and Punishments of the Hell fire.
Remember the breaker of worldly pleasures i.e. death. Daqaq (R.A.) says, �Who ever remembers death frequently, will benefit in three ways: he will hasten to repent, he will become content, and he will be active in worship. Whoever forgets death will be punished in three ways: he will delay repentance, he will no longer be content with what is sufficient, and he will be lazy in worship.� O Death! Where is thy long awaited sting? ...sigh��
Also:
Beseech Allah, turn to Him as a servant, asking Him to increase your iman so that you may taste the great sweetness that is found therein. The times before Fajr and Maghrib are �great windows of opportunity� as one great teacher repeatedly tells me (may Allah preserve him), so take advantage of them by praying and supplicating at those times in particular, and all times in general.
7 Steps to Increased Iman
By Sumayyah Meehan
The Prophet Muhammad (S) 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” (Mustadrak al-Haakim).
Our Iman is not always as sound and strong as we want it to be as it often fluctuates according to life circumstances. There are several causes for weakening Iman such as deficiencies in our prayers or the insinuating whispers from the Shaytan. Regardless of the cause, it is crucial for all of us to keep a check on our Iman and if we feel it is faltering in any way then we should take measures to restore it. It is our responsibility to know which things decrease our Iman and how to avoid them and those that increase our Iman and how to embrace them.
Here are 7 ways that we can brighten our Iman starting today!
1. Recognise and Repent
All humans commit sins no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Engaging in evil deeds decreases our Iman. Actions like lying, cheating and stealing, to name only a few, take a toll on the human heart which makes us more susceptible to being lead astray from the Path of Allah. It is important for us to reflect upon our deeds and weed out the ones that are contrary to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (S). Allah has gifted us with an innate sense of justice and the ability to reason and make sound judgements. Our fitrah (natural disposition) necessitates that we all know when we are committing a sin. And if we don't know, we certainly have a bevy of resources to find out from!
2. Perform Salah Regularly
Completing the five daily prayers, on time and according to the Sunnah, is an excellent way to increase our Iman. Not only are we performing an obligatory deed when praying, but by doing so we have a standing audience with the Creator of this world where we can ask for help and mercy. The effect of the salah on the human soul is cooling as Muhammad (S) once said that it cooled his eyes. The salah connects us with our Creator and, along with obedience to Allah, helps us to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses -this Qur’an- are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); Who perform salah and spend out of that We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise)” (Al-Anfal: 2-4).
3. Qur’anic Recitations
Medical studies have shown that simply listening to a recitation of the Holy Qur’an has a physiological effect on our bodies. Research has also proven that the Qur’an has healing qualities on the body, mind and spirit. What better way to increase your Iman than to listen to a recitation of the Holy Qur’an on an audio device! Listen to the melodious rhythm of the Qur’an and while doing so try to reflect upon the meanings of what you are listening to.
4. Engage in Dhikr
"…Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (13:28)
Remembering Allah much through acts of dhikr brings peace to the heart. It also gives us a sense of taqwa, a consciousness that makes us realise that Allah Almighty is ever near and that we should always strive to please Him. Some beneficial dhikr include:
Subhan'Allah- 'Praise be to Allah'
Al-Hamdullilah- 'Thanks be to Allah'
Allahu Akbar – 'Allah is the Greatest.'
5. Voluntary Fasting
Fasting can be thought of as a prescription for us, which cures the maladies of the human soul. There are innumerable benefits to fasting nawafil fasts. Fasting helps us be thankful to Allah for His Bounty, control unlawful desires, have compassion for the less fortunate and it weakens the effects of waswas, the insinuating whispers from the Shaytan.
6. Carry Out Good Deeds
Doing good deeds for others can be like switching on a light bulb in a darkened room. No matter how awful we are feeling there is just something about offering a helping hand to someone in need that lifts our spirits and brightens our Iman.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an: "For those who believe and work righteous deeds is a reward that will never fail” (Fussilat: 8).
Types of good deeds that any of us can fulfill include acts of dawah, feeding a poor person or donating something of value to charity. Not only does the deed benefit another person but it also benefits our own souls by polishing up our Iman.
7. Trust in Allah
The best way to increase your Iman is to completely submit your will to Allah by following every command in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Live your life according to them and you will find success around every corner. Turn to Allah in times of distress and be thankful to Allah in times of bounty. Have patience in Allah's Decree and always remember that no matter what trials or tribulations we face in this World, one day we will be called to account for our deeds which were hopefully sent forth with much goodness and patience.
Useful video- http://lailanasheeba.wordpress.com/ways-to-increase-your-iman-faith/