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- Qatada -
09-18-2006, 10:29 PM
The Flame of Emaan that I once had.. is dying out...

Collected in a single Document
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Have you ever given up that evil lifestyle that you might have once had, for islam? You knew it was the truth, and it made sense to you. Even though it took sacrifices, you made it to your highest point! Alhamdulillaah (all praise is to Allaah!) I know without a doubt now - i'd rather be thrown into the fire of this world than give up my islaam..


..You probably wished that you were a sahabah (companion) in the battle of Uhud, protecting the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him.) Or a sahabiyaat who could talk to the Prophet's wives to complain about how her husband had been treating her lately.




What's the Problem then?




- ..time passed by, but for some reason - that massive flame of emaan (faith) that I once had.. it started going smaller.


- How come?


- I don't know, it's everyone around me I guess. I just want to be away from everyone, but they won't leave me alone.

Why don't they understand what I'm going through, they want me to do things that I don't want to do, which decreases my emaan. But if I tell them, they don't even care about what I say, or they don't understand.


I want to learn more about islam, but I got all these distractions surrounding me, and most of them - I don't have any control over.


- Subhan Allaah! Did you know that the sahabah went through similar stages to what you're experiencing.

Most of them hated it when the enemies attacked the muslims, they used to say that once the muslim's were safe, it would be better for them because they could worship Allaah properly.


But the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said otherwise.



- Why's that?



- It's because - the greater the trial - the greater the reward. Just think about it, who's more respected in islam? The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him), or their student's - the taabi'een?


- It's the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allaahu alayhi waSalam) obviously?


- Why is that though? Wasn't it the later generations who actually spread islam around the world, or writ books on islam and compiled hadith etc?



- Yeah, but the sahabah were with Rasulullah (peace be upon him) init.



- Exactly! The sahabah's trials were much greater because they never had to just fight against someone they didn't know, but against their own disbelieving fathers and brothers. They were nearly always under threat of being attacked, and were even persecuted for submitting to Allaah Almighty.



- So what's your point?


- What i'm trying to say is that you will be rewarded for your patience insha'Allaah. And remember, being patient should be done at both times of hardship and ease.

Some people actually forget Allaah, when He blesses them with good. But just keep this in mind - if you remember Allaah at times of ease, He will remember you at times of hardship.



Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me. (Qur'aan Surah al Baqarah [2]: 152)


Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Surah ar-Ra'ad [13]: 28)

to be continued...
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Sum-Muslim-Gal
09-18-2006, 10:35 PM
mashAallah thats very interesting and good...v tru what u said bro..

may allah swt guide us and make the road 2 right path easier 4 us...ameen

:w:
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Nσσя'υℓ Jαииαн
09-18-2006, 10:38 PM
MashAllah thats very nice bro.

format_quote Originally Posted by Sum-Muslim-Gal
may allah swt guide us and make the road 2 right path easier 4 us...ameen
Ameen!
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hidaayah
09-19-2006, 03:17 PM
:sl:
This was excellent MashaAllah! Did you write it yourself?
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IbnAbdulHakim
09-19-2006, 03:41 PM
will the sheikh explain how to hold onto the flame of emaan and stop the kuffar from extinguishing it?... jazakAllah khair bro... this will benefit every muslim in the west

:salamext:
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- Qatada -
09-19-2006, 05:06 PM
:wasalamex


It cover's alot of different areas insha'Allaah, and insha'Allaah i'll post the next part today later when it's typed up.


jazak Allaah khayr for the positive feedback.
Reply

wafa islam
09-19-2006, 05:19 PM
Asalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta'alaa wa barakatuh

Masha Allah, wa Jaza kAllahu khayr. A very beautiful end.

Wa alaykum salaam wa rahamtullahi wa barakatuh.
Reply

- Qatada -
09-19-2006, 08:30 PM
The Flame of Emaan that I once had.. is dying out...




So What Can I Do?



- I don't want to say this, but sometimes I feel like nothing's going my way. When I pray salaah, I feel really heavy, like I'm just doing movements without no soul. Then I feel really bad, angry with myself.. and emotionless.


I know it's shaytaan playing with my mind and body, but I just feel like giving up sometimes..




- You might be surprised, but you're actually not the only person who's experienced this.



- Seriosly!?




- Yeah, one of the reasons you're probably experiencing this is because something's worrying you too much, or causing you anxiety.


It might be that you want to study islaam - but people are stopping you. Or it might be that you commit a sin alot, and you want to stop, but shaytaan persuades you to commit it more. Or it might even be about what is happening to the muslim ummah (nation) and you feel you have no power over anything.. you feel hopeless.



There are alot of reasons why a person feels helpless, and because of this - they might feel stressed out.



But there are two types of solutions and both compliment each other.


1) Do all the worldly actions that you have control over.

2) Make lot's of dua' (supplication/prayers) to Allaah.



- thats it?



- That's it.



So if you want to study islaam;


1) Ask your mom or dad and work hard to persuade them. Tell them to think itover for a while.

2) Make lot's of dua' to Allaah for what you desire, but ask Allaah to accept it if it's good for you.



Obviously, this only applies to prayers relating to this world - because we don't know if anything in this world is good for us or not.




.. it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
(Qur'an 2:216)



The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:


"There is no Muslim on the face of the earth that asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or averts from him a similar evil, as long as he does not ask for something evil or for breaking the ties of kinship"
(Al-Tirmidhi).




- Masha'Allaah! So you mean.. dua' can actually change my destiny?




- Yep, but the scholar's say that it's already written in your destiny that you'll make dua' to change your destiny.



For example:

..the angels see in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz that a person’s lifespan will be sixty years, unless he upholds the ties of kinship, in which case another forty years will be added to his life. Allaah knows what will happen to him in that regard. This is the meaning of the words (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills)” [al-Ra’d 13:39].




- That mean's that if I do what I can physically, to my full potential, and then I make dua' to Allaah Almighty - my parent's might let me study islam, or insha'Allaah i willstop doing them sins, and Allaah may even bring victory to the muslims sooner than we expected!




- Insha'Allaah. But always remember, never be impatient in your dua's/prayers.




- What dyu mean by impatient?



- lol you'll understand from this hadith insha'Allaah:



The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said:



"The supplication of a slave continues to be granted as long as he does not supplicate for a sinful thing or for something that would cut off the ties of kinship and he does not grow impatient.'' It was said: "O Messenger of Allah! What does growing impatient mean?'' He (Peace be upon him) said, "It is one's saying: `I supplicated again and again but I do not think that my prayer will be answered.' Then he becomes frustrated (in such circumstances) and gives up supplication altogether.'' (Sahih Muslim)




- Ohhh.. i understand lol. I noticed alot of people do that.. astaghfirullah.



- Yeah, that's probably the reason their prayer doesn't get accepted. hm.. I'll remember to stay patient and constant in my dua's from now on insha'Allaah.




-
..put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him). (Qur'an Aal Imraan 3:159)


..and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).
(Qur'an Surah Anfaal 8:46)



still continued insha'Allaah..
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Pure Imaan
09-20-2006, 06:26 PM
Alhumdullilah sis, seriously that is realli good, look forward for more inshallah
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------
09-21-2006, 07:46 AM
WOW WOW WOW Bro Fi Sabilillah - Respect!
Reply

lyesh
09-21-2006, 08:05 AM
salaam,
WOW bro...... Thts helps a lot! masha Allah! JazakAllah Khairan!
Reply

Umm Safiya
09-21-2006, 08:15 AM
:sl:

Masha Allâh.. Barak Allâhu fîk akhî.. Very very beneficial alhamdulillâh.. You are a great writer masha Allâh!
Reply

Snowflake
09-21-2006, 10:04 AM
Wow MashaAllah Fi bro! Excellent work.. you should seriously consider writing articles for printing.
Reply

Riya90
09-21-2006, 09:33 PM
Masshallah brother, you r a good writer. May Allah (SWT) reward you for your efforts.
Reply

Daffodil
09-22-2006, 10:13 PM
for a sec bro i thought it was u genuinly loosing ur iman just by reading the title
Reply

itsme
09-24-2006, 03:52 AM
:sl:

very inspirational!!! i suppose we all need such powerful boosters time and again. may Allah bless u bro.:D
Reply

- Qatada -
09-24-2006, 01:57 PM
:salamext:


The Flame of

Emaan that I once

had.. is dying

out...



What if my dua' doesn't get responded to?



- You have to stay patient, keep praying and do more good deeds, because that way, Allaah might accept it quicker.

Good deeds are like wings, the more good deeds Allaah accepts of yours, the more quicker your dua' will rise insha'Allaah. And we know from other hadith that sins can be a barrier, and the best of sinners are those that repent.


Plus, Allaah may have responded to your dua' and it may be that when the time is right - then you will see the benefit's of it being delayed insha'Allaah.


So don't feel bad if you havn't got a response - because Allaah may have removed an evil from you that you never knew of.



The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"Caution will be of no benefit against divine decree, but du' a benefits all things, whether they come down or not. I therefore advise you to make du'a, O servants of Allah"! (Ahmad, Abu Ya'la and al-Tabarani)



- Okay, i think i understand now insha'Allaah. So it's:


1) Doing all worldly actions that I have control over.


2a) Praying to Allaah sincerely from my heart.

b) Being constant and patient in my prayers, praying especially at times when they are more likely to be responded to.


3) Doing lot's of good deeds, asking for forgiveness and remembering Allaah through the good times and bad.



That's it yeah?



- Yeah, masha'Allaah. you're a quick learner.


- lol not as quick as Imaam Shafi'ie. When he read a book, he would have to cover up the other page.



- Why's that?



- Allaah blessed him with a strong memory, so if he saw the other page, he would memorise that too accidentally. So he had to cover it up.



- Masha'Allaah.. anyway, let's get serios. Is your imaan stronga then how it was before?



- Yeah, how do you know?



- Are you scared that you might lose it again?



- Yeah, kinda. It's just that I don't understand why it might be really high one day, and then sometimes it just drops, and then i feel useless again.




- Just keep a close eye on your actions from now on.


I've noticed that when a person stops performing a compulsary (fardh/wajib) duty, their imaan (faith) mainly drop's at that time. The same can be said when a person sins.



- Why is that?



- It might be because a person fight's against their own fitrah (natural inclination.) Their conscience tells them that what they are doing is wrong, but they might push themselves/force themselves into the sin.

This makes the person feel guilty, but if the person keep's doing sin - their heart get's covered in darkness.



Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

When the believer commits a sin, a black dot will be engraved on his heart. If he repents, refrains and regrets, his heart will be polished again. If he commits more errors, the dots will increase until they cover his heart. This is the Ran (stain) that Allah described,

(Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (stain) which they used to earn)'' (83:14).

At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi said that it is Hasan Sahih.




- But a person can go from bad to good right?


- Yeah, the most pious can turn from good to bad, but similarly - the worst can become the best.


We know this because iblees was the best from among the jinn, but out of his arrogance and pride, and out of disobeying Allaah - he is the most hated in the sight of Allaah.

We shouldn't follow his footsteps, or else we might have the same fate.


O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy. (Qur'an

2:208)



- What about from bad to good?



- A really good example of this is 'Umar bin Khattaab - a famous companion of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) and one of the 10 people promised paradise/jannah in this world.

Did you know that before islaam - he used to drink so much alcohol that a scholar said he could have died at a young age. He was one of the people who was the most severe in torturing the muslims, and he was one of the people who would bury small girls alive.



- You serios?!



- Just look how islam changed his life totally. After the prohibition of alcohol, he stopped the alcohol, he died at the same age as the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr and Aa'isha (may Allaah be pleased with them) at the age of 63. He was kind and gentle with the believers when he was khalifah, and he would cry when he remembered the sins that he commited before islaam.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said that if shaytaan saw 'Umar in a street, shaytan would run the other way.



- lol, what do you think made 'Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu - may Allah be pleased with him) who we know him as today?



- I think it was his regret, sincerety, a strong desire to be saved from the hellfire, and the desire to enter paradise/jannah.

We should have that sincerety and commitment too insha'Alaah.



- yeah.. we should. insha'Allaah.
Reply

Muslim-Gyal
09-24-2006, 02:00 PM
i love reading this jazakAllah bro!!
Reply

Al-Zaara
09-24-2006, 02:00 PM
:salamext:

Mashallah, great thread, as usual brother Fi_Sabilillah. :)
JazakAllah khair!!!

:wasalamex
Reply

Ibn Abi Ahmed
09-25-2006, 04:32 PM
:sl:

Mashallah bro. This is awesome :D Very beneficial!

:w:
Reply

- Qatada -
10-30-2006, 01:53 PM
:salamext:

The Flame of


Emaan that I once


had.. is dying


out...



Faith wears out gradually, like clothes wear out..

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Faith wearsout in your heart as clotheswearout, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.”


The believer’s heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin. This was portrayed to us by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said: “There is no heart that does not have clouds like the clouds that cover the moon. When the cloud covers it, it is dark, and when the cloud moves away it shines.”Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.




So the believer’s heart is sometimes covered with a cloud and its light is hidden, and it remains dark and lonely, but if he strives to increase his store of faith and seeks the help of Allaah, that cloud goes away and the light in his heart starts to shine again. Hence one of the salaf said: “It is part of a person’s smartness to check on his faith and be aware of what affects it.” It is also part of a person’s smartness “that he recognizes how the Shaytaan whispers to him.”
More – tips on how to be a devoted slave of Allah:
Don’t go extreme in religion.


Abû Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “This religion is easy. No one becomes harsh and strict in the religion without it overwhelming him. So fulfill your duties as best you can and rejoice. Rely upon the efforts of the morning and the evening and a little at night and you will reach your goal.”[Sahîh al-Bukharî]



The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: This religion is easy.” Ease is moderation. So our religion is moderate and we as a nation of people are moderate.


Allah says: “Thus We have made you a moderate nation”. [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 143]




Since working for the religion is a way of fulfilling our duty to Allah and of obeying His Messenger, we can see the importance of the glad tidings being referred to in this hadîth.
It means that we keep up our Islamic work while recognizing both the need for what we are doing and the limitations of our abilities.

More facts we can learn from the hadith above:

If you keep your duty to Allaah, He will give you an easy life.

Like it was mentioned earlier, if any calamity hits you:

1) Just when it hits you, remember Allaah and Say “inna lillaahi wa ina ‘alayhi raji’oon” (to Allaah we belong, and to Him is our return.)
2) Try to do all the things you have control over to control or fix the situation, in a halaal way.


Narrated Aa’isha (may Allah Almighty be pleased with her)
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was never given a choice between two matters except that he chose the easier of the two” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 4.230: 3560).
3) Put your trust in Allah, Allah is with and loves those who put there trust in Him, then stay patient.
If you’re sincerely putting your trust in Him, you will find it easy to stay patient insha’Allaah.



Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah Almighty be pleased with him) reported: "I was behind the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) one day when he said to me:
"O young lad. I will teach you some words: Safeguard Allaah and you will find Him before you. If you ask (for something), then ask (it from) Allaah: and when you ask for assistance, then seek assistance in Allaah."
And know that if the ummah were to gather to benefit you with something, they would not be able to benefit you except with something that Allaah has already written for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you except with something that Allaah has already written against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried."
Saheeh al-Jaami' us-Sagheer (7957) & Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmidhi (2043). Al Mishkaat (5302)





Also pray:


Allaahumma yaa muqalliba al-quloobi thabbit qalbee `alaa deenika;

Allaahumma yaa muqalliba al-quloobi thabbit qalbee `alaa al-haqii;

Allaahumma yaa muqalliba al-quloobi thabbith qalbee `alaa taa'atika



(O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on Your religion;

O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on truth;

O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on Your obedience).




Also,

Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika mina al-kufri, wa al-shakki, wa al-nifaqi wa al-shiqaaqi
(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief, doubts, hypocrisy and straying away from the straight path).







Shaytans tricks

Shaytan will try to make you go back to your old ways and you might feel it was better when you never had these problems and limitations.
But remember that even if you never had islaam, you would still have problems, because Allaah has created mankind this way.

Verily, We have created man in toil. [Qur’an 90:4]
If you stay patient when the calamity falls, and you put your trust in Allah, He will be pleased with you. Allah might even remove some of your sins and raise your position in Jannah/paradise.

Whereas if you be angry at Allah’s decree, He may get angry with you too. These trials are like medicine, the taste might not be nice – but Allah knows that in the long term it will benefit you a lot insha’Allaah.
Just think about it, you’re a winner all the time if you’re Muslim insha’Allah. Allaah will handle all your affairs for you, and all you have to do is wait a little while.
With time, you’ll realize that you’ve become a more patient person, and everyone will love your new personality insha’Allaah!
The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) said:
... He who remains patient, Allah will bestow patience upon him, and he who is satisfied with what he has, Allah will make him self-sufficient. And there is no gift better and vast (you may be given) than patience." [Bukhari - Volume 8, Book 76, Number 477]


The outcome of that patience is that you won’t get angry at the decree of Allaah. Which in return will make you a more happier, patient person – with a good attitude and good manners.

You’ll get used to the fact that everything comes from Allah, so you won’t get angry and blame others, but you’ll understand that Allah has only created this situation to forgive your sins, and to raise your level in Jannah/paradise insha’Allaah. It’s way better than getting the punishment of the afterlife.


The patience and good manners will give you ease in this life, and the hereafter. Your mind and heart will be at ease [in a state of tranquility], you will be loved by the people in this world, and also be loved in the hereafter because you did it all to please Allaah.


...Abu Darda' reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, "Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds (on the day of judgment) than one's good manners."[Bukhari]
Reply

shariq_0189
10-30-2006, 02:30 PM
nice post..really beneficial
Reply

MusLiM 4 LiFe
10-30-2006, 02:32 PM
mashallah nice post bro.. :D:D
Reply

------
10-31-2006, 08:17 AM
If you stay patient when the calamity falls, and you put your trust in Allah, He will be pleased with you. Allah might even remove some of your sins and raise your position in Jannah/paradise.
Subhan'Allah!!! :D :D :D
Reply

IbnAbdulHakim
11-22-2006, 08:50 PM
:salamext:

Abû Hurayrah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “This religion is easy. No one becomes harsh and strict in the religion without it overwhelming him. So fulfill your duties as best you can and rejoice. Rely upon the efforts of the morning and the evening and a little at night and you will reach your goal.”[Sahîh al-Bukharî]

SUBHANALLAH FI-SAB :D :D :D

JAZAKALLAH KHAIR WA BARAKALLAH FEEK !!

may you attain the highest ranks of jannatul firdaus al-'ala !

:wasalamex
Reply

IbnAbdulHakim
11-23-2006, 06:12 PM
:salamext:

oh ye lol,

AMEEN THUMMA AMEEN !!!!! ;)

:wasalamex
Reply

Shukria
11-23-2006, 09:05 PM
Salam
WOW..Jazakullah Bro..Thanks for putting it in perspective for everyone..
Wasalam...
Reply

Ar-RaYYan
12-04-2006, 09:25 PM
:sl:


(O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on Your religion;

O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on truth;

O Allah, You are the twister/turner of hearts, make my heart firm and steadfast on Your obedience).


AMEEN -

(O Allah make us the ones you have favoured in the hereafter) Ameen

Bro Fi-sabilillahi :happy: beautiful and emotional posts :cry:

Jazzakallah Khair :D

:w:
Reply

- Qatada -
01-31-2007, 08:29 PM
:salamext:

The Flame of


Emaan that I once


had.. is dying


out...




Keeping the Emaan [Faith] Constant.



When you start practising islaam, my emaan goes to a really high level.. after a while it might wear out, and when it does - I feel soo bad and worn out, as if I don't know what to do..

How can i keep it constant?




Maybe you get that feeling by missing salaah [the 5 daily prayers], or something like disobeying parents. Wel.. we know that our faith level usually drops when we've done sins, or if we've given up on some duty which we had to do, but we never did it.


The main thing to remember is that we need to keep a continous relationship with Allaah. If we can continue that relationship with Allaah, then we're likely to have that strong level of faith.

Like we said earlier, the times we usually decrease in our emaan is because of sins, or if we havn't kept our duty to Allaah. If our emaan is strong, then we'll look forward to keep our duties to Allaah, but if its weak then we're likely to be lazy to keep up with these duties.




So its like a cycle/circle - if we keep our duties to Allaah, our emaan will remain strong for a long while. Due to this, we will have strong emaan and love to keep up with our duties to Allaah and have that feeling of joy, relaxation/contentment in the heart.


However, if we decide that we can't be bothered - like you just want to sleep that extra hour instead of praying fajr (the early morning prayer.) Then our emaan is likely to drop, and because of this - we are more likely to disobey Allaah even more because our heart gets harder abit, due to the previous sin.

If this continues, the heart desires evil more than good.. however if we repent and work hard to do good again - then our emaan may climb back up again insha'Allaah. This is why sincerety is really important in islaam, because without it we're likely to give up and turn away. We seek refuge in Allaah from that.



If we sin, we distance ourselves away from Allaah and if the sin continues - the person might get overwhelmed and feel that their too sinful to repent. This is a major sin in islaam - to feel that your sins are too much to be forgiven.


"O My slaves who have transgressed agaisnt themselves! Despair not for the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." »

[Qur'an, Chapter 39: Verse 53]

At the same time to feel secure from the punishment of Allaah is a major sin, so we have to be in the middle - to work hard to do good deeds in order to gain Allaah's Mercy, and if we do bad - we should repent quickly because we don't know when we're going to die.




One of the best methods i find to keep my relationship with Allaah strong is to continously talk to Him, the Almighty whenever i'm in need of anything. When i feel scared, lost, insecure. Or when i feel happy, excited etc. we thank Allaah, praise Him and ask Him for help. Remember Allaah through the easy times and He will remember you through the hard times when you turn to Him.

The times when my emaan usually drops is when i don't pray/supplicate as much, but at the same time just when i remember - i turn back to Allaah again for help. It's like a rust that builds up on my heart, until i remember Allaah again and then this rust gets removed gradually. My heart feels lighter, and i feel that sense of ease/calmness in my heart once again praise be to Allaah.




So remember - sins are what distance you from Allaah. But just when you remember what you've done, quickly repent - repentance brings you closer to Him again.


Good deeds in order to gain Allaah's mercy bring you closer to Allaah. You like to perform them when your emaan is strong, you feel lazy to perform them if you've done alot of sin. So again, ask Allaah to forgive you.


Keep a constant relationship with Allaah, direct contact by praying to Him. In your heart, by whispering etc. If you forget about Allaah, your heart will start getting rusted up like iron does if you leave it alone. But if you start remembering Allaah again, the rust will gradually be removed - & then you will feel a sense of contentment in your heart like you did when you first tasted the feeling of emaan [faith.]




If you can reflect on the principles above, insha'Allaah you can figure out where you're going wrong and how to fix it up.



And Allaah is the source of Strength.

Reply

peacechaser
02-04-2007, 01:37 AM
Alhamdulillah, Jazakallah khayr for the beneficial read, brother..:cry:

Allah take cares of us.... He created human perfecly, so we can think rationally, feeling joy, having immunity system from those deadly illness, many more. He created this beautiful earth, with the "painting like" clouds. He gives us a looooooot of fortune during our presences in this world. Allah loves us:cry:.

So what is our reason not to love him? Do we have any reason to forget Him? :cry::cry:
Reply

Khalisah
02-22-2007, 07:31 PM
:sl: Wow... JazakhAllah khayr... that was really good, and realy benficial.. MashaAllah
Reply

saira-k
06-13-2007, 03:16 PM
true ^^ :( mashAllah bro tht ws amazin..gona pass it around n show sum ppl
Reply

- Qatada -
06-23-2007, 10:23 PM
:salamext:
The Flameof


Emaan that I once

had..

is dying out...


It's authentically recorded in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud that; "Only four years separated our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this Ayah, in which Allah subtly admonished us,


Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive at the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?...

[Qur'an Al Hadeed 57:16]

4 years!!? How long have we been trying to practise Islaam? Maybe around 2 years max? And our emaan's (faith) already dropping..?


But why did Allaah say that? If He already knows that our emaan is wearing out? 4years is a long time, especially if you want to remain firm upon Islaam. And your faith has either dropped quite a few times during this period, or it's increased alot. Yet we know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) has said that faith wears out like clothes wear out.


So why did Allaah say that we should be submissive to Him? Don't we already know that? Since we're trying to be practising Muslims? Wait are we really... ok wait, what does Allaah continue saying within that verse?
..And let them not be like those who were given the Scripture before, and a long period passed over them, so their hearts hardened; and many of them are defiantly disobedient.

[Qur'an 57: 16]

Ask yourself the following questions;


1) When i first started practising Islaam, i was well excited. True? I wanted to go around reading the sayings of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him) so i could learn

them, start putting them into practise, and then passing it onto other family members, and even mates sometimes.

Agreed?


Okay, now ask yourself this - Do i still do this today? Do i have that same level of excitement, do those famous ahadith still stick in my mind and heart like before? Not as much, right? Especially if your emaan is feeling low lately.



2) Remember when you read the ahadith on the huge reward for the Sunnah prayers before and after salaah, do i still perform them today? Or do i pray them less now that i

know they're not compulsary? Remember when i used to strive to pray the Tahajjud/Qiyaam ul Layl (the Night prayer) to get a good feeling of emaan? I'm more

'knowledgable' now, and i know their not obligatory, so i don't always pray them. True?

Did i pray them today? No? Oh, and my emaan's low today..



3) When i was a kid, i used to read Qur'an and we used to get $10/£5 whenever we finished all of it from our parents.


"How many times have you read Qur'an?"

"I've finished it 2 times and i'm only 12years old."

"Wow masha Allah! here's £1 for being so good!"

(thought bubble: I should finish it more often to get more money) *grin*



Yet we never knew the meaning of even one word we recited from the whole copy of the Mus-haf/Qur'an.



But you grew up. So you tried to understand a little bit about Islaam, you never had a english translation of the Qur'an in your house though, because your parents thought it might have been a W-a-h... *cough ahem* translation. So you couldn't really do nothing.. which meant you chose the net instead.

Turns out, this intention of theirs actually lead to more evil.. and the lack of Islamic knowledge from your parents made you even more confused.


But wait.. you can't go on no muslim internet site either! Remember when you got that chain mail from your mate? In it, it said that the muslim site might have been created by a jew trying to brainwash muslims?! So you never had an option - you had to hang out in a site with people you could trust, these people had an even bigger influence on you. They were probably people about your age, maybe a little older. They sometimes spoke about dodgy things, and you grew up in that kind of environment, with the online e-community. This was safer than a W-a-h-a... *ahem* translation of Qur'an, and it was safer than a muslim site which might have been created by a jew, right?


What ended up happening? You first came with the intention of meeting other muslims, then gradually trying to defend the attacks against Islaam using the logic which your parents instilled you with. *flashback*


I.e.
How come we read Qur'an dad/mom?

the Qur'an is the miracle of Allaah

how come mom/dad?

Ask the molvi?

No, noo.. i can't, he'll beat me up(which is against the Prophetic way anyway.)

Then don't ask stupid questions!

Ahh! The painful memories.. these people were your friends though, and you actually turned into one of them. If they attacked Islaam, you got immune to their attacks and soaked them in. You couldn't be bothered defending too much now, because you gave up. You never had the knowledge, and you couldn't trust anything either because you had no sources at home, and you couldn't trust any muslim site.

So you felt the only alternative was to blend in, you became one of them. You became harsh, you swore alot, you didn't care what your parents said, you listened to music.

Now you were officially one of them.


One day, you got a PM (private message) from someone.


[FW: message has been sent sent to 50 people]

Salaam, i've created a new site on Islaam. Can you join up?

You were curious, so you joined up.


You weren't whole-heartedly interested, but after a while - you went through a tough time. You left the past forum, and by the Great will and Mercy of Allaah you changed, and started practising Islaam whole heartedly.



You got involved with the people of Al-Qur'an, and you wanted to read it. Someone linked you, and the person was trustworthy. You read through the translation alot, and your faith remained strong for a few months.. maybe even longer?


..but then it started to die. And that's probably why you're reading this. You can probably feel a stain on your heart, something which makes you feel heavy. Something which - if it goes worse enough - allows you to commit other sins, it allows you to miss the Fajr prayer because you're too lazy.

..Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened. And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

The hearts corrupt, we don't obey Allaah as much.. we rarely put anything new we've learnt into practise?


The famous scholar of Qur'an also mentions this verse (translation of the meaning) next to it;

So, because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They changed the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them.

[Qur'an 5:13]

- meaning, their hearts became corrupt and they hardened, and they acquired the behavior of changing Allah's Speech from their appropriate places and meanings. They abandoned acts of worship that they were commanded to perform and committed what they were prohibited to do.

This is why Allah forbade the believers from imitating them in any way, be it basic or detailed matters.



hm...


So then, have you turned away from the Book of Allaah? You don't read it or ponder over it as deep as you used to like back in them days right? true.

If you don't, then you have to force yourself to. Because sometimes you feel lazy, you don't like losing the emaan, but at the same time you don't have the same energy like the beginning. So try some of the following ideas;


1) Recite Qur'an, and try to learn some basics of arabic to get a basic understanding of what's being recited. You get a cool emaan booster because you actually know the word meaning instead of just the translation. Why not try to recite along with your favourite recitor of Qur'an aswell?



2) Try to memorise like 2 verses a day, and maybe within a week you can recite these verses in your Salaah instead of always "Kul huwallahu ahad.." - then you'll be more excited to pray salaah more aswell insha Allaah.



3) Try reciting another Surah/Chapter of Qur'an instead of the same one always? And try to look at the translation, along with the arabic words to see if you can understand which translated word is which arabic one. If you're ever unsure, you can always ask someone who knows arabic right?



4) When you're praying salaah, try to do longer prostration/sujood. Trust me, short ones make your head feel light, and long prostrations make you feel all relaxed and at ease. That's exactly what you want - to be at ease.



5) Try praying salaah in different places, don't always pray it in the same spot - because knew locations might make you feel refreshed. It's a blessing from Allaah that the whole earth is a prayer mat for the believers. So long as the place isn't impure. Try doing it, even if it's in another room in the house.



Since Salaah (the prayer) is one of the greatest pillars in Islaam, the amount of Khushoo' (humility/concentration) you have in Salaah - the more likely your emaan is higher.

So use the Salaah as a criterion for your daily emaan level.



NEW) You probably havn't experienced all the acts of worship which Allaah allows us to do, so why not try new experiences? Aswell as doing the acts of worship which you found interesting right at the beginning? It might revive that feeling of emaan once again insha Allaah.

Have you ever had the experience of giving in charity? Maybe, maybe not? Try it. New Experiences liven up your emaan (faith), and go back to the Qur'an and Sunnah again to see the way of the pious before us, how they raced to good deeds. How some scholars like Abdullah ibn Al Mubaarak would fight for the sake of Allaah against the enemy for a year, then teach Knowledge for a year, then perform Hajj another year. Rotating in different acts of worship during different times of the day like Prophet Dawud, giving your time to certain acts so you don't get exhausted or bored of continuously doing the same all the time.



Know that Allah gives life to the earth after its death! Indeed We have made clear the Ayat to you, if you but understand.

[Qur'an 57:17]

This Ayah indicates that He brings subtleness to hearts after they have become hard, guides the confused after they were led astray, and relieves hardships after they have intensified. And just as Allah brings life back to the dead and dry earth by sending the needed abundant rain, He also guides the hardened hearts with the proofs and evidences of the Qur'an.


The light (of faith) would have access to the hearts once again, after they were closed and, as a consequence, no guidance was able to reach them.

All praise is due to Him Who guides whomever He wills after they were misguided, Who misguides those who were led aright before. Surely, it is He Who does what He wills and He is the All-Wise, the Most Just in all that He does, the Most Subtle, the Most Aware, the Most High, the Proud.


Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Surah Al Hadeed 57




PS: The parents thing which i stated wasn't me, alhamdulillah.
Reply

- Qatada -
07-30-2007, 07:31 PM
:salamext:


This was written a little while back, but insha Allaah it will be of some benefit;


I think i'm losin it...


i wasn't happy..
the hour drew near every sec,
n i felt in a state of fear..
was i doin the right thing, was i in check?

i've lost so many battles.. but the war goes on.
i dno.. but i gota stay strong.
this life, its just a delusion.
but i still, for some reason.. run around in confusion.

i say i want less, but i desire more..
is that cuz i'm overburdin myself, or is it cuz i'm unsure?


its because i'm losing it again.. i'm losin that spark.
its like.. once again, i'm wanderin in the dark.
i need the light, i need to be free.
but constantly, i'm in a state of anxiety.

its' because i'm losin it again.. but what if its cuz i've stopped?
i dno.. its like it just dropped.


i'm praying to Allaah, once again, that i become strong.
i think i lost it.. cuz i did so many wrongs.
i overburdened myself, and i never worked hard to strengthen my self again.

thats cuz emaan dies, if u dnt re-affirm it.


don't you know, that Allaah says "oh ye who believe, BELIEVE in Allaah and His Messenger? *"


That's because.. He knows that faith dies..

you gota re-strengthen it, open your eyes.


Don't make Islaam a habit.. work hard.
The same way you did, right from the start.

That's just a reminder, if you once forgot.
cuz i did too, then i got lost.
pray to the One, who gave it you first.
And stay sincere, cuz you know it's worth.



---------------

* Qur'an Al Nisa 4: 136
Reply

- Qatada -
12-27-2007, 07:58 PM
:salamext:


ok this is the last one insha Allah.. i just wna kinda summarise it up.
Reply

- Qatada -
12-27-2007, 08:06 PM
:salamext:


The Flame of


Emaan that I once

had..

is dying out...





Following Desires pushes away your spirituality, since there is no sin except that it's basis is desire.

The more sins you do - the more you turn away from that spirituality, and become exhausted, you crave to fulfill false desires more and more, and the more you carry on doing it - the more harm you cause to yourself.

This is because every desire causes a certain harm to you, spiritually (by you distancing away from Allah due to disobedience to Him), physically - you tire yourself and

cause harm to what you used in this disobedience, whether that is something from your body, your wealth, your time etc. Since using something which Allah give's you for haraam [the forbidden] causes that blessing to weaken you and be a cause of regret for you, or if it is used for the sake of Allah - it does nothing except bring good, in this life or the life of the hereafter.


That feeling of you wanting to bang your head, you know when you're really frustrated? Isn't that what makes people crazy, that's what happens in psychiatric wards. The sujud [prostration/sajdah] removes that stress since its the forelock which needs relaxing, and this is the exact point of the brain which encourages you to sin. I don't know, it might be that some people from there havn't prostrated or experienced that calmness of emaan [faith], so they just can't get that relaxing feeling and want to bang their head onto something?




I heard in the lecture that when a person commits a sin, the front side of your brain is used. The part where you put your forehead on the ground for prostration.


Have you ever missed salaah and felt really confused, scared and the part of your forehead which you place on the ground for sajdah (prostration) feels tingly, and you feel lightheaded? But when you do the sajdah (prostration) you feel happy and relaxed again.


Or when you do a sin, your mind is always in a feeling of uneasiness until you stop that action. You may be afraid that someone is watching you, or be afraid that you might get in trouble.


This part of the head is known as the forelock - the sinners on the day of judgment will be dragged by the forelock and into the hellfire.


No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock - A lying, sinful forelock!
(Qur'an Surah 'Alaq - [96:15-16])




The Mujrimun (polytheists, criminals, sinners, etc.) will be known by their marks (black faces), and they will be seized by their forelocks and their feet.

[Qur'an Surah Rahmaan (55:41)]



Noun1.forelock - a lock of hair growing (or falling) over the forehead.





The area with the blue line is the place where the forelock is located.




A Cure

If you are exhausted and need emaan [faith] once again, you need to first of all - change your intention and sincerely ask Allah to guide you back once again, showing your desperation. Even if it is a simple cry out for help from the heart. This first step is the key to regaining that emaan. Trust me, i've tried to find many ways to figure out how you can be guided, and i've never been able to find a clear answer except by asking Allah for this guidance.


Subhan Allah it becomes clear that Allah guides those who are sincere, we can't choose to say "i want to be guided today so i'll do some ibaadah", rather Allah guides you while knowing your sincerety. This is why you are strong in faith while doing an act of worship at one time, while weak in emaan while doing the exact same act of worship at another time. So the simple answer is - ask the One who opens the doors for guidance to open that door for you, and suddenly - you'll feel that doorway open which you never felt was opened before, you simply couldn't find that door before, even if you had experienced emaan earlier on in your life. When this door opens, you feel a sigh of relief, that feeling of comfort again. Like a calm cool wind just refreshed you after that exhaustion of false and evil desires. Then your true feelings come out once again, you love Allah more and want to thank Him. Unlike before when you felt like you were dead, you feel like your emotions are flowing back in you, your heart doesn't feel restricted.





Fight them Craving Desires...

The next thing to remember is that once you've done this sincere call out for help, ask Allah to forgive you and remove this restricted feeling from your heart - since its there because of our sins. Have hope in Allah that He will forgive you.

From now on, intend never to do that sin again. Trust me, most of the time a person who's hooked to sin doesn't really desire it, especially after tasting emaan. They've just formed a habit, they don't even desire that thing as much. They feel that they're caught up in a cycle, where they might feel strong in emaan at one moment, then they incline to a sin and just fall into it - most of the time because they have nothing to do in that spare time. Just try it, when you have that desire to commit that sin after gaining that emaan feeling, just don't do it. Even if you just intend not to do it for that one time. You'll feel that spiritual emaan increase and happiness inside of you that you've actually achieved something. That you've beaten shaytan and your desires, and you don't feel that emptiness within you anymore. You feel like you've gone up a level in emaan, and if this is done continuously - you'll actually rise upto that high level of emaan once again like before in the past! Insha Allah.





Pakistan?


Just to finish off, i just want to mention something interesting that happened to me once while i was in Pakistan. Why am i mentioning this? It's because once when i was looking into Islam, i was proper excited and i wanted really strong emaan [faith], but something stopped me, i was scared. I used to question whether having more emaan means that you have more trials in this life? Have you heard of the hadith where the Prophets are tested the most, then the ones after and after according to your level of faith?

I read that hadith and i used to be scared, i never used to know what would happen if i did increase in faith. Would i be tested? I was scared because i love emaan, its like something you fall in love with - especially if you accept it willingly. You feel like you can't ever lose it, because if you do - it's like you've lost the one who you really care for, its a part of you. That's why if it you lose it for the first time, you become really scared and don't know how to react or don't know who to turn to. This is actually one of the reasons why i was scared, because i never knew whether having it would mean that i would face more trials, and if i faced more trials - i might lose it, whereas if i don't try to increase on it - i might lose it that way too?


This put me in a proper strange situation, i never knew what to do. I never knew whether it was a good thing to ask for more emaan or to be content with what i did have?


How's this linked to Pakistan anyway?


I'm in Pakistan and i be healthy and normal. Then one day, i ate the wrong thing. If you've been pakistan, you know that there's all sorts of krazy stuff there, sometimes you can even find a massive needle in a biscuit! lol so anyway, i ate the wrong thing so i became really ill.

Not to show off, but ever since i went there at that time - i used to hate the arguments people had there, so i'd just sit separately and read Qur'an. I realised that my emaan became proper strong, infact - it was one of the best experiences i had with emaan in my life.


So i ate something wrong, and two days before i get married - i start puking (being sick) loads, so much that it's draining all the energy out of my body, then i get a fever, and anyone who knows pakistan knows that the heat is quite alot during the summer time. So they need to take me to the hospital. I go to the hospital and they start poking needles in my arm, putting a glucose drip on. I have to stay in the hospital for a few hours and then i have to go back home. The funny thing is that even my 'in-laws' came over and watching me with the drip on, lol so it was proper crazy...



Just looking at the story, it's obvious that a few days before the wedding were hectic, yet the main purpose of telling you the story is - i felt that my emaan [faith] was at its peak, and that i've never ever felt it feel so high as it did on them days. At a time when all the families are stressed out, i felt so calm, at ease, almost as if i was relaxed.





The Greater the Emaan... the Calmer you are..


Now remember before when i said that the higher the emaan, the greater the trial? Yeah, that's true - look at the story above. I noticed that i havn't been as ill as i was that day, the trial can be anything (whether its through testing your health, your wealth, your respect etc), yet building up your emaan gradually and by increasing yourself in acts of worship while remaining constant in that is what will make you strong during the trials that you do face. Once you face them, Allah will not make them difficult for you.

Instead, you'll simply place your trust in Allah, knowing that He loves you and He has already pre-destined all that has come and will come. Your acts of worship and dependency on Allah will build up that emaan, then anything which comes your way after that - whether it is good or bad will not be break that contact you have with Allah - unless you follow your desires and turn away from that obedience to disobedience through false and evil desires, since these are what lead to misguidance, and again - a decrease in emaan.





He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith.

And to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.

[Qur'an - Surah Al-Fath (the Victory) 48:4]







And Allah knows best.
Reply

------
04-30-2008, 02:04 PM
:salamext:

This has got to be a

Reply

Souljette
04-30-2008, 06:28 PM
Subhanallah i read this and alhamdullah jazakallah khair sis Ahlaam fr bumpin this up cuz this is a reallyyy good article mashallah and Bro Qatadah i know what you mean when you say your imaan has to be at it's highest when your goin thru a trial ....i know fr a fact that is true..mashallah jazakallah for this
Reply

------
05-01-2008, 08:04 AM
:salamext:

I've put this in a document so it is easier to read.

Download Link
Reply

------
06-13-2008, 02:09 PM
BuMpPpPp
Reply

Güven
11-24-2008, 10:08 PM
:salamext:

Ahhhhhhhh WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS THREAD!? :ooh::ooh:
SubhanAllah!!!!!!!!One of the Best thread ever! Amazing.....
JazakAllahu Khair with Jannatul Firdaws bro !! :ooh:
SubhanAllah!!
Reply

Saimah Ali
11-25-2008, 01:45 PM
Wow this thread is amazing. The download link isn't working so I have put it in a document for the next readers so they can read it without any interruptions Inshallah.

Download Here;

http://www.speedyshare.com/897888403.html
Reply

- Qatada -
11-25-2008, 06:05 PM
:salamext:


here's a permanent download link insha Allah :)

http://www.archive.org/download/TheF...atIOnceHad.doc
Reply

- IqRa -
06-16-2009, 08:07 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Fighting4Iman

may you attain the highest ranks of jannatul firdaus al-'ala !
Ameen

This truly is an amazing thread. Jazakallah khair
Reply

Misz_Muslimah
02-26-2011, 10:54 PM
Subhanallah..Very beneficial thread
Jazaakalahu khayr for sharing
Reply

- Qatada -
02-25-2012, 10:12 PM
Asalaamu alaykum waRahmatullahi waBarakaatuh

When you become a Kafir (disbeliever) in your heart.. what do you do?




My Experiences:



Last year someone asked me a question about an anti-Islamic claim. No-one could answer it, so I looked for answers for it on other sites.

I noticed another brother who was famous for providing answers had also faced this question, but he himself couldn't find an answer for it. So he was confused for a while... - after alot of mental confusion he replied - 'I don't know, it's like now i'm only Muslim by name.''

This really shocked me. I wondered why this person had said this? What made him so confident in saying this when he could have kept this thought quietly in his head until he had improved his emaan and become a stronger Muslim?

Lately, I've seen this trend growing and it's really saddened me. People who I used to look upto have even fallen into this.



This is what I see:


1 - They start off with being really energetic when they newly start practising, then after around 2 years their emaan energy level drops.*

*NOTE: I have seen this trend because people when becoming 'newly practising Muslims';
i - first read the meaning of the Qur'an,
ii - then read the Biography of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam),
iii - then read the lives of the Salaf.
iv - Then they read what happens later on in our history, and forget to continuously read the meaning of the Quran and Biography of the Messenger for Guidance in their lives. This abandoning of the guidance leads the person to go into deeper parts of our history which involves Sects and Wars amongst Muslims. So this person gets confused and gets a harsh attitude - causing them to find religion a burden instead of a source of guidance and right-direction.
2 - Then they cannot reach that high level of emaan (which they had at the beginning), so they start becoming stressed out. They will try doing things to strengthen their emaan, so they will get short bursts of it - but it will go back to the low level again.

3 - They go Absent from the Islamic community (whether it's online or offline). (This slight distance from the Islamic community gets them more attached to the non-Islamic world.)


4 -They come back and either start freshly again, but most of the times they don't. Some even start getting interested into going into other sects (like Sufism) because they believe it is more spiritual. Sadly though, I have seen many people leaving Islam after joining a distorted version of Sufism for some time. (the praiseworthy ascetic Sufis are those who follow the Salaf (righteous earliest Muslims), the dispraised are those who oppose the Salaf's way).

- Alot of people who followed the wrong sect and went astray and left Islam altogether.

- Others leave Islam because they themselves couldn't find answers like the first brother mentioned in the article.

- Some expose their disbelief while others keep it quiet within themselves. But one thing is for sure, they are daring enough to admit their rebellion against Allah.





So we have to wonder, why is this? What is the root problem? And how can any of us fall into it?


Biggest Disease: I know for sure - the biggest problem for each of these people is that they do not have a strong relationship with Allah & they do NOT want to strengthen their relationship with Him. If they were really close to Allah with Islam, they would beg Allah for help in whatever they were confused in. They would cling onto Allah because they loved Him. But they didn't hope for Allah.. so Allah let them go...




Allah tells us that shaytaan said;

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ - إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

[Iblees] said, "By your might, I will surely mislead them all. Except, among them, Your MukhliSeen slaves
- (Quran Saad 38: 82-83)



MuKhliS is someone who;

- has IkhlaaS = Sincerety
- is KhaaliS = Pure (from sins and shirk.)


So if you have symptoms of low emaan, ask yourself this;

1 - When I do actions, am I doing it for the sake of Allah? If not, you're lacking IkhlaaS (sincerety) - and therefore you are exposed to shaytaan.

2 - Do you do sins which are bad? Then you are not being Pure (KhaaliS) to Allah, therefore you are exposed to shaytaan misguiding you.


Now when you had emaan, you felt strongly close to Allah and always in tranquility/calmness. But when it lowered, you probably started sinning, doing less good actions, or doing your actions less sincerely for Allah.

That caused you to go astray and lose that happiness, and if you never stayed persistent in trying to strengthen yourself in emaan (i.e. By begging Allah), then it would stay low and you would persistently feel miserable.



Allah tells us;

'O mankind! eat from the earth what is halaal (permissible) and pure , and do not follow the footsteps of shaytaan, surely he is for you especially a clear enemy' (Quran al Baqarah 2:68)

Why does Allah tell us to eat the Halaal, and why does He compare it to shaytaan's footsteps?

I have heard stories of knowledgeable Muslims who have left Islam secretly, and they do sins which have gone past all limits. This is a Proof that shaytaan exists, because when people leave Islam, they don't just start living their lives like they did before Islam, but they follow the footsteps of shaytaan in doing the worst of evils.

When emaan continues to drop, you go past ALL limits. If you have left the path of guidance, then the only other path is misguidance. If you are walking the path of misguidance while knowing the right path - how more evil can you get? This is exactly what Iblees (shaytaan) did after abandoning guidance, these are the footsteps of shaytaan.





2 stories
:


There is a sister who says that she lowered in emaan and due to that, she went to a bad shop where they sell bad things. She said she felt no regret about it at all, except one fear. (which we will discuss soon)

I have also heard of another sister who was an Islamic teacher and she left her teaching job for another public job as a bad woman - sharing her sins recorded publicly.

You know what is meant by this, and this is why Allah tells us to eat the Halaal (permissible) and Pure things, and NOT to follow the footsteps of shaytaan. Because when people start sinning, they even forget to do the permissible and pure (like marriage), and they become fooled into and addicted to the Haraam (forbidden things) and impure things.



Symptoms:


These are the most common symptoms people get when they have this attitude. They are;

- being Emotionless
- falling into Extreme sin (rebellion)
- The path of Kufr (ungratefulness & disbelief).

So in some ways, they are worse than normal people who do not know the Guidance.





The Fear Safety Tool:

When people leave Islam after knowing its truthfulness, they follow their desires. But in its early stages, they feel really bad. One of the biggest things they feel is a constant fear and anxiety.

This fear and anxiety of destruction is your last safety tool and a massive blessing, without it you would have left Islam a long time ago. Yet Allah has given you abit of respite time to return.

If you lose this fear and continue on the wrong path - you will earn the wrath of Allah, and a gradual destruction which will reach you from where you don't expect. And you will never find safety except if you turn back to the guidance.



How do I use this Fear Safety Tool to my Advantage?


1 - You force yourself to beg Allah to help you out of this state. Whether you want to or not, even if Islam seems like an uphill struggle. Because you know that Islam is better than all other uphill struggles of life - it is the truth (even if all things don't make sense to you.)

You need to beg - otherwise you are in danger. This is your last means for safety. So ask Allah for safety, and to make His pleasure easy for you. Especially in sajdah (prostration) - the best position to recieve calmness in.

2 - Listen to nasheeds, or lectures which uplift your spirit. You know what increased you in emaan (faith) in the beginning, so revive those feelings through experiencing them again.

Mera dil badal dei (change my heart) nasheed by Junaid Jamshed is a good nasheed and is a prayer to Allah for help.
Or Talib al Habib's nasheeds are good.

All heart softening nasheeds which have a sincere du'a (wish) will be useful for you.


3 - Do NEW/refreshing Islamic activities which raise your rank in the sight of Allah:


You might be in situation similar to the brother mentioned at the beginning of this article who gave da'wah but his emaan didn't increase.

So what you need to do is pause the activity which is distracting you from Allah. Then do a good deed which freshens your emaan (faith).

I did Da'wah sometimes because i felt I had to benefit others with some knowledge I had. But non muslims reacted harshly and some time later I got exhausted and my emaan dropped too. So I wondered why my eman wasn't increasing if I am doing da'wah (calling to Allah) which is good?

The answer is: You're supposed to sustain your da'wah with good acts of worship (like salaah and du'a which connects you strongly and constantly to Allah.) Allah's Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) was commanded with Tahajjud (night prayer when people sleep).

So pause your da'wah if your emaan is dropping and focus on yourself and Allah for a few days. Because your main priority is saving your OWN SELF from the fire. You know which things increase you in Emaan, so do them things.


Some common thoughts:

'I don't get the same emotions'
- you know you feel 'alive', 'colorful', happy in a certain way when your emaan is strong. But when your emaan drops, you feel sad and gloomy, and depressed.

Then when you try to strengthen it, you feel you're not getting the same good emotions. So you wonder, what am I doing wrong?


Answer
: You are doing something partially wrong which is preventing you from tranquility (sukoon). But you are doing something good to increase yourself in emaan, which is a proof of your sincerety to Allah. Sincerety is the secret to success with Allah.

If you sustain this good - hoping to make Allah happy, He will make you happy. So carry on doing the good, even if you feel you are not getting the same happiness yet, it will come. But to feel the full happiness - you will have to submit to Islam whole-heartedly just like you did when you tasted the full sweetness of emaan at the beginning.


My main point is: Don't judge your emaan on your 'inner feeling' alone, but judge it on how much good you are doing to make Allah happy.
If you keep it up, Allah will unveil this happiness to you because you showed your desperation and sincerety to Him.




Do New Fresh Good deeds to sustain your Emaan:


Emaan usually drops when you abandon good deeds, and you waste your time doing wasteful things which will not grow you spiritually. You have to seek closeness to Allah in everything you do, otherwise you will get closer to something else and you will gradually forget Allah. Then you will follow shaytaan and he will distance you even more from Allah and soon lead you to the hellfire.


What often encourages me to refresh my Emaan are the Ahadeeth Qudsi. And to turn to Allah in fear, hope, longing and repentance repeatedly.


إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
Indeed, no one despairs of relief (RawH) from Allah except the disbelieving people (kaafiroon)." - Surah Yusuf 12:87 -

The word RawH comes from the root word RaaHa which means 'Relaxation'. So no-one gives up of the relief and relaxation from Allah except the people who choose to be ungrateful/disbelieve (kufr) to Him.

This is why those who lose Emaan and don't care about getting close to Allah again - they will soon become ungrateful to Allah and soon become disbelievers (kaafiroon.)



Conclusion:


Symptoms of Disease:


1 - Lack of Sincerety.
2 - Laziness in doing good deeds.
3 - Lack of Purity (physical and spiritual)
4 - Sinful attitudes.

5 - Lack of personal space/time to increase yourself in Emaan. (maybe you spent too much time in da'wah that you exhausted yourself, and now you just need time to recover?)

6 - Wasting time in worthless activities which distance you from Allah, so they seem more pleasing to you and gradually you don't care even if you say evil about Allah - because you don't seek closeness to Him. (see example of this here; Quran al Maa'idah 5:64 ; Quran Fat-h 48:6)


Cures for the Disease:


1 - the Final Fear which Allah has put in your heart before a soon destruction. You HAVE to take advantage of this fear from Allah, if you ignore it - you will become the worst of criminals who earn Allah's wrath/anger.

2 - Begging Allah to save you from His anger and promising Him you will try your best to stay on this good path.

3 - Learning Qur'an, Arabic and seeing the character of Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) to gain certainty in the Miraculous Divine nature of the Qur'an (this certain knowledge will encourage you to stay firm on Islam.)

4 - Having good thoughts about Allah and reviving your hope in His Mercy, pleasure and reward of Paradise. Hoping from Allah that you can reach there someday.

5 - Making your own space and time to relax and reconsider which path is better for you.

6 - Listening to Heart softener and du'a (prayer) based nasheeds. They will relax your heart and reconnect you with Allah.

7 - Work gradually in small good deeds again, and try to earn the pleasure of Allah by showing Him your sincerety.

8 - Try not to fall into the same mistakes you did when you lost your emaan.

9 - Make du'a to Allah, remain thankful to Him. So when you want to talk to Allah, you make du'a. When you want Allah to talk to you, make short term and long term du'as.

Short term duas include small things like asking Allah to give you a happy day. So when you have a happy day - you feel thankful to Him and increase in emaan.

When your short term duas work, you know your long term duas/wishes have also been heard by Allah.


10 - Repeat this process throughout your life and continuously keep yourself busy with new fields of good deeds to keep yourself busy with good works until you face the reality (death), so when you meet your Provider - He will be happy with you and you will have mountains of good deeds which will hopefully be accepted by Him.


O Allah, turner of the hearts - keep my heart firm on your guidance and obedience, ameen!




Further Reading
:

Ibn al Jawzi
, Ibn al Qayyim - they are experts in explaining the sicknesses of the heart and the cures for it. Here's a good book you should download and read slowly;

Purification of the Soul:
www.kalamullah.com/Books/PurificationOfTheSoul.pdf

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