Is Your Faith Getting Weaker? Here Is How to Strengthen


 What is Islam Life Guide, Practicing Islam Ahlan Writer

    Is Your Faith Getting Weaker? Any great goal we want to achieve requires us to make a solid plan and put effort to achieve this dream goal. Right Now, how come we’d think of our faith as something we take for granted or something we don’t need to put the effort in to grow and strengthen? The Prophet himself (peace and blessings upon him) taught us a dua in this regard.

Shahr bin Haushab reported: “I asked Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her),

O Mother of the Believers! Which supplication did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) make frequently when he was in your house?” She said: “He (ﷺ) supplicated frequently: ‘Ya muqallibal-qulubi, thabbit qalbi ‘ala dinika’ (O Controller of the hearts make my heart steadfast in Your religion).” [At- Tirmidhi] (1)

     To begin with, on this day and age with all the temptations, distractions and tribulations that are happening around us, we need to have a plan to achieve our ultimate goal of earning Allah‘s Pleasure and Closeness, and reaching a beautiful eternal Paradise after we leave this world, insha’Allah.

So here are 5 sure ways to keep you steadfast in faith.

1-     Sincere Daily Dua (Supplication)

Allah teaches us a great lesson every day. He has instructed us to say 17 times a day through our 5 daily prayers:

It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Qur’an 1: 5) (2)

This is not a coincidence. This is a reminder that no one can achieve success and steadfastness in faith except with the Help of Allah Almighty. We don’t just worship Allah; we need His Incomparable Help to remain on the straight path.

In a beautiful hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he taught one of the most learned companions, Mu’adh (bin Jabal), words to recite in order to seek the Help of Allah.

Mu’adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) held my hand and said,

O Mu’adh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salat (prayer) saying: ‘Allahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni ‘ibadatika,’ (O Allah, help me remember You, expressing gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner.” [Abu Dawud and An- Nasa’i]. (3)

Also, dua is absolutely essential to receiving Allah’s guidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said,

Verily supplication is worship.” [Related by the four Imams] (4)

So let not a day pass without making supplications to Allah to help you and aid you. Speak to Allah in your own language and in your own way in supplication if you want. As long as you’re sincere and conscious of what you’re saying, then Allah will respond and will protect you and open doors for you. Allah is our Best Helper (AnNaseer) and He is Our Protecting Friend (Al Wali).

 

2-     Reciting and Studying Qur’an


 The Qur’an is indispensable to one’s guidance and steadfastness. The best way to get closer to Allah is through His Own Words.

Continuing to listen to the words of Allah and recite them and explore their meanings will keep the heart engaged and will open it and guide it and keep it firm.

The Qur’an responds to everything that goes in your chest. Allah’s Infinite Wisdom and Mercy on His slaves is expressed in this timeless Book that speaks to the hearts and Minds that HE created.

From the beginning of the Book Allah Almighty says:

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (Qur’an 2: 2) (5)

So, studying the meaning of the Qur’an (tafseer), perfecting the recitation (tajweed), spending time with the Qur’an in contemplation and reflection (tadabbur), and reciting it on a daily basis is a very strong means to strengthen the heart.

 

[…] Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby [the Qur’an] your heart….” (Qur’an 25: 32) (6)

 

3-     Studying Seerah (Biography of Prophet) and Stories of Prophets and Companions


Allah has sent the messengers to deliver for us the message and teach us how to deal with all life matters. His life (peace and blessings upon him) is rich with stories, incidents and reminders that would help us to deal with anything we face in life. There are so much solace and guidance in being reminded of his Seerah.

Allah Almighty says:

Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.” (Qur’an 3: 164) (7)

So studying the Seerah of the Prophet is a means of remembrance of Allah. It purifies the self and helps to learn wisdom.

And Allah Almighty has sent the Prophets before and taught us their stories through the Book and hadiths to guide us. Also, He did that to open our hearts and minds to the wisdom of what we see around us and how to deal with different tribulations.

 Almighty says:

And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart. And there has come to you, in this, the truth and an instruction and a reminder for the believers.” (Qur’an 11: 120) (8)

 Furthermore, He Almighty says:

There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.” (Qur’an 12: 111) (9)

 

4-     Practicing What One Learns


Our iman (faith) can go really high up after listening to lectures or attending circles of knowledge. But a few days, weeks, months later, we can lose this feeling and become spiritually drained. This is mainly because of not being consistent or practicing what we’ve learned.

As Allah Almighty says:

[…] But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].” (Qur’an 4: 66) (10)

Moreover, sometimes we delay following the instructions we hear or fear them or submit to the negative whispers of Satan. But if instead, we strive to implement what we learn, then this definitely opens more doors of goodness and light and strengthens us in faith.

Allah says:

And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an 29: 69) (11)

 5-     Having Good Companions Always


 Seeking righteous companions and remaining among those who are seeking the closeness of Allah Almighty is something that aids and strengthens one’s faith significantly.

As Allah Almighty The Most Knowing says:

 And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” (Qur’an 18: 28) (12)

Moreover, the Prophet says:

The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him.” [Sahih Al Bukhari] (13)

 

Indeed, being among the wrong company is very dangerous on one’s uprightness and steadfastness. It weakens one’s Iman and moves one from remembrance to heedlessness. Furthermore, it turns one from great striving on the path to negligence and weakness.  

 In contrast, righteous companions keep one reminded of Allah; they call each other to do good. Also, they advise each other against doing sins. They compete in good deeds…etc.

So make dua to find the right companions and be among them. They are brothers and allies and a safety boat to one another.

Conclusion

To conclude, may Allah help us, strengthen us, and grant us from all the goodness of this life and the next. Also, may Allah bring our hearts back to Him firm and sincere. What is the best step you admire from above and decide to stick to?