What is Faith in Allah's Plan (Scholars' Viewpoint)

Faith in Allah is the hallmark of any believer who enters the fold of Islam. But when a believer is tested in try conditions, it is generally seen that his faith start to waver and one falls victim to the machinations of the Satan.

Let us dwell on faith a bit before you reach to the end of the post where we have shared a wonderful lecture on Faith in Allah by eminent scholar, preacher and linguist Nouman Ali Khan.

“Faith” (al-iman) in the Arabic language means to affirm something and to comply with it. Ibn Taymiyyah writes (Majmu’ Al-Fatawa 7/638): It is understood that faith is affirmation and not merely belief. Affirmation includes the words of the heart, which is belief, and the actions of the heart, which is compliance.

So, when we talk of faith in Islam, we mean to believe in Allah, to affirm His truth, and to submit to His commands. Thus, faith in Islam is belief in the Unity of God or Tawheed. This is expressed in the primary Kalimah (Word) of Islam as: “Laa ilaaha illallaah", meaning: “There is no one worthy of worship but Allah.”

The six pillars of faith are to believe and affirm the following:

• Allah,
• His angels,
• His messengers,
• His books,
• The Day of Judgment,
• Providence.

That means that when we lay our full trust in Allah based on our faith in Him, the wonders and secrets of our life start to unfold. We come to know that life is not aimless nor it has any destination.  Everything that takes place around us or even with us is part of an overall plan designed, architectured and run none by Allah. Therefore, we must ponder on ever important milestone of our lives, "Was this was my part of Allah's overall plan?" If the answers come from our heart as negative, then we should continue to pursue still large goals and higher milestones to fit ourselves in to Allah's plan.

And remember, the day our part in Allah's plan has been performed, our journey to our permanent abode would commence. Nothing to be afraid of for death has to come to every living being.

My late father, may Allah be pleased with him, was a very realistic, logical man with an unflinching faith and trust in Allah. He would always analyze his life and often say: I have lived a long life and I wonder why I am still alive for I have passed through many a milestone of my life and always succeeded. Yet I am still alive. May be my test or my part in Allah's plan is yet to come. And yes, that part in Allah's plan did come when my mother suddenly fell seriously ill and was bed ridden for four years. And there was my father looking after her and tendering her all by himself with an extreme sense of love and devotion. And then the fateful day came when my mother took her heavenly flight one summer day. After her burials rituals were over, one day he confides with me that you know all along I have been telling you that my part in Allah's plan hasn't come - and it did come finally with the ailment of your mother and now that she is gone, I know for sure that there is nothing more for me in Allah's plan. And he sure was damn right for just after ten months, he passed away peacefully while talking to a group of his friends.

For me this is the best example of having unflinching faith in Allah's plan.

Please watch the video below on the issue by Nouman Ali Khan, born to a Pakistani family, is an American Muslim speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies, after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is our duty to convey only to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this view as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

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For more Scholarly views and videos, please read our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to Islam.

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