Firm Faith in Allah
by Prof. Mirza Habib-ur-Rahman, M.A.
The Light (Pakistan), 8th/24th March 1982 Issue (Vol. 62, Nos. 5–6, pp. 37–39)
Confidence in God:
Confidence in one’s powers and faculties is an optimistic sign of life in man. Firm faith in God is the habit of those in whose heart the Supreme Lord of the heavens and earth dwells. These pious people believe that all operations, all performances are monitored from on High. So they apply the greatest care, energy, force and fidelity to the performance of social, intellectual and humanitarian duties, in anticipation of God’s goodwill and blessings. Fear and love of God like shadows perpetually brood in their minds. Since they believe that all actions and their results are activated by Divine Will, so man’s foremost duty is always to please God, with the best of motives. Hence excess of confidence in all their efforts and exertions, is reposed in Him Who created them to work in obedience to His will and approbation. Their sole aim is to subject their actions, thoughts, intentions, motives and impulses by the will of God. They persistently and sincerely believe in his Unity, Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence. Such men are the most pious saints dearly cherished by God. All their prayers, their wishes and ambitions are always blessed by Him. They scrupulously avoid anything which is likely to displease Allah. If, in their unguarded moments they err, they lie prostrate before the Lord and indulge in humble supplications and entreaties to forgive them. Even a mere slip of tongue is a matter of concern for them and they devotedly pray for the rectification of such errors. They, therefore, never cease seeking forgiveness of Allah in every moment of their lives.
Failures Bring Home Ultimate Power of God:
Generally, men with great mental and physical strength are confident of their powers. By virtue of their superior faculties they believe that man, by his heroic efforts, sound planning and right judgment, can solve successfully the most difficult problems of life. Their determination, combined with zest and vitality, tend to create in them an over-confidence that all the achievements have come to them by their own effort and wisdom without any outside help. But at times they completely fail in spite of their well-thought out designs. When afflicted by calamities or faced with failures, they come to realize that there is surely a mightier Power, a greater Genius that controls the operations of man and the universe they live in.
An Atheist is Completely Under the Sway of the Devil:
An atheist, whose mind is overshadowed by the fascination of the world, while the devil accelerates his activities, cannot probe into the secret workings and mighty power of God. In high spirits, he goes and sees all that is curious in the world. The sparks of love, beauty, pleasure and delusive charms keep him in a cheerful mood for a time only. But soon his mental peace, contentment and mirth are brushed away. His deliberate denial of God distorts his vision, befouls his imagination, corrupts his judgment and mortifies his will. He is morally a dead-alive man, whose arguments breathes a poisonous atmosphere. He is a plaything of the devil, who opens before him a vista of sensual desires, animal passions, and pleasures and luxuries of life.
Complete Faith in God:
Can there be a more inspiring instance of complete faith in Allah than the leaving of Hazrat Hajira [Hagar] and her new-born child in the dreary and desolate rocks of Mecca by Prophet Abraham? The annals of history cannot furnish a parallel example of greater sacrifice than Abraham’s readiness to immolate his beloved son Ismail, as an offering and homage to God. It was a supreme act for the sake of winning God’s goodwill. Again it was Joseph’s complete faith in Allah that gave him strength, when he was thrown into a deserted well by his brothers. Joseph, therefore, refrained from indulging in lamentations or dismay. His transparent morality and chastity were put to a severe trial, when he refused the amorous advance of Aziz’s wife Zulaikha. There were many stages in the immaculately pure life of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when, by virtue of his complete faith in God, exhibited super-human qualities of a well-intentioned and pious hero. The infidels of Mecca offered him beauty and wealth, if the Holy Prophet would desist from propagating the message of Allah, but he refused point-blank all those offerings. He was ridiculed, was pelted with stones, was threatened to be killed, was disgraced and attacked, but he bore all the infamy and misfortunes with an unflinching faith in his great mission.
“Don’t feel aggrieved, God is with us”,
was the essence, the key-note of his life mission, the fly-wheel of his spiritual mechanism, which revitalized his followers to imitate his moral qualities. From brutes his followers were exalted to the highest pitch of glory and spiritual excellence. It is one of the greatest miracle in human history when a whole nation was imbued with virtue, rectitude and piety who were polluted by years of impurities, sensualities, debaucheries and tyrannies. All this marvellous change was due to the Holy Prophet’s spiritually elevated dynamic personality, his nocturnal prayers and his complete faith in the Creator of the heavens and earth.
Toward Spiritual Attainment:
We people, whose life-long activities are limited to mere worldly pursuits, should try to achieve spiritual excellences. Acquisition of wealth, ranks, dignities and show of lewd dalliances have kept us far away from God and His mercies. Our faith in Allah is cloaked under a vain show of loyalty. We say that our prayers are not granted, we complain that our best endeavours come to naught—the reason is not far to seek. We have discarded God. Our hearts belie the Supreme Being’s illimitable powers and boundless bounties He bestows upon his creatures.