Firmness of faith
Firmness or steadfastness in the religion of Almighty Allah is a basic requirement for every sincere Muslim who wants to follow the Straight Path with determination and understanding. This matter is of great importance for many reasons. After informing Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that He will most surely fill the Hellfire with the jinn and impious people, Almighty Allah told Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) this: “Yet all that We relate to you, (O Muhammad), from the tidings of the messengers (who preceded you), is but to set firm your own heart...” (Houd 11: 120)
We understand from the above-quoted verse – among others – that the stories of the Prophets in the Noble Quran are not mere narratives or just histories. They involve three things: a. they teach the highest spiritual Truth, b. they give advice, direction, and warning, as to how we should govern our lives, and c. they awaken our conscience and recall to us how God’s Law works in human affairs.
Polytheists try to scare Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): Due to the fact that the battle of Uhud ended in a stalemate, and the polytheists of Makkah did not achieve their goals, they resorted to what we can call psychological warfare. They sent some people to scare the Muslims by saying they were amassing a huge army, armed to the teeth to annihilate them. They wanted the Muslims to surrender. In response to those empty threats, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the Most Excellent Guardian.”
Almighty Allah tells us the following about that event, describing the extremely pious people who excelled in doing good deeds, and to whom He promised a magnificent reward: “(They are) the ones to whom the faithless (people) said, ‘Indeed, the people (i.e., the polytheists of Makkah and their allies) have
amassed against you. So, fear them! This, then, (only) increased them in faith. Thus they said to them: ‘Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the Most Excellent Guardian.’” (A’l-Imran – the Family of Imran 3: 173)
In whatever situation you are, you should stay firm in your belief because Almighty Allah is in control of everything. Anas bin Malik RA (companion of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Time will come upon people when whoever patiently perseveres in sticking to his religion will be like someone holding a firebrand or an ember.” (Al-Albani rated it as authentic in Sahih Al-Ja’mei # 8, 002 and At-Tirmidhi # 2, 260)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always supplicated to Almighty Allah to keep him firm on faith: AnNawas bin Sam’an related that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “There is not a heart except that it is between two among the fingers of Almighty Allah; whomever He wills, He makes him firm on religion, and whomever He wills, He lets him deviate from (true) faith.” The narrator continues that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) used to supplicate thus to Almighty Allah: “O Allah, the Turner of hearts, (I beseech You) to keep my heart firm on faith.’” (Al-Albani rated it as authentic in Sahih Ibn Ma’jah # 119)
If the above was the most frequent supplication (dua’a) of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) yet he was infallible, what about you and me? So the most frequent supplication a believer should always repeat is to beseech Almighty Allah to keep his heart firm upon His religion, and to keep him away from sins. One of the biggest means of steadfastness is the uprightness of the heart and sincerity to the Majestic Allah.
True believers are ready to sacrifice everything to please Almighty Allah: Khabbab in Al-Arat (RA) narrated, “I was a blacksmith in Makkah, and once I made a sword for Al-‘Asi bin Wa’il As-Sahmei (one of the staunchest enemies of Prophet Muhammad PBUH). When I went to him (Al-‘Asi) to ask for my money, he told me, ‘I will not pay you until you disbelieve in Muhammad (PBUH).’ I said, ‘I swear by Allah, I will never disbelieve in Muhammad (PBUH) until Almighty Allah causes you to die and then resurrects you.’ He (Al-‘Asi) replied, ‘Then leave me alone until I die then get resurrected, be given a lot of wealth and children, then pay you (for your sword).’ “
The following verse was then revealed, translated as: “Then have you seen, (O Prophet), the one who disbelieved in Our (revealed) signs and said, ‘I will, most surely, be given wealth and children should resurrection occur? Has he looked into the (realm of) the unseen? Or has he taken with the All-Merciful God (Allah) a (binding) covenant?’” (Maryam – Mary 19: 77 – 78) (Al-Bukhari # 4, 733)
Steadfastness in Ramadan: Ramadan is definitely a month for us to increase our good deeds and establish good habits. We are trained to defy the devil by avoiding his snares. Fasting does not only prevent us from eating and drinking, it also requires us to abstain from foul speech and acts – thus controlling our hearts. A large part of Ramadan revolves around us increasing steadfastness. We should well understand that among the aims of fasting during the month of Ramadan is to firm up our faith for the rest of the year.