.

2. From The Quran

2.1 On Belief And Disbelief

2.2 Works Without Faith

2.2.1 The verse above: whoever denies faith, his work indeed is of no account, was explained by Abū ʿAbd-Allāh that it meant:
'someone who abandons a duty that he acknowledges ( as having been ordained by God ) ... to this category belongs one who intentionally quits prayer (Salāt) without being ill or intoxicated.' T X-1,70)

2.2.2 No Superficial Judgement of Human Actions

The above said goes of course against any superficial judgement of human actions, because what the 'eyes can see' is at the lowest level of reality, or what our 'feelings feel' for. Any action will be rejected by Allah, as long as it was intended for some other cause, such as for the demands of the ego (nafs ), instead of the Divine Presence , except for what He would accept in His Bounty, of which we know from the Quran and hadith.
It is related from Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah has said ﷺ:

Muslim book 39, number 7114

2.2.3 Doing Good for Other Than Allah

In the case of a believer doing something good for other than Allah, it is Allah's decision to accept it or not, but we cannot rely on His acceptance.
This is an issue of the Unity of Allah (tawhīd), which is related with the issue of intention and sincerity in action.
For those who do not accept the guidance of a divine messenger and who therefore never fulfil their normal function as human beings in the divine scheme - even their good actions are without substance and count for nothing in the scales of justice, for the Allah's Word applies to them: IDM-190

2.3 On Belief and Action

There are many verses in the Quran, which mention belief in Allah and righteous action for Allah's sake together.

Clearly a kind of 'belief' with the mouth is not enough,
as the Messenger of Allah has said ﷺ:
Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Adab

2.4 Faith Profits in This Life, More in the Next

2.4.1 Faith in Allah and the Last Day, while a gift from God, is also something we are urged to in the Revelation and by all of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and it is of course the principal reason for our liberation in this life and our salvation in the next:

2.4.2 Life of This World Is 'Less'

Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day know that the life of the world (dunya) is 'less attractive' than the Hereafter, which is the Real Life. The divine message is to remind us about this truth. Man is warned not to choose the 'less real' or non-real, the ephemeral, superficial or meaningless (life) for the Greater, the Real. <Sura Yunus, verses 7/8>

2.4.3 Freedom and Happiness

Normally liberation from bondage and peace of mind, or 'happiness', are among the aims in human life, aims which are often - over the course of time - compromised for 'means on the way', such as wealth, power and fame. The character of these 'semi-gods' is not understood by many, they do not deliver on their promises of freedom and happiness, not to mention spiritual advancement.
In all traditions, including the Islamic, it is a fundamental truth that no-one can serve two masters at the same time, God and mammon; and in the message of Islam, great spiritual masters have reminded us that
"no-one attains true freedom as long as he remains under the influence of the slightest portion of his ego." (Abu Madyan, WAM-118 )

2.4.4 On Happiness

On the topic of happiness itself one could mention that ”the question for Islam has not been how to make everyone happy, because that is something that is not possible in this world. In fact the world would not be the world (dunya) if such a thing were possible. The question has rather been how to create a state in which there would be the maximum amount of stability, harmony and equilibrium in human life, one that would be most conducive to a person's living as vicegerent (khalīfat Allāh) on earth with awareness of His Will during this fleeting journey called human life.”
Islam In The Modern World, S H Nasr, p.68; IMW68

2.5 Belief Will Be Tested

But, because life is not like some extended sunny afternoon for us and for our brothers and sisters of humanity, we will be tested and with it, this faith in God will also be tested, which hopefully then was not just a pretense.

2.6 On the Signs of Belief

There are signs of belief in man, but it is in essence a secret only known to God. Furthermore, belief can increase and decrease:

2.7 On Doubt

Doubting any element of the divine tradition will ultimately make the person fall into such serious error (faith in the events of the Hereafter is essential ) as it happened with the Jews of Madina, who saw the truth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before them, but did not follow him:

2.8 On Belief in False Leaders

Concerning the adoration and following of false leaders such as 'movie-stars', leaders of 'New Age'-sects or religious and political leaders of the life of this world (dunyā) who 'inspire' many of the young, a phenomena which is today even more prevalent than in the old days, when already then Allah adressed the believers:

 

2.9 On Belief Which Comes Too Late

But belief has to be strengthened early in life, otherwise it may be too late, as with the peoples before:
     
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3. The Elements of Faith

3.1 The Elements of Faith

The elements of faith (arkān al-īmān) are four:
•   Unification without limitation (tauhīd bilā hadd)
•   remembrance without interruption (dhikr bilā batt)
•   state without description (hāl bilā naʿt)
•   conscious existence without moment (wujūd bilā waqt)
From one of the Shaykhs.

3.2 Items of Belief

As can be seen from the Word of Allah, belief has many degrees and there are many aspects to it. The following are the three main items of belief in order to make faith sound:

1st Belief in God, Allah, the Supreme, the Almighty,
2nd Belief in the Divine Judgement on that promised day,
    and belief in life beyond this life of the world,
3rd To act righteously

3.3 Fundamentals of Faith

The fundamentals of faith ( asl al-īman) of what the human being is required (lazima) in this life (dunyā) to believe in, if man wishes to attain happiness in both worlds, is the faith in:
- Allah,
- His Angels,
- His Holy Scriptures,
- His Prophets,
- the Day of Judgement,
- His universel decree (qadāihi),
- His particular decree (qadrihi) so much that you know that,
- that which hits you, could not have missed you, and
- that which missed you, could not have hit you. See: tauhīd

3.4 Perfect Faith (īman)

Faith (īman) is perfected when it comprises the following, in the words of the author of the Tadhkirat:

"I testify with my words (qaulan) and with the engagement (of my person / conviction (ʿaqdan) that belief is 'confirmation of faith' (tasdīq) and that it includes:
- speech (qaul)
- works (ʿamal)
- intention (niyyah)
- that which conforms with the Sunna
- (and the fact that) it increases or decreases, that it gains strength and that it weakens, (such that) the knowing person (ʿālim) is stronger and the ignorant weaker, the former through his science, the latter through his ignorance." TD-259

3.5 Prerequisites of Action

3.5.1 Everything Besides Allah Will Fade Away

The Oneness of Allah (tauhīd): When one realizes that everything besides Allah is bound to vanquish because it is no cause in itself and has neither real power over anything and nor independent being, one comes to a point to reject everything except the First Cause, the Independent Being, God, Allah. This then is:

3.5.2 The Testimonial Witnessing

Thus the testimonial witnessing (shahādah) "is said in the belief that its reality, which is already dawning upon the person emotionally and by reason, will eventually by witnessed."FSH-26
As a criteria of the spiritual way, one could remember that whenever one does not see the mercy of Allah in a situation, one has fallen from the way of perfection. FSH-28

The double witnessing (shahādah) of Allah as One, and of Muhammad as His Messenger ﷺ is the key to the Garden (of Paradise) and it is the first step through the door of submission. A believer does not want to stop at the doorstep, without entering into the courtyard of the Divine Presence. As the famous scholar of Islam, An-Nawawi says:

"One's submission ( to God, Allah) is perfected through performing the observances of prayer, zakat, pilgrimage and the fast - which are the most patent and greatest of Islamic observances and neglecting them suggests that one has dissolved or vitiated (corrupted) the terms of one's compliance." RT-809

3.6 Intention, the Spirit of Action

3.6.1 Acting in Spiritual Awareness

These observances, as well as any 'good' action, have to be performed in spiritual awareness , awake not as a bare routine, which may save us, but not improve us on the way. Before one acts in one way or another, one normally has an intention to do it. So the kind of intention is very important, because in the best of cases,
" intention is the sincere consecration (ikhlāS ) of the action for God and it is the momentum of the heart (nuhūd al-qalb) towards God ... " TD-260
(an-niyyah: ikhlāS-al-ʿamali lillāhi wa huwa nuhūDu-l qalbi bi-ʿaqlihihi wa maʿrifatihi ila-llāhi)


3.6.2 The Famous Hadith on Intention

And "intention is the spirit of the action (rūh ul-ʿamal)," as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said in one of the most famous hadith:

3.6.3 The Likeness of Intention as a Steering Wheel

Why is the intention of an act much more important than the act itself?
'Because intention is like the steering wheel of the car, giving direction to people. If not this steering wheel is on the car, can you use that car? If you lost it that car is useless. It is dangerous! You can't use it. You can't reach anywhere. Therefore intention is the most important factor for our actions. And Allah Almighty is looking... more than to your actions, to what is your intention when you are doing something.' (Rest of quote: SNH )

3.6.4 Hadith on the Most Excellent Action

Also the messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the most excellent action, and he ﷺ said that it is (TD-51/261):

3.6.5 Intention Is Hidden Invocation

This is of course no issue for the hypocrite or unbeliever who does not intend to do something for Allah's sake alone and will sooner or later reap the bitter fruits of his denial and ignorance . Denial, because he denies that truth is principally of divine origin and ignorance, because he sees himself as independant from God and Heaven.
How different for the believer! His intention is nothing less than his
"hidden invocation of Allah" (adh-dhikr al-khafī), meaning that as and when he intends it - he then calls (by it) upon Allah and remembers Him.
It is also said that the difference between works and intention is that the former have a beginning and an end, which means they are final, whereas the latter endures (dāima)." TD-263

In this respect there is the tradition of ʿAtā:
'Secret works account for double,
and the act is the activity of the members (arkān),
whereas intention is the activity of the hearts towards Allah.'
(al-ʿamāl as-sirra muDāʿafatun
wa-l-ʿamalu saʿiy-l arkān
wa-n-niyyatu saʿiy-l qulūb ila-llāhi)

3.6.6 Works Are the Realization of Faith

And "works are the realization of faith (tahqīq ul-īmān), and its outward manifestation (izhār), they are subordinated to their proper limits, whereas intention is the spirit of action (of works) (rūh ul-ʿamal) and has no evaluable limit." see 3.6.5
Further "while works have their reward in the Garden (al-jannah), intention (an-niyyah) has its reward in the stages of proximity (manāzil al-qurbah) [to the Divine Presence of God]." TD-264
And what could more excellent than this station of nearness?
These are but some of the effects of belief on the condition of souls.     

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4. The Perfection Of Faith (ihsān)

4.1 How Faith Can Be Perfected

There are many hadith on the nature of faith, two shall be mentioned here. They show the way of how belief can be perfected:

Anas narrated that Messenger of Allah said ﷺ:

 (Al-Bukhari, book 1. 15)

This was narrated by Abu Huraira from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
(Al-Bukhari, book 1. 47)

4.2 Faith Is Not Static

4.3 Gaining the Name of Believer and Muslim

4.3.1 " Believer (mumin): because he has become stable and reassured against the hesitations and detours in the search for his Lord (rabb) and
muslim: because he surrendered himself to Him in everything He ordered him to do (sallama nafsahu ileihi jāmiʿa mā yamuruhu). This is at the same time an engagement, a covenant (ʿahd) and an acceptance [approval] (qabūl).
From the day he has believed and accepted islam (aslama) and throughout his life the servant (ʿabd) is expected to be faithful to this engagement and this acceptance.
Servanthood (ʿubudiyya) which is therefore presented to him has two modalities:
(a) That which his Lord decrees for him (yahkumuh) and
(b) that which his Lord orders him (yamuruh)."
(a): these are "the situations (ahwāl) which have been destined form him, such as poverty and richness; glory and abasement; health and sickness; everything agreeable and disagreeable;
and faithfulness (wafaʿ) in all of this requires that his heart and his soul accept it in confidence (itmaʿanna). "
(b): this is "to fulfill the duties and rules of religion (al farāid wa-l ahkām) and to reject what is forbidden (al-mahārim);
and faithfulness in all of this requires that he accepts all that which He orders him and all that which He forbids him to do, that he obeys His orders and that he abstains from that which He has forbidden him.

If he is truthful in his faith (īmān) and in his islam (islām), he will not be required [to undergo] the Balance (al-wazn) [of good and bad actions] and the Reckoning (al-Hisāb) [on the Day of Judgement].
The Balance and the Reckoning take only place for those servants, whose faithfulness has only been partial, who have thrown themselves unto forbidden things, who have had too little patience with the situations which Allah has decreed for them and which led them into trouble. This is why the Balance will take place to take account, so that the servant will see if his faithfulness will help him or if it is his abandoning of engagements (tark al-wafaʿ ).
If his faithfulness is to his advantage, he will be saved (najā),
and if his abandoning of engagements weighs more, then the servant will depend on the Will of God (mashīa): if He wishes, He will forgive, and if He wishes, He will punish." (TD-274/5)

4.3.2 Three Things Indispensable for a Believer

"Three things are indispensable for a believer in all conditions of life: he should keep the commandments of Allah; he should abstain from the harām; and he should be pleased with the decree of Providence. Thus the least that is expected of a believer is that he should be with these three things. So it is meant that he should make up his mind for this and talk to himself about this and keep his organs engaged in this."

4.4 Knowledge and Faith Are Inseparable

4.4.1 Further it has to be pointed out that "knowledge concerning God, Allah (al-ʿilm bi-llaāh) and faith are inseparable, because (this) knowledge is the 'balance' (mīzān) of faith:

Faith is for knowledge a support (madad) and help (nasr), knowledge is for faith power (quwwa) and means of expression (lisān) " TD-268  

4.4.2 To be close to God - Allah (may His Majesty be exalted) means (also) to know Allah.   

4.5 A Note of Caution

Please note that belief is not perfect if there is a lack of faith in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, see next chapter
or in the ten eschatological truths or commandments of the Hereafter ( umūr-ul akhirah )

5. Belief In The Prophet ﷺ And His Finality

Without the Prophets (peace be upon them) there would be no messages and laws from the Divine and without the last Messenger of Allah ﷺ there would be no universal message of Islam. The witnessing of the One Divinity has therefore to be complemented by the witnessing of His Beloved, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being the Messenger of Allah.
This in turn means that belief is rejected
without belief in the Prophet ﷺ. Al-Ghazalī says:

“Allah Most High sent Muhammad ﷺ, the Qurayshite unlettered prophet, to deliver his inspired message (bi-risālatihi) to the entire world, Arabs and non-Arabs, jinn and mankind, superceding and abrogating all previous religious systems with the Prophet's Sacred Law (shariʿat)... Allah has favoured him above all other prophets and made him the highest of mankind, rejecting anyone's attesting to the divine oneness by saying 'There is no god but Allah' unless they also attest to the Prophet by saying 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'. He has obliged men and jinn to believe everything (*) the Prophet ﷺ has informed us concerning this world and the next, and does not accept anyone's faith unless they believe in what he has told us will happen after death.”
RT-822

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah that the Prophet ﷺ said:

Allah, Glorious and Almighty, asks the Prophet ﷺ to remind his nation that it is essential for those who claim to love God, to love His Prophet, as Allah says in His revelation, the Quran:

6. The 10 Commandments of the Hereafter

"There are ten eschatological truths or Commandments of the Life Beyond (umūr-u l akhirah ) of which the total or partial negation amounts to innovation [ in faith ] and they are proven by the Quran and the Prophetic tradition (sunnah) ... " TD-280  

"These eschatological truths are the following:

1 - the Punishment of the Grave ( adhābu-l qabr): (the trial of the grave which people will face) Al-Bukhari book 23, no. 455;
2 - the Assembling [of people] (al-jamʿah) on the Day of Judgement
3 - the Balance (al-mīzān)
4 - the Reckoning (al-Hisāb)
5 - the Pond (al-hauD)
6 - the Intercession [of the Prophet ﷺ]
7 - the Bridge (as-sirāt) and what belongs to it
8 - the Entering into the Fire of Hell (an-nār), from where could come out who said that there is no other god but Allah
9 - the Entering into the Garden(s) of Paradise (al-jannah)
10 - the Vision of Allah (an-naZar ila-llāhi), Glorious is He and Exalted, and the listening (samāʿ) to His Words (kalāmihi) without intermediate (tarjumān)."

"Belief in all of this consists in confirming his faith (tasdīq), to avoid those who reject and to abstain from discussing (mujādilah) with them."

"The most excellent believers in faith are those who are best in realizing the truth of the Quran and Sunnah, and who best identify themselves with it."

"There is not any action which - if left out - is disbelief (kufr) and this is prayer (salāh).
Whoever leaves off from it in a spirit of negation (jahūdan) [rejection, denial, not wanting to know of it] is an unbeliever and legally eligible for capital punishment."

"And all praise belongs to Allah - al-Hamdu li-LLāhi." TD-280/1
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7. Final Remarks

7.1 Nature Of Doubt

Although doubts per se may be part of being human, they belong to the earlier stages of the way, before faith is assisted and secured by knowledge. Doubting the Absolute Principle and speculating in human choices for example are satanic influences (waswas) which appear to be part of the deadening condition of modern man, who is satisfied with the workings of his deluded mind, seeing himself self-sufficient.  

Explanation 1: When man has attained wealth, honour and rank and whatever else he desired to attain in the world, he becomes rebellious instead of being grateful and transgresses the bounderies of servitude to Allah. Maududi

Explanation 2: One of the reasons for our arrogance is that we imagine ourselves to be self-sufficient. Istaghnā: he appears independent, thinks he is independent, rich, self-sufficient. He is not connected, he is not in tawhīd, he is in separation. JAH-242 more tafsir:

However, what does not seem to be much known, is that man is called for to actively believe in the Divine message and act according to it. In these Last Days which we live in, there is no escape from the catastrophy and annihilation of the human race, if we do not throw down those false gods erected by modernity, including the small ones: our demanding egos prone to evil! If we believe in the Divine message, and live according to the traditional way as shown by the prophets, especially the last Prophet ﷺ the coming of the Day of Judgement can be postponed and will be light for us!

Allah orders man:

7.2 Knowledge Based on Reason Alone

Knowledge solely based on reason will never attain certitude of belief (yaqīn), but will erect structures of unbelief and modern idols, in the souls of man and in society.

Only in the living tradition of Islam, which is preserved by Allah and His Prophet ﷺ and His community of believers, there can be a base for certainty and bliss.
Concerning the Divine Attributes of God, it is said that:
"Faith affirms the Attributes by the science of certitude (ʿilm al-yaqīn) to witness its conviction ( tasdīqan ), while knowledge of their true nature (haqīqa) is a mystery (ghayb) which is impossible to reach by reason.
TD-279
An-Nawawi says:
"As for the basic obligation of Islam, and what relates to the tenets of faith, it is adequate for one to believe in everything brought by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and to credit it with absolute conviction free of any doubt." RT-9

7.3 Deviations

"Deviant and aberrant opinions (do not) necessarily entail the unbelief of the people who hold them, or being beyond the pale of Islam." Muhammad Saʿid Buti in RT-953 But they entail uncalculable consequences if left uncorrected.

7.4 Personally Obligatory Knowledge

Personally obligatory knowledge (which includes personally obligatory action) is (among other items) the knowledge of the heart , meaning familiarity with its illnesses such as envy, pride and the like. Al-Ghazalī says that knowledge of their definitions, causes, remedy and treatment is personally obligatory. RT-12

Equally Al-Suyuti who said that:
"The science of the heart (al-tasawwuf), and to know the heart's diseases such as jealousy, arrogance and pride and to leave them is an obligation on every Muslim."

Purification of heart involves remembrance of Allah and to detach oneself from 'property and sons' of the world (dunyā) because one cannot cleanse the heart except by cleansing from it everything except Allah's face. Thus the Prophet of Allah ﷺ described the pure heart in a prophetic hadith:

This science and striving is essential for the believer and it is too great as to be described in a few words. And Allah knows best.

7.5 Quranic Verse on the Sound Heart

Explanation of verse ( tafsīr ) 'sound heart':
It is a heart which is free from the desease of hypocrisy, doubt and disbelief.
A sound heart is where the affectations (*) of the mind do not arise and which is safe from all the distractions of all that is not God. CDS-68
For the heart, which is the seat of the knowledge of God there is a health and a healing, see the verse above. (MD-55) The opposite is a heart with a disease:

8. Additional Quranic References

The Convenant of The Lord with His countless souls before time, concerning the Trust with which they were honoured before their coming to this world:

People of this life, who did not prepare themselves for the Hereafter:

Verses on increase in faith:

Other verses on dis-belief:

{ And whoever swerves from belief to an attitude of unbelief, even if he later returns as it fittes him proper, will find himself in trouble, to say the least:

Equally bad or worse is when someone professes his belief in order to hide his enmity:

Questioning in excess, showing disrespect towards their prophet (AS):

False leaders


Concerning the bitter fruits of man's ignorance:

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9. Quotes

9.1 You Cannot Serve Two Masters

Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani continued to explain:

"A person may do something either for his ego's pleasure or for his Lord's pleasure. There is not a third factor. No! You may act either for Your Lord's pleasure - trying to make your Lord pleased with you; or you are trying to make your ego pleased with you.
There is no third factor, no. Either right or left.
You are always in a crossway. You must choose one of two ways: one taking you to the Pleasure of Allah Almighty; and the second taking you to your ego's pleasure, as well as to shaytan's pleasure. Through every action therefore, intention is an obligation for everyone seeking to do something."

9.2 Explanation of verse (cont. from above 7.1)

9.3 The Quest of Self-Knowledge

"The quest of self-knowledge begins by looking at what is closest to us, (which is) the lower nature of man [his nafs], his fear, lusts, anger, despair and lack of trust. At all times the arrogant, lower nature of man is such that it causes him to transgress, yatghā."
(And the closest to us) "is what lies on the path of ease (yusr). To take the easy way is to follow one's nafs."

"The true purpose of our being here is to become fully awake, to know why we are here. Once we have awakened to that, then everything else will follow. We have however forgotten the priorities and do not want to address such a difficult issue."

•   see story of Mullah < Nasruddin's ring >

(That arrogance is of a man) "not questioning his state, his position, his purpose, not questioning his nothingness or the fact that at best he is only hanging on air. At his healthiest, man is like a balloon blowing himself in and out, not questioning himself, oblivious to the fact that this is his capital and everything else is but a passing moment. Not questioning - this is his tughyān (transgression), inner tughyān. "

"At any moment he may drop dead. Will he leave contentedly? Will he leave the railway-station with an open heart for his journey? " JAH-241/2

•   see excellent article on < nafs > below - external link

9.4 Giving Preference To The World