Review your Faith & Reinforce It.
By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

One of the beauties of the Holy Quran, which is a miracle, is that every time one reads it, one discovers a new dimension in it which had NOT been discovered before.

It is the purpose of this brief article to show how one can come into a group of faithful people simply by a serious reexamination of his personal beliefs and opinions. It is hoped that with this approach, one could bring in more faithful people into the group of achievers (Moflehoon مفلحون).

Verse 19 of Surah 57

َوَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ …..

And those who believe in God and His apostles—they are the Sincere (Lovers of Truth), and the Witnesses (who testify), in the eyes of their Lord: They shall have their Reward and their Light…..

Note that a good percentage of us believe in God and His Messengers, when we really examine our beliefs, thus qualifying for this reward. This type of belief is a part of our NATURE as people who were born Muslims, as all people are born on a pure nature.

In many other verses of the Glorious Quran we are told about the same facts. One such example is verse 257 of the Second Surah of Quran which reads:

Verse 257 of Surah 2

اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ…َ

God is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depth of darkness He will lead them forth into light…

And Verse 2 of Surah 2 of the Quran says:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God…

And then again the belief in the unseen, and belief in Revelations sent to Messengers of God is cited as the other conditions.

Verse 13 of Surah 46 reinforces the same fact:

َإِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُون

Verily those who say, “ Our Lord is God,” and remain firm (on that path),–on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Note that it is maintaining a belief in God and the fact that He is the Creator of every being, plus standing on that belief firmly in their heart, which is considered to be the sign of spiritual success or achievement (Falaah فلاح).

Verse 30 of Surah 41 reconfirms the same fact for us in the following words:

َإِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُون

In the case of those Who say, “Our Lord is God”, and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time. assuring:

“Fear ye not!, Nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of bliss), that which you were promised!

Normally, those who are faithful and believe in God try to do good in their deeds also. This is, sometimes, a trait of their characters.

Verses 7 & 8 of Surah 98 tells us the following:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ

جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا

رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they are

the best of creatures.

Their reward is with God: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein for ever;

God well pleased with them, and they with Him:

All this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher.

This same concept: believing in Allah (swt) and doing good is, in fact, repeated in many other verses of the Glorious Quran.
The writer remembers a Hadith with the connotation that Prophet Muhammad is quoted to have said:

In a Hadith:

قولوا لا إله إلا الله تفلحوا

Say: there is no god but God, and you will succeed”

Someone suggested to the Prophet : Why do you not announce and emphasize this, which is said to save one’s body from the Hell Fire, to the public widely? to which the Prophet said : for the fear that they might discard or abandon their Salat and other duties such as Zakat. The writer does not remember the source of the Hadith or the one who has narrated it, but recalls he has seen it in Bukhari and Muslim collections of Hadiths as well as in Wasa’il al-Shi’a.

Allah (swt) swears to the token of Time that people are in loss except those who believe, or have faith and do righteous deeds and join together in the teachings of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

In Verse 1-3, Surah 103

وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily Man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

“Goodness” for us is beautifully defined in having faith in Allah, and in His Messengers, His Books, and His Angels , plus in the Day of Judgment.

Verse 177 of Surah 2

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُواْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاء والضَّرَّاء وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.

It is hoped that when Allah (swt) has made it so easy for us to have faith in Him, and in His Messengers, we would be wise enough to take advantage of such a privilege as kindly granted to us.

It is Allah (swt) who told us in Verse 69 of Surah 29:

َوَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِين

And those who strive in Our cause, We will certainly guide them to Our Paths: for verily God is with those who do right.

Finally Islam is a Guide for All people at all times in all walks of Life and in all places.

Anyone who reads the Quran even once, would agree with this statement.
Let us Love, Tolerate, and respect each other, sincerely.