Definition of a True Mu’min

who-is-a-true-believer

Definition of a True Mu’min.

Alhamdulillahi wa kafaa, was-Salatu was-salamu 
  `alaa `ibaadihi-lladheena Stafaa 

Wa Ba’d:

 
Hazrat Aisha, Allah be pleased with her, reported that the Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said that Nabee Moosa Alayhis Salaam once asked Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala: “O Allah! Tell me about Your most exalted people.” Almighty Allah replied: “They are the ones who hasten to do what I want first, just like an eagle glides with precision towards what it desires. They are the servants of My creation who hasten to serve the guests like a young servant does in the house of his master.”


“O Moosa! They feel offended if any of My injunctions are violated, just like an angry tiger does, for an angry tiger attacks with impunity no matter how many people it faces.” You must know that My servants maintain vigilant hearts and constant fear of Me. I am their sole hope by which they call upon Me, and thus, if you meet them, humble yourself to them. Indeed, such special beings are the light that dispels the darkness. They are people who have filled their hearts with constant awareness of Me and with recognition of My Divine majesty.”

“For them are grades (of honour) with their Rabb, and forgiveness, and a bountiful provision.”

[verse 4 Surahtul Al-Anfal]


“I dress them with the effulgent light of My love, and raise before their eyes the banners of My guidance so that they may seek it. I endow them with Sabr [patience] to protect them against resisting My Will. I make them the champions and models of those consenting to My Will. Thus, their zeal and ardor rise only towards Me. Their inner eyes constantly observe Me and I station them at the gate of gazing at Me.”

“And men who remember Allah much and women who remember ….

Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.”
[verse 35 Surahtul Al-Ahzab].


Ya Ibadi! “O My slaves!” Do not be deceived by the comfort and pleasures of the world that you dwell in, for this is the lot of the ornate and the luxury of the opulent ones. If it was My will, I can surely dress you with ornaments from the world, which Fir’awn will certainly recognize his inability to muster. It is not because you are not worthy of it, rather it is because I have dressed you with your share of honour and exaltedness so that the world becomes insignificant to you as declared in verse 56 of Surahtul Al-Ma’ida:

 

“As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of)
Believers – it is the Fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.”


A true Muh’min is content with what he or she has. They are grateful for it, and share its blessings with others. They are also protected against excess comfort or indulgence in this world. They are the ones who use a meager portion of their share to sustain their short journey toward Almighty Allah, and therefore, they become one of the numerous pillars of trueness and guiding lights to the seekers in this world. The Signs and Evidence of Almighty Allah are in all nature and within the body and soul of man, if man has but the spiritual eyes to see. This is confirmed to us in verses 20-21 of Surahtul Az-Zariyat:

 

“On the face of the earth there are signs for the possessors of
 certainty, and also in your own selves; will you not see?”


Such servants of Almighty Allah are the light that dispels the darkness, and indeed they are the fountainhead of wisdom, righteousness, and balance. Almighty Allah endows them with unique and unparalleled virtues. He cleanses them from affectation and replaces it with purity, trueness and sincerity.
Thabit bin Thawban R.A. narrated that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said: “Blessed are the sincere ones, for they are the lights of guidance that dispels darkness and adversities in this world. Such true human beings attain their exalted stations by holding fast to the rope of Allah, by spending freely and generously from what Allah favours them with, and by upholding justice.” [verse 17 Surahtul Al-I-Imran].

 

“The steadfast, and the truthful, and who worship devoutly, 
and those who spend (In the Way of Allah).”


These are the ones who graciously accept what is just when it is offered, they generously give when they are asked, and they judge between people by the same criterion they seek for themselves. They are cheerful outwardly but ever anxious inwardly. The spirit of elation comes from their contentment, satisfaction, and constant yearning for their Most Exalted Creator and their fear of losing their struggle, or even a mere thought of separation from Him, bewilders and distresses them. Also on this subject, ‘Iyadh bin Ghanam narrated that the Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said: 

 
“I was informed by the heavenly hosts of angels that the most dignified among my followers are people who rejoice in public when they ponder the vastness of Almighty Allah’s all-encompassing mercy and compassion, and they weep privately when they contemplate the rigorous punishment He reserved for the sinners and the deniers of the Truth. They sit in His blessed Masaajid morning and evening worshipping Him and celebrating His praises inwardly, and they implore Him with their tongues outwardly with reverence and awe.” 
 

“They pray to their Rabb with their hands raised as well as lowered, and they yearn for Him unceasingly. They take little from people, and yet, it bears heavily on their hearts. They walk barefooted, humble, unpretentious, and unnoticed, just like ants, without finery; and they are free of self-adulation. They walk with dignity and serenity, and they rise to the nearness of the Exalted Creator through their link to His Beloved Rahmatul Liel Ala’meen – Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam.” They wear the garment of good conduct and follow the clear proof. They read the Qur’an regularly, take their daily guidance from it, and they happily make the necessary personal sacrifices to meet its requirements.”

Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala has surrounded them with distinguished witnessing angels, and faithful guardians, and He has illumined their faces with effulgence as a sign of His blessings upon them and as a demonstration of His satisfaction with them. When they look at His servants, they anticipate promising signs. They often contemplate the vastness of Almighty Allah’s creation. Their bodies dwell on earth, and their eyes are anchored upon the heavens. Their feet stand on earth, and their hearts dwell in the heavens. They breathe on earth, and yet, their spirits are connected to the Divine Throne.

 
Their souls live in this world, and their thoughts are focused on the Aghirah [the Hereafter]. They only worry about what may come. Their graves are in this world, and their ranks are exalted in Almighty Allah’s sight. Almighty Allah makes them the champions and models of those consenting to His Will. He purifies their bodies with the constant alertness of observing and contemplating Him. He anoints them with the perfumes of His intimate ones. He dresses them with cloaks that are woven with the threads of His great Mahabba [love] and kindness, and crowns them with the light of His pleasure and blessings. 
 

He then fills their hearts with the vestige of the innermost secrets of His Being, so that they become attracted to Him, and their hearts attached solely to Him. He then says to them: “If a needy person comes to you asking for the medicine of My nearness, nurse his or her needs. Treat with kindness the one who is sick and emaciated because of his or her separation from Me. Comfort the heart of the one who is fearful of Me. Congratulate the one who years for My continuous presence. Provide the provisions for a seeker journeying towards Me. Promise a good reward for the one who is in despair of My munificence. Maintain strong ties with the one who loves Me.”

“Ya Ibadi”: – O My servants! I shall reward you with the best reward, and I shall endow you with the choicest of gifts. I have conferred upon you My bounty. My favour upon you is the most generous, and My dealing with you is the best of commerce. I am the expert collector and connoisseur of hearts, I am the best judge of their quality, and I know what they hide. I am the observer of every move, and not a single blink of an eye can escape My knowledge”.

 

“Those are they whose hearts Allah has Proven unto righteousness.
Theirs will be forgiveness and immense reward.’
[verse 3 Surahtul Al-Hujurat].


These true believers attain their exalted and elevated stations as a reward for their brief endurance, determination, and a few short hours of patience. They live through the ephemeral days of this passing world satisfied with little, and cautious of a forthcoming distressful and awesome Day of Reckoning. They intensify their struggle when calm entices others to slow down, and they are mindful of the unexpected surprises of the hour. They are silent but eloquent, blind but seeing, and in fact, no description can do them justice. They are like a saddle that carries the rider, and they are the minarets of the land, the light in the darkness, the substance of mercy and compassion, the prime of wisdom, and the backbone of the believers. They aspire for Allah’s gifts with awe, watchful awareness, and praiseworthy deeds.

They contemplate the Qabir [grave] and its tightness, and they often think about the questioning Angels in the grave, and how will they initiate the questioning, their scorning of the sinners, and probing of the believers. They also fear the day when they will stand before their Exalted Creator, blessed is His name and Holy are His Attributes. Such servants of Allah are the light that dispels the darkness, and indeed they are the fountainhead of wisdom, righteousness, and balance. Sayyidina Omar bin al-Khattab R.A. narrated that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said:

 
“Some of Almighty Allah’s servants are neither prophets nor martyrs. 
They are special people who on the Day of Reckoning, the Ambiya Alayhim Salaam 
and the martyrs will envy them for their ranks and nearness to 
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala.”
 
Someone asked: “O Prophet of Allah, who are they, and what type of deeds do they perform, so that we may love them as well?” The Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam replied: “They are the people who love one another in Allah, even though they have no consanguineous ties [related by blood], money to exchange, or worldly business to barter with. I swear by Allah, that on the Day of Reckoning their faces will be like effulgent lights, and they will be raised on pulpits of light. They will not be subject to fear when the creation is seized by the awesomeness of the Day of Resurrection, nor will they be subject to sorrow when the rest of creation will be seized by it.” He then recited verse 62 of Surahtul Yunus:

 
 “Behold! Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.”


beloved Ummatul Muslimeen! Almighty Allah’s all-
embracing knowledge and constant watchful care over all His creatures may be a source of fear to sinners, but there is no fear for those whom He honours with His love and friendship – neither in this world nor in the world to come. Beloved brothers and sisters in Islam – the Most Glorious Qur’an and the exalted Sunnah and Seerah of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam provides us with a most awe-inspiring high moral standard.

 
It is our foremost Islamic duty and responsibility to learn and ponder upon the words of the Holy Qur’an and to follow the Sunnah way of life and living. Once we have learned and acted upon what we have learned, it is Fard [obligatory] upon us to pass on this exalted and unadulterated knowledge to our children, to our friends and neighbours, to our non-Muslim friends and associates, and to grant us to live by what we say and not to count us among those who ‘say things’ they do not do.
And Almighty Allah knows best and to Him Belongs all Praise and Glory.
The Truth is from Allah, the errors are mine and I stand to be corrected.

Baarak Allaahu Feekum wa-sal-Allaahu wa-Sallam ‘alaa
Nabiyyinaa Muhammad Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam.

Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

Abdul Hamid Lachporia