(Note: Wherever the word “you” or “your” is singular and refers to one human being, it is printed with an italic y, as in: you. Wherever such a word refers to God, the letter y is printed in capital, as in: You.)
For Fast 9
Topic: (F) Faith
Faith should enter into the hearts:
“The dwellers of the desert say: ‘We believe’. Tell them: You do not believe, but say, ‘We submit’; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish anything of your deeds. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”— 49:14
Here Muslims are enjoined to deal kindly and leniently, even with those who, being novices, were not yet really grounded in the faith, though they were members of the Muslim brotherhood. Faith had not yet entered into their hearts, but they were to be regarded as Muslims. The solidarity of Islam is being shattered today by narrow-minded Mullas (clerics) who, on one pretext or another, issue fatwas of kufr against this or that party of Muslims.
Faith enters into the hearts:
“And know that among you is Allah’s Messenger. If he were to obey you in many a matter, you would surely fall into distress; but Allah has endeared the faith to you and has made it attractive in your hearts, and He has made hateful to you disbelief and transgression and disobedience. Such are those who are rightly guided — a grace from Allah and a favour. And Allah is Knowing, Wise.”— 49:7-8
“You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk. These are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and strengthened them with a Spirit from Himself, and He will make them enter Gardens in which rivers flow, abiding in them. Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him. These are Allah’s party. Now surely it is Allah’s party who are the successful!”— 58:22
In a state of war between the two parties, friendly relations with the hostile tribes were prohibited, and these would have resulted in great harm to the weaker community of the Muslims. As to those who were not actually engaged in hostilities against the Muslims, it is stated in 60:8: “Allah does not forbid you, with regard to those who do not fight you for religion, nor drive you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly. Surely Allah loves the doers of justice.”
How faith increases:
“Those to whom people said: Surely men have gathered against you, so fear them; but this increased their faith, and they said: Allah is sufficient for us and He is an excellent Guardian. So they returned with favour from Allah and (His) grace; no evil touched them, and they followed the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of mighty grace.”— 3:173-174
When Muslims were greatly outnumbered by their opponents, and people told them to be afraid of their opponents due to their overwhelming numbers, this only increased their faith. The apprehensions of what might happen to them proved groundless.
“He (God) it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith. And Allah’s are the forces of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is ever Knowing, Wise.”— 48:4
Faith combined with knowledge exalts man:
“Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, to high ranks.”— 58:11
Prayer by a generation of the faithful for earlier generations and their own generation:
“And those who come after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who preceded us in faith, and leave no spite in our hearts towards those who believe. Our Lord, surely You are Kind, Merciful.”— 59:10
This verse contains two directions for all future Muslim generations, namely, to pray for the forgiveness of earlier generations that have passed away before them and to pray for their hearts to be free from all spite towards their living Muslim brethren.
www.ahmadiyya.org/blog-ram10/f9.pdf
