Islam: Faith and Faithfulness

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: One day Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) appeared before the public.

Then a man came to him and said: Prophet of Allah, what is Iman? Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Messengers and that you affirm your faith in the Resurrection hereafter.

He (again) said: Messenger of Allah, what does Islam signify? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Islam signifies that you worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him and you perform the prescribed Prayer and you pay the obligatory poor-rate (Zakah) and you observe the Fast of Ramadan.

He (the inquirer) again said: Messenger of Allah, what does Al-Ihsan (Faithfulness) imply? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, and in case you fail to see Him, then observe that He is seeing you. He (the inquirer) again said: Messenger of Allah, when would there be the Hour of (Doom)? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: The one who is asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer. I, however, shall narrate some of its signs (and these are): When the slave-girl will give birth to her master, when the naked, barefooted would become the chiefs of the people; these are some of the signs of (Doom). (Moreover) when the shepherds of the black (camels) would exalt themselves in buildings, this is one of the signs of (Doom). (Doom) is one of the five (happenings wrapped in the unseen) which no one knows but Allah. Then he (the Messenger of Allah) (may peace be upon him) recited (the verse): Verily Allah! with Him alone is the knowledge of the Hour and it is Him Who sends down the rain and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn tomorrow, and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware He (the narrator, Abu Hurairah) said: Then the person turned back and went away. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Bring that man back to me. They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet present there) went to bring him back, but they saw nothing there. Upon this Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) remarked: He was Gabriel, who came to teach people their religion

[HR Bukhari-Muslim]

Talhah bin 'Ubaidullah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: A person with disheveled hair, one of the people of Najd, came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). We heard the humming of his voice, but could not fully discern what he had been saying, till he came nigh to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). It was then (disclosed to us) that he was asking questions pertaining to Islam. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Five Prayers during the day and night. (Upon this) he said: Am I obliged to perform any other (Prayer) besides these? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, except that which you observe voluntarily, out of your own free will; and fasting the month of Ramadan. The inquirer said: Am I obliged to fast anything else besides this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, except that which you observe out of your own free will. And the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) told him about the Zakah (poor-rate). The inquirer said: Am I obliged to pay anything else besides this? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No, except that which you pay voluntarily out of your own free will. The man turned back and said: I would neither make any addition to this, nor will I decrease anything out of it. The Prophet remarked: He is successful, if he is truthful in what he affirms

[HR Bukhari-Muslim]

Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: We were forbidden to ask Allah's Messenger about anything (without the genuine need). It, therefore, pleased us that an intelligent person from the dwellers of the desert should come and ask him (the Holy Prophet) and we should listen to it. A man from the dwellers of the desert came (to the Holy Prophet) and said: Muhammad, your messenger came to us and told us that you claim that Allah had sent you (as a prophet). He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He told the truth. He (the Bedouin) said: Who created the heaven? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Allah. He (the Bedouin again) said: Who created the earth? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Allah. He (the Bedouin again) said: Who raised these mountains and who created in them whatever is created there? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Allah. Upon this he (the Bedouin) remarked: By Him Who created the heaven and created the earth and raised mountains thereupon, has Allah (in fact) sent you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. He (the Bedouin) said: Your messenger also told us that five Prayers (had been made) obligatory for us during the day and night. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He told you the truth. He (the Bedouin) said: By Him Who sent you, is it Allah Who ordered you about this (i.e. Prayers)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. He (the Bedouin) said: Your messenger told us that Zakah had been made obligatory in our riches. He (the Holy Prophet) said: He has told the truth. He (the Bedouin) said: By Him Who sent you (as a prophet), is it Allah Who ordered you about it (Zakah)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. He (the Bedouin) said: Your messenger told us that it had been made obligatory for us to fast every year during the month of Ramadan. He (the Holy Prophet) said: He has told the truth. He (the Bedouin) said: By Him Who sent you (as a prophet), is it Allah Who ordered you about it (the fasting of Ramadan)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. He (the Bedouin) said: Your messenger also told us that Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the House (of Ka'bah) had been made obligatory for whoever is able to undertake the journey to it. He (the Holy Prophet) said: He has told the truth. The narrator said that he (the Bedouin) set off (at the conclusion of this answer, but at the time of his departure) remarked: By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I would neither make any addition to them nor would I diminish anything out of them. Upon this the Holy Prophet remarked: If he were truthful (to what he said) he must enter Paradise

[Bukhari-Muslim]

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;

Most Gracious, Most Merciful;

Master of the Day of Judgment.

Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek,

Show us the straight way,

The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.

[Quran Al Fatihah:1-7]

Alif Lam Mim.

This is the book; in it is guidance, sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah;

Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them;

And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter.

They are on (true guidance), from their Lord, and it is these who will prosper.

As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).

Of the people there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day;" but they do not (really) believe.

Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realise (it) not!

In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).

When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth," they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"

Of a surety, they are the ones who make mischief, but they realise (it) not.

When it is said to them: "Believe as the others believe," they say: "Shall we believe as the fools believe?" Nay, of a surety they are the fools, but they do not know.

[Quran Al Baqarah:1-13]