Exerting Efforts towards Accomplishing Sincere Righteous Actions (5/5)

In addition, other great righteous actions that increase Iman, which have not yet been mentioned are da'wah to Allah and keeping company with virtuous people.  Because of the importance and great benefit of these two matters in the increase of Iman, its discussion is Imperative.

As for da'wah to Allah and to His religion, consulting each other with the truth and patience, calling to the fundamentals of the religion, to the adherence of its laws by way of ordering the good and forbidding the evil and sincerely advising the Muslims, this is all from the incentives and causes for Iman.

With this, the servant perfects himself and others, as Allah has sworn by time,[1] that the whole genus of humans are in a state of loss except for the one who is categorized with four qualities: Iman and righteous actions, which both constitute the perfection of the self (thirdly) mutual consultation with the truth, which is beneficial knowledge, righteous action and the true religion and (fourthly) mutual consultation with patience in all of this, and with these (last) two, others are perfected.

This is because da'wah to Allah itself and advising His servants are amongst the greatest fortifiers of Iman. The person involved in da'wah has to work to aid this da'wah and establish the proofs and evidences for its realization.  He has to undertake matters from their proper channels and approach issues from their rightful paths. These issues are from the ways and channels of Iman.

Shaykh al-Islam states: “The reason for the presence of Iman and  its  constituents sometimes traces back to  the servant (himself) and at other times back to others, for example, one is destined to interact with someone who invites him to Iman, orders him with good and forbids him from evil. He explains to him the signs of the religion, its proofs and evidences. He shows him what to consider, what befalls him, what to take heed from. In addition (to this), there are many other reasons.”[2]

Furthermore, the reward is always from the same class as the action. So, just as the person strives to perfect his fellow servants, advises them, consults them with truth and to be patience in all this, Allah will most definitely compensate him with rewards similar to his actions. Allah will assist him with a light and spirit from Him and with strength of Iman and tawakkul.

Iman and strong tawakkul on Allah bring about victory over the enemies of the devils of men and jinn as Allah has said: “Verily, he (i.e., Shaytaan) has no power over those who have Iman and put their trust solely on their Lord.”[3]

Moreover, this person is also occupied with aiding the truth and whoever turns to undertake something; then he will most definitely be granted certain triumphs in knowledge and Iman according to his truthfulness and sincerity.

One  who  commands  the  good  and  forbids  the  evil  must therefore remain adherent to truthfulness and sincerity when commanding and forbidding in order for it to bear fruit and produce pure Iman in him as well as those whom he is propagating to. He must also observe wisdom and leniency when inviting, be patient with those whom he is calling and to have knowledge of that which he is calling them to.

If these features are realized within him, his da’wah will bear fruit and benefit by the will of Allah and it will be a cause for the strengthening of his Iman and of those whom he is calling.

As for keeping company with virtuous people, clinging to them, accompanying them and coveting to benefit from them, this is a great cause for the increase of Iman. The reason being that these type of gatherings embody reminder of Allah, fear of Him and His punishment, targheeb, tarheeb and other matters, which are of the greatest of causes towards the increase of Iman.

As Allah says: “And remind, for indeed, reminding benefits the believers.”[4]

Allah also says: “Therefore, remind, in case the reminder benefits; those who  fear  will  remember  and  the  wretched will  avoid it.”[5]

This shows that possessors of believing hearts benefit greatly from reminders and from being in congregations of remembrance. It provokes activity and resolution within them and obligates profit and elevation. This is in stark contrast to gatherings of frivolity and foolishness, for these are immense reasons for the decrease and fading away of Iman.

To this effect, our righteous predecessors were the most concerned with gatherings of remembrance and the most distant from meetings of frivolity and foolishness. Many of their statements that indicate this have preceded, like the accounts of 'Umayr Ibn Habeeb al-Khatmee and Mu'aadh Ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with them.

There is another cause, with which I will end the discussion on these causes, which one must pay attention to and not neglect.

The Muslim has to train and adapt himself to fight everything that causes a decrease, weakness or disappearance of Iman.

“Since, in relation to Iman, just as one must enact all the causes that strengthen and develop Iman, then likewise, in addition to this, one must repel the preventive matters and obstacles (towards the attainment and increase of Iman).

Repelling these are accomplished by the abandonment of disobedience; being repentant of the disobedience one does commit; safeguarding the limbs from the unlawful issues and opposing  the  trials  and  afflictions  of  misconceptions  that weaken the desires of Iman, which are in essence, the desire and love for good. Endeavoring after this can only be accomplished by abandoning desires that (would otherwise) negate those desires (of Iman), such as desire of the soul for evil and by opposing the soul that constantly commands evil.

When the servant preserves himself from falling into the trials and tribulations of misconceptions and desires, his Iman will become complete and his certainty will become strong.”[6]

With Allah, lies all tawfeeq.