FAITH IS POWER: Man Was Created Weak, Faith Gave Him Strength!

Faith Is Power!

Man Was Created Weak,

Faith Gave Him Strength.

Faith In God

Will Get You Through

Any Crisis!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“Allah would make the burden light for

you, for man was created weak.”

(al-Quran 4:28).

Faith gives you strength! It gives you hope! Faith is the power that makes a man take on Nimrods, Pharaohs and the most vicious tyrants of the time. Faith is the power that keeps a man alive;

--- that keeps a drowning man afloat;

--- that binds a diverse community together; and

--- that holds the nations together in the fight against evil.

“Now has Allah lightened your burden, for

He knows that there is weakness in you. So

if there be of you a steadfast hundred, they

shall overcome two hundred; and if there

be of you a thousand (steadfast), they shall

overcome two thousand by permission of

Allah. Allah is with the steadfast.”

(al-Quran 8:66)

Your Faith is like your house; if the foundation is solid and stable, the house stands in rain and storms. If any part of the house or a wall is damaged, you can fix it or repair it. But if the foundation caves in, the whole house crumbles. A believer’s whole life is built upon Faith. If he/she loses the Faith, his/her life will be shattered.

“Then We strengthened those who believed

against their foe, and they became

the uppermost.”

(al-Quran 61:14)

What is Faith? If you believe that there is a Supreme Creator who originated all creation, a Supreme Commander controlling and running the show of this universe, you are a believer. This is the Faith of Islam – the faith God prescribed for mankind. The True God of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon all of them) is One God worthy of worship. He is the Cherisher, the Sustainer, the Beneficent and the Merciful. This Faith had different names during the times of Moses and Jesus, and even before. But during the period of Muhammad (s.a.w.) it was named Islam by the Almighty.

“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam …”

(al-Quran 3:19)

Islam is the lifestyle that has been prescribed by Allah through the Quran; and it is the lifestyle Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) adopted to show all Muslims that it was practicable in every era if we only wanted to live a simple and peaceful life. Only the stubborn, the ignorant and the misguided people look for the alternatives.

“Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah?

while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have,

willingly or unwilling, bowed to His Will (accepted

Islam), and to Him shall they all be brought back.”

(al-Quran 3:83)

All Prophets and their descendants, as well as followers, submitted to Allah. Islam is defined as “complete surrender (or submission) to the Will of Allah”. The Almighty, sent angel Jibril (Gabriel) to teach Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) the elements of true Faith of Islam. Here’s what Allah tells us in the Holy Quran:

“The Messenger believes in what has been

revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith.

Each one (of them) believes in Allah, His angels, His

books, and His messengers. ‘We make no distinction

(they say) between one and another of His messengers’.

And they say: ‘We hear, and we obey’; (we seek)

your forgiveness, our Lord, and to you

is the end of all journeys."

(al-Quran 2:285)

According to a Hadith, narrated Abu Hurairah:

“One day while the Prophet (s.a.w.) was sitting out with people, a man came to him and asked: “What is Faith (Iman)?”

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied: "Faith is to believe in Allah; His angels; His Messengers; (the) meeting with Him (on Judgment Day); and to believe in the Resurrection."

Then he (the man) further asked: "What is Islam?"

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.), replied: "To worship Allah alone and none else; to perform Salat (prayers); to pay Zakat; and to observe Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadan".

Then he (the man) further asked: "What is Ihsan (perfection)?"

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is watching you."

Then he (the man) further asked: "When will the Hour be established?”

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.) replied: "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents:

1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master.

2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings.

And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w.) then recited (from the Quran):

"Verily, Allah, with Him (alone) is

the knowledge of the Hour”.

(al-Quran 31:34).

After that, the man left and the Prophet (s.a.w.) asked his Companions to call him back, but they could not see anything (him). Then the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

"That was Jibril (Gabriel) who came to teach people their religion.”

Abu Abdullah said: He (the Prophet, s.a.w.) considered all that as a part of Faith (Iman).

(Bukhari, Book 2, Chapter 37, No.50):

Jesus Christ on Faith

“Wherefore God, having created before all things His Messenger, gave to him before aught else the faith which is as it were a likeness of God and of all that God has done and said. And so the faithful by faith sees all things better than one sees with his eyes; because the eyes can err; no they do almost always err; but faith errs never, for it has for foundation God and His word. Believe me that by faith are saved all the elect of God. And it is certain that without faith it is impossible for any one to please God.” – Jesus  Christ. (From the Gospel of Barnabas).

Our Merciful Creator reminds us in many places in the Quran that He created us weak; then strengthens us; and then again (during our old age) He’ll make us weaker till our death. A wise person cannot ignore these phases of human life.

“Allah is He Who shaped you out of weakness,

then appointed after weakness strength, then,

after strength, appointed weakness and grey

hair. He creates what He will. He is the

Knower, the Mighty.”

(al-Quran 30:54)

“He whom we bring unto old age, We reverse him

in creation (making him go back to weakness after

strength). Have you then no sense?”

(al-Quran 36:68)

If you have faith in your heart, you are a strong person! Numbers matter to the weaker people. Those whose faith is pure and strong, they don’t care about numbers. They know that they have the Almighty’s support in every situation. The believers are always stronger than the faithless (unbelievers). Allah says:

“There was a token for you in two hosts which met:

One army fighting in the way of Allah, and another

disbelieving, whom they saw as twice their number,

clearly, with their very eyes. Thus Allah strengthens

with His succour whom He will. Lo, herein verily

is a lesson for those who have eyes.”

(al-Quran 3:13)

“And remember, when you were few and reckoned

feeble in the land, and were in fear lest men should

extirpate you, how He gave you refuge, and strengthened

you with His help, and made provision of good things

for you, that haply you might be thankful.”

(al-Quran 8:26)

Remembrance of Allah, the Supreme Creator, through prayer and study of the Quran, is the best source of strengthening one’s faith and boosting his confidence. Those who are faithful believers, Allah promises them strength and prosperity in this world, in addition to the success and forgiveness in the Hereafter. Here’s His promise:

“You will not find folk 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 brethren or their clan. As for such, He has

written faith upon their hearts and has strengthened

them with a Spirit from Him, and He will bring them

into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein

they will abide. Allah is well pleased with them, and

they are well pleased with Him. They are Allah's party.

Lo, is it not Allah's party who are the successful?”

(al-Quran 58:22)

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