Bilal Philips – The Best In Islam #18 – Faith (2 of 3)
AI: Summary ©
The importance of faith in Islam is discussed, with a focus on the goal of teaching principles behind actions and values to children. The importance of good moral character and avoiding distraction is emphasized, along with the importance of faith in building a healthy person. The success of Islam is highlighted, with a focus on the fruit of faith and patient mindset. The importance of patient and continuous practice is emphasized, along with the need for patient faith in action to achieve life fulfillment.
AI: Summary ©
So that's why they Kumar Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh. I'd like to welcome your dear viewers to another in our series, the best in Islam. And in this series, as you know, we look at what Allah and His Messenger have described as being the best.
What is good? What is better with regards to our actions,
our
places,
objects, instructions,
all from the Islamic perspective, especially with things concerning Islam, what is the best? What is best? So, Allah and His Messenger, have defined so many of these things for us.
And
being aware of them,
can no doubt improve our lives because this is the whole purpose of looking at all of this is
not merely to have heard, to have a piece of knowledge.
So we can say yes, I know. But
to have internalized that knowledge, and acted upon it. In our previous episode, we spoke about faith being the best deeds, faith in the law, in particular, because you can have faith in many different things. But faith in the law is the best possible deed, deed of the heart.
And we said, jihad in the path of Allah is the Best External deeds, putting one's life on the line for God in this session,
we are now going on to look at another characteristic of what is best with regard to faith. Talk about a Bernama
quoted Allah's Messenger as saying,
of the little movement in Eman. ACEN, home colocar.
The best believers, according to their faith, are those with the best character, the best believers according to their faith, if we're talking about matters of faith,
and faith is best. But amongst those who have faith, who are the best, it is those who have the best character. And this is in keeping with and consistent with
the importance of moral character in Islam. We have said on more than one occasion that the transformation which should take place from practicing Islam, which should be expressed in one's behavior, it makes the issues of good moral character, the most important issues that we
should consider and should focus on when we're teaching Islam to children, young people, etc. Rather than focusing on the details of memorizing lists of things,
we should focus more on the principles. What is the goal of this? What are we supposed to get out of it, so that people don't look at Islam and its principles
as merely rituals, something which God wants from us. So we're doing it because God wants to trouble us. It is better that we teach the principles behind
the various acts that were instructed to do or not to do so that we understand that these principles are all for our benefit.
Because, of course, we'd all know that Allah doesn't need
our act when he ends
instructs us to pray does not because he needs to be worshipped.
But because we need to worship Him. So that concept needs to be clear. Because when people think of it as a law needing our worship, and they go, why does the law need our worship? Anyway? This ripples raise that question, because he doesn't, he doesn't need our worship, the prescription of worship is for us, we are the ones who need to worship. So when
Islam stresses,
that the best of faith
lies
in good moral character, it is focusing on the essence, focusing on the goals
as opposed to talking about the external
aspects, the rights and the rituals, it is focusing on the essence, good character, it is the goal of Islam, to create
good human beings,
righteous human beings, honest, just human being the best of humankind. That is the goal. The goal of Islamic teachings is to create the best human being possible. And being the best. It will mean that individual would have the best character, if we judge people as good
by how they deal with us. If they deal with us well, nicely, properly, then we say such and such as a good person, if they deal with us badly, unfairly, unjustly, etc, we said this person is a bad person. That's how we judge people according to their behavior, how they deal with us. So
if Islam is the right religion, the right way, then those who profess it should be of the best character. But that can only take place
if they have knowledge, of the goals of Islam, and not merely
ritual knowledge, of the customs and traditions,
rites and rituals. So,
when Allah tells us through His Messenger,
that those who are best in faith
are those with the best character, he is connecting the two,
connecting the concept with the consequence of that concept, reminding us of what the goals of worshiping Him are. Because faith is about
believing in God, and living in accordance with that belief. When we live in accordance with that belief, we worship God in all of the aspects of our lives. We worship God, whether we at work at play with family, with friends, neighbors, all of it becomes worship of God. So we should be very wary and very conscious of our character.
How we treat people, because ultimately,
that is what determines who really is best in faith. Not how many hedges you make, or how many Ramadan's you fasted, or how much is the catch you have given?
How many prayers you have made salah, but how you have treated those around you justly? Fairly, honestly, kindly, mercifully, have you treated them in this way?
Or have you been unjust, unkind, evil, merciless, then
what you had wasn't faith, but only knowledge of faith? Was that your viewers? We're coming to an end of this segment of the best in Islam.
And in this segment, we have been looking at the best of faith. What constitutes the best of faith? It's best if it is
in the law. Not
In other than Allah, and it's best if it is applied faith and not merely theory. So we'll see you in sha Allah in the next segment. So now while they come, we're not going to lie here over a cattle.
A Salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
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Welcome back from the break. And we were looking at in the early part of the episode on the best in Islam. We're looking at faith in action. And that was expressed in good character. We said, as the Prophet SAW Salem had related to us, the best believers, according to their faith are those with the best character. Now we're going to look at another statement of the Prophet Muhammad wa sallam, which is an expression of it in another area. But it's still talking about belief in action. makan, had been ESR and the mayor had been a lazy, most quoted the Prophet may God's peace and blessings be upon him and saying of the little Imani a sub row was some aha, the best aspect of faith is patience
and tolerance. So, here again,
the focus is on the consequence of faith, that it should produce in the individual patience and tolerance. Why? Because
if one believes
sincerely if one believes that Allah, Allah is in control of everything,
and that whatever happened, happens in accordance with His will is what he is permitted, and that he wants the best for us.
So whatever occurs no matter how bad it might seem, there is good in it for us, though we can't grasp it. If we have that. Understand
Finding that faith,
then naturally we would be patient. When calamity strikes, we wouldn't be able to be patient
who would have that? sober, no doubt. But because of the fact that our faith is weak, the trust in the law is in shambles. Then when calamity strikes, we ask why? Why does this happen? Why should this happen? Why is it happening to me, I don't deserve this all kinds of statements, we end up saying, because of our weakness of faith. So true faith will produce patients, a patient believer who is able to handle the trials of life, he or she understands when Allah said,
you may love something, and it's not good for you. You may hate something, and it's good for you. Allah knows, and you don't know, a believer in knowledgeable believer internalizes that. So when you love things, you want them, you pray to God, at night, in tahajud, day after day, every day, you do that for a month, and you say, God's not hearing my prayers. I'm praying, why is he listening? Why isn't he answering my prayers? Again, you are assuming that what you're praying for is good for you. That's what you're assuming. But do you really know that that's good for you. So the fact that Allah didn't give you is not in fact, the better thing, rather than giving it to you? Do you know that? Of
course you don't.
But when you have correct faith, you trust in Allah, God, just trust that whatever he has decided for you is what is best. And you can be patient, you pray, you see, it's not coming. You understand from that, oh, Allah, that this is not really good for me. So let me seek something else. You look elsewhere. And it's just a smooth transition, you just shift from one thing to another, you're trying to do that. You see, it's not working out. You accept Allah's decision, and move on, try something else. Your life is much more peaceful, much more calm. You're not constantly going from one frustration to another frustration, from depression, to you know,
crazy happiness. You're just bipolar, one end to the other. This is not a true believer. A true believer is patient and patient. Not only with handling difficulty, because actually, patients with handling difficulty is much more
easy than patients in handling is. Patients in handling is the real trial. Everybody can be patient in difficulty can be I'm not saying they are. But they can be
if they think logically,
where impatience is not going to do anything, banging your head against the wall, again and again and again. What is it going to do? Nothing. So better, you just stop. That's just common sense.
But now, patience in doing the good. Then being regular with your morning prayers, praying continually
staying on it. That is the struggle. That is the biggest struggle, the greatest struggle, patience in doing righteous deeds. Because there's so many forces against it, making you feel lazy. Oh, maybe I can do it tomorrow. Instead, procrastination,
people around you Oh, you don't need to be doing all of that.
All kinds of forces, which will weaken your will to continue to do what is right. So patience, and doing righteousness is much more difficult than patience in the time of calamity. So
that quality of patience is something that we all should strive for. Work on. Some people are naturally more patient than others. But we can all learn patience. Prophet Muhammad may God's peace and blessings be upon him and told us may at a sub bar is a beautiful
Long, whoever appears, tries, externally puts on a facade of patience. Though internally, they are impatient, eventually, that will become real, it will be realized, you have done it enough times, you've controlled your actions enough times, then that external patients can become internal patients. And the other
aspect of faith was that of tolerance.
Being
forgiving, people are making mistakes all around us all the time.
If we can't be forgiving,
tolerate their mistakes, then life will be held. That is reality. For a lot of people who explode, get very angry, you know, anger management issues, harm others physically, when they get angry, throw things, hurt others, etc. This is a big, big challenge to be
kind, forgiving, caring,
concerned about others, so much so that we avoid harming them in any way, being tolerant of people and their mistake.
That's why the Prophet Muhammad Solomon said, The believer who mixes with people and bears their harm is better than the believer who doesn't. So being amongst people, rather than running away to a monastery and hiding out, deal with the people
deal with their issues, learn patience, in the midst of struggle. This tolerance, which Islam calls for, is also an expression of faith. Because if we believe that Allah is Most Merciful I rock man. And these are Rahim is Allah for forgiving? The wob the Accepting of repentance?
If we believe all of this about Allah, and this is what we want for ourselves, then surely, we should be striving to express similar with the rest of Allah's creatures, how we treat our wives and our husbands? How we treat our children,
our neighbors, our friends,
how do we relate with them? How are we able to put aside forgive their mistakes? Because they're gonna make mistakes? They're gonna do things which
harmless we suffer from? How do we deal with them?
Do we cut off our relations and Tetra? Or are we tolerant and patient, forgiving,
unkind This is Islam.
And this is faith from the Islamic perspective. Again,
this hadith addresses what it's addressing faith in action, that faith has to be a living concept, a life concept, a way of life.
Not merely a theory, words,
ideas, philosophize about, but a way of life, day to day life relevant to all aspects of our life. No aspect of human life has no Islamic Guidance in it. Islam provides guidance to every aspect of life no matter how minut how simple, how insignificant things might seem. Islam offers guidance everywhere and in everything.
With that, dear viewers, we'd like to thank you for being with us in our program, the best in Islam. And we have looked at in this episode, elements of the best of faith and we spoken at length, about faith in action, the goal of faith. I hope that you have benefited and you will continue to benefit from our programs are we
various episodes. We hope to see you in the episodes to come. With that now we'll bid you farewell Salam alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh