As earlier discussed there is a difference
between Islam and Imaan as clearly mentioned in Hadith. There are
stages of belief the lowest level the middle stage and the highest
stage of Imaan called Ihsan which can only be attained after a lot of
sacrifice known as struggle or Mujahidah. This is why the Prophet
instructed all the people to the effect that “ If any one of you sees
evil thing he/she should change it with the use of his hands, if he
cannot let him talk and if he cannot let him feel it as evil in his
heart and this is the lowest level of one’s Imaan.” Therefore if a
person is seeing evil and does not make any effort to change it then
he should check his heart to find out whether he has some iota of
Imaan or not. The least a person can do is to feel it as evil in his
heart then it means he has some Imaan although is of the lowest
category so the heart is a kind of thermometer or barometer of
checking one’s Imaan.
This lowest degree of Imaan will
ultimately help a person come out from the Hell after he was consigned
in the Fire of Jahannam. It is said those who have no Imaan at all
will abide in it for ever the reason was clearly given in the Quran
and Hadith of the Prophet. In the Quran Allah says in Surah Hijr “It
may be that those who disbelieve wish ardently that they were Muslims”
.It said when all people consigned in Hell were there suffering
Muslims and the Non-Muslims alike then the Non-Muslims would be
taunting the Muslims as their Imaan had not helped them as both were
suffering in Hell then Allah would order the Angels to take out from
Hell anybody who has got an iota of Imaan which was quoted in the
above Verse. So this is why Imaan is so important for every Muslim who
is striving to live with that Imaan and die with the same Imaan. It
would be most unfortunate if one loses Imaan and die in that state of
affairs. As shown clearly from this Verse even the Muslims can go to
Hell for their sins only they would be taken out from there after
years of suffering. However we should remember imprisonment in Hell is
not the same kind of imprisonment in this World. There a person could
be sent to prison for thousands of years and the years of the Akhirah
Life hereafter is not like our own years. One Day of the Life
hereafter would be equivalent to One thousand years as stated by the
Quran. It is said in Hadith if a person misses his Salat (prayers)
deliberately he can end up in Jahannam for a period of one Huqb which
is equivalent to eighty years of the Hereafter. Each year is of 360
days and a day would equal one thousand years of this World. So
imagine how long would a person suffer for deliberately missing one
Salat. How about those brothers and sisters who skip so many Salats?
What would be the fate in the Hereafter of such people? Allah save us
in His Infinite Mercy Amen! This is why so many times Allah has told
us to establish Salah. Although we are not here to discuss this matter
the main purpose of the discussion is to prove to us the difference
between Imaan and Islam. As mentioned earlier every Mumin Believer is
a Muslim but not vice-versa i.e. every Muslim to be a Mumin. It is
pertinent for every one to make effort to achieve the degree of Imaan
accordingly which could save him from committing sins ultimately
landing him/her in Jahannam consigned there for ages. The word Huqb
quoted in the Hadith mentioned above has also been mentioned in the
Quran.. Allah has mentioned the plural of this Word in Surah Nabaa
when he described it as Ahqaabaa…” Labisina fiha Ahqaba” meaning they
will dwell therein for ages as the Hell is place of Ambush For the
transgressors a place of destination. So in short every person has to
make effort by himself as no one will defend on the other to save
himself. He says in Surah Taubah “And say (to them O Muhammad) Act!
Allah will behold your actions and (so will) His Messenger and the
believers and you will be brought back to the knower of the invisible
and the visible and He will tell you what you used to do. Therefore
pretending and doing things contrary to what Allah says will not avail
a person as he cannot deceive Allah and the believers but only
deceiving himself. Only Allah is so Merciful otherwise if He were to
take us to task He would not allow a single animal to walk on the
surface of the earth for what we all do. He again says “If Allah were
to hasten on for men the ill (that they have earned) as they would
hasten on the good their respite would already have expired. But We
let those who look not for meeting with Us to wander blindly in their
contumacy. Therefore do not think if Allah does not punish evil liver
and he continues doing his evil then that is good for that person as
if Allah watches him not. He is only giving him more time and chances
to realise his evil so he can turn to his Creator in repentance and
Allah is ever forgiving Merciful. Unfortunately if we see people
committing sins in our midst we should try to advise them to desist
from such evil in the interest of the Society otherwise we will all
suffer the consequence of such evil. So this is why the Hadith of
Munkar which differentiates the degree of people’s Imaan is often
quoted to stress the importance of such Imaan by many people. But we
should not forget ourselves as Allah has said “do you command people
to be righteous and forget yourselves while you read the Book don’t
you have sense?” So Imaan is not something we only utter by our
tongues but it must be followed by actions as they say actions speak
louder than words. So talking and discussing about Deen without action
is nothing but sheer hypocrisy. Allah says “And of mankind there is he
whose conversation on the life of this world pleases you and he calls
Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart yet he is the most
contentious of opponents. And when he turns away everywhere (his aim)
is to spread mischief and destroys crops Allah loves not mischief.” So
exactly this is what the hypocrites do from time immemorial up to this
time. They will not see the evil which they do and even if they are
reminded due to arrogance they would not listen so this is why Allah
says: “When it is said to him Fear Allah pride takes him to sin (i.e.
committing the crime).Then what shall we do with such people Allah
mentions “ Hell will settle his account an evil resting place”
concluded our Creator. So Imaan is something which every one has to
make effort to achieve as no one would help one another in the
Hereafter. Everyone would be busy with himself son will not help his
father neither the mum can help daughter nor brother with his brother
and friends and friends would all be enemies except if they have Taqwa
Fear of Allah. Therefore from the points discussed above we can
differentiate between a true believer and a false one although both of
them are Muslims but one is only by name and the other not only by
name but also by action. So to be complete follower of the Prophet we
must take whatever he gives us and desist from any thing he asked us
to avoid. A Hadith says no body can be a true believer unless his
desires are subjected to what I (Prophet) brought. Once a person
achieves certain degree of Imaan you would see that he is acting
differently from the so called pretenders who don’t want subject their
desires to what the Prophet brought. May Allah make us among true
Mumineen who would fulfil the covenant which we covenanted with our
Creator Allah (S.W.T) so as to achieve the ever lasting Bliss awaiting
every true believer in the Life of the Hereafter which is for ever. We
should use the last days of Ramadan to amend our lives for the better
before it is too late as this is the Month of Taqwa Self-Rectification
if we don’t attain Taqwa in this Month then it would be very
unfortunate we don’t blame anybody but ourselves and the consequence
of our evil would be so disastrous both in this life and our final
abode the Hereafter.
Wa Akhiri Daawana Anil Hamdu Lillahi
Rabbil Alameen..
