Eman – The Message International

During times of hardship, many Muslims ask important questions that unlock great opportunities to do good, to change, and to improve the state of the individual and the global community. One of these insightful questions is, “What are the keys mentioned by Allah that are associated with His Divine support?” And while there are many responses to this question, the following twelve keys serve as an introduction.

1. Strong eman in Allah

We respond to the trials and concerns of life with our worldview, our beliefs about God, and the strength of our eman (belief/faith). Thus, during one of the historical battles, Allah says about the believers’ reaction to a worrisome matter: “When the believers saw the enemy alliance, they said, ‘This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us. The promise of Allah and His Messenger has come true.’ And this only increased them in faith and submission” (Qur’an 33:22). Faith and belief in Allah are associated with trials and success. A person of weak eman, for example, might give up early on during a difficulty rather than enduring.

2. Tawheed: establishing the Oneness of Allah

The early revelations were mostly about the Oneness of God, especially significant because of the prevalent idol-worship of Arabia. Belief in the oneness of God, or tawheed, is associated with success and expansiveness of the ummah. Allah says: “Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land, as He did with those before them; and will surely establish for them their faith which He has chosen for them; and will indeed change their fear into security. They worship Me, associating nothing with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this, it is they who will be the rebellious (Qur’an 24:55).

3. Tawakkul: trusting fully in Allah

One of the greatest traits of believers is their trust in God. “And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He is sufficient for them” (Qur’an 65:3). Allah is sufficient to dispose of one’s affairs as He is greater than one’s worries, anxieties, problems, and enemies. Allah suffices as a protector. Tawakkul, however, is an internal state of worship that is combined externally with taking all measures, such as a student trusting in Allah and also doing their best to study for an exam. An ummah that has trust in Allah does not waver in that trust, no matter how long the trial is prolonged. The early Muslims were referenced likewise in the Qur’an: “Those who were warned, ‘Your enemies have mobilized their forces against you, so fear them,’ the warning only made them grow stronger in faith and they replied, ‘Allah is sufficient as an aid for us and is the best Protector” (Qur’an 3:173).

4. Sabr: perseverance and endurance, especially in times of difficulty

Allah SWT says, “Do you think you will enter Paradise without Allah proving which of you strive and patiently endure?” (Qur’an 3:142). And in another verse, we are told, “O believers! Patiently endure, persevere, be steadfast, and be mindful of Allah, so you may be successful” (Qur’an 3:200).

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (s) said, “Know that there is much good in being patient with what you detest; victory will come with patience, relief will come with affliction, and ‘with the hardship will come ease’ [94:5]’” (Musnad Aḥmad).

5. Taqwa: God-consciousness

Taqwa is to have a sense of cautiousness out of love for Allah, fear of breaking His laws and thus staying away from acts that lead to sinfulness. Allah says, “And whoever is mindful [has taqwa] of Allah, He will make a way out for them, and provide for them from sources they could never imagine” (Qur’an 65:2-3).

6. Supporting the religion of Allah

One of the greatest signs of real submission to Allah is that one seeks divine support by obeying Allah’s commands and staying away from His prohibitions. Allah gives a clear promise in the Qur’an: “Believers, if you aid Allah, He will come to your aid and will plant your feet firmly” (Qur’an 47:7). This may apply at times to situations where the companions were defending their lives in the battlefield, but this is a general promise for believers until the end of times. If we support Islam, practice it in private and public, in rituals and good character, Allah promises divine support and firmness.

7. Istiqaamah: steadfastness

Being steadfast is an integral part of Islam. The first step is submission, the second is steadfastness upon submission. It is linked to success and true worship, and it is a reminder given to the Prophet (s) and the Muslims — “So be steadfast as you are commanded, along with those who turn [to Allah] with you. And do not transgress. Surely, He is All-Seeing of what you do” (Qur’an 11:112). And in another verse: “Surely those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remain steadfast—there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve” (Qur’an 46:13).

8. Unity for the sake of Allah

In a time of great division, there is an absolute need to unite as believers, to work together, to learn how to prioritize unity over ideological differences, group rivalries, personal agendas, or any other consideration. “Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute with one another, or you would be discouraged and weakened. Persevere! Surely Allah is with those who persevere” (Qur’an 8:46).

9. Du’a and full conviction in His response

An essential act of worship is du’a (to call upon Allah), and it is linked to other acts of worship for the believers. It’s an act that represents a powerful relationship between Master and servant, Creator and creation. And it is the weapon and fortress of the believer. Allah says to those who doubt their du’a is heard, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you” (Qur’an 40:60). Du’a, though, is not answered only on our terms, according to our timeline, or in the manner we think is best based on our limited knowledge and wisdom. Du’a, so long as you don’t ask for anything prohibited, is accepted, but the Muslim is required to be sincere, humble, persistent, patient, grateful, and fully believing in the acceptance of the du’a. No sincere du’a goes unanswered.

10. Establishing prayer and dhikr (remembrance of God)

There are two interesting verses in Surat Taha that offer different commands. First, Allah commands the Muslims, “Do not let your eyes crave what We have allowed some of the disbelievers to enjoy, the
splendor of this worldly life, which We test them with. But your Lord’s provision is far better and more lasting” (Qur’an 20:131). In other words, don’t let this world deceive you, and do not desire what the disbelievers have of worldly things. Worldly success – material or political – is not a sign of success in the afterlife or one’s standing with God. That is not the nature of this world. Do not lose your divine support from God by craving what others have of this world, especially disbelievers who are being tested with their wealth and will be held accountable for it.

Immediately after this verse, Allah commands something greater than worldly materialism: “Bid your people to pray and be diligent in it. We do not ask you to provide. It is We Who provide for you. And the ultimate outcome is for the righteous” (Qur’an 20:132).

11. Using all economic and physical means for victory

There is a specific historical context to the following verse so beware of taking it out of context, and yet there is a timeless lesson from it as well in terms of strategizing what actions to take after having established the prayer and being diligent about its importance. Think of the early Muslims who were attacked in Madinah, preparing constantly by turning to Allah who reminded them to prepare physically and financially against those coming to harm them. He said, “Prepare against them what you can of power and cavalry to deter Allah’s enemies and your enemies as well as other enemies unknown to you but known to Allah. Whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be paid to you in full and you will not be wronged. If the enemy is inclined towards peace, make peace with them. And put your trust in Allah. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (Qur’an 8:60). This verse is a reminder to take all measures possible, so long as they are permissible, legal, and pleasing to Allah, and do not limit yourself to prayer and optimism. Furthermore, peace is enjoined when the enemy genuinely inclines to peace; in other cases, however, there are structural injustices and a lack of true peace, and people can be deceived by those committing injustices and human rights violations while claiming to champion peace.

12. Repentance

One of the most alarming verses for sinners and people who spread corruption is to know that their actions have consequences worldwide, and that their evil causes more corruption and evil to spread. Allah says, “Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste some of their deeds and perhaps they might return [to Him]” (Qur’an 30:41). This verse also makes it clear that only a fraction of consequences is experienced in this world, and it is for the purpose of people reflecting and returning to God. Some people wake up in times of hardship, globally, locally, or personally, and others double down on their arrogance and distance from God.

Repentance, on the other hand, is a cause of additional relief from hardships, and a source of success in this life and the next. “Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful” (Qur’an 24:31).

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas reported: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are tested most severely?’
The Messenger of Allah said, ‘They are the prophets, then the next best, then the next best. A man is put to trial according to his religion. If he is firm in his religion, his trials will be more severe. If he is weak in his religion, he is put to trial according to his strength in religion… The servant will continue to be put to trial until he is left walking upon the earth without any sin’” (Tirmidhi).

We must not misunderstand — Allah hates oppressors and the act of oppression. However, it is the sunnah/laws of this world that things operate beyond our understanding in terms of divine wisdom and some people leave this world by being killed as martyrs. But we have to do our part and persevere. “And persevere! Certainly, Allah does not discount the reward of the good-doers” (Qur’an 11:115).

May Allah the Exalted bring down His swift justice, deliver mercy to those suffering in the world, and use us to facilitate justice and relief for others.

Almost all of us have experienced times in our lives when our trust in Allah or obedience to Him are weaker than they should be. Sometimes extremely difficult challenges distract and upset us, making worship seem more burden than blessing. Other times we’re so caught up in enjoying our blessings that we become complacent and ungrateful, forgetting how desperately we need to embrace our deen, even in the good times. No matter what the cause of our eman slump, we need to find a way out.

This dunya, with all of its pain and pleasure, is temporary. We should not waste a single moment that could be spent earning Allah’s pleasure. When we feel ourselves slipping into a slump, we must learn to identify it, pick ourselves up, and get back to our purpose – worshiping Allah to the best of our ability. Here are some tips for when you feel like your faith is weak.

Remember: a dip in Eman does not make you a bad person, or a hopeless case.

Even the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the most perfect Muslim and the most beloved by Allah, worried and prayed about the steadfastness of his heart. He realized that humans are imperfect, changeable, and weak. In an authentic hadith, we learn that Shahr bin Hawshab said: “I said to Umm Salamah (wife of Prophet Muhammad): ‘O Mother of the Believers! What was the supplication that the Messenger of Allah said most frequently when he was with you?’ She said, ‘The supplication he said most frequently was, “O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion’” (al-Tirmidhi).

The second we feel hopelessness or doubts creeping in, we should make the same supplication as our beloved Prophet. Knowing that weakness is part of being human can help us be gentle with ourselves. It also reminds us that a strong eman is not something to take for granted; it is a gift from Allah that we must cherish and nurture.

Find Solace: Allah has not abandoned you.

An eman slump often goes hand-in-hand with feelings of helplessness or despair. A vicious cycle begins when we feel too sad or lethargic to keep up with our Islamic duties, then guilty and ashamed when we avoid our responsibilities, and then even more despondent. The most important thing to remember in our times of weakness is that Allah SWT has not abandoned us. He never will. He is closer to us than the jugular vein, no matter how distant we feel from Him.

While we may have strayed from Him, He has not gone anywhere. He is eagerly waiting for us to reconnect with Him. We might have been lazy, sinful, unmotivated, or struggling, but He is constant, perfect, and perpetually loving. His mercy outweighs our ingratitude, and His forgiveness is more powerful than our sins. He is always eagerly awaiting our repentance and allowing us opportunities to make a U-turn, no matter how far we’ve traveled in the wrong direction.

Shaytaan is devious. He wants to make us think that we’re beyond hope, that our weak eman has taken us too far from our Lord, and that we should just give up. Every time a nagging voice inside us says that we’ve sinned too much, skipped too many prayers, grown too distant from our Lord, we need to know this first and foremost: Allah’s mercy is so vast that He can and will forgive our sins. It is our duty to repent sincerely and start making efforts, even if this means starting with baby steps.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) has told us that Allah the Almighty said: “O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it” (al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad ibn Hanbal).

Take Action: The best way to reconnect with Allah is through acts of worship.

While our five daily prayers are the bedrock of our duties, there are voluntary acts that help us connect to Him. At the first sign of an eman slump, take action:

Qur’an — Read the Qur’an and let Allah’s words be a balm for your soul. Listen to the recitation that you enjoy most. Replace television, podcasts, music, or other forms of distraction with Qur’an and see how peaceful you will start to feel.
Gratitude — When times are tough, there are still many things to be grateful for. Make a list of things you want to thank Allah for, especially the multitude of basic things we take for granted.
Praise — Making dhikr by saying “subhanAllah, alhamdullilah, and Allahu akbar” or “la ilaha illa Allah” or “subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi” can bring us nearer to our Lord. The Prophet said: “Allah says: ‘I am as My slave thinks of me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better gathering; and if he draws one span nearer to Me, I draw one cubit nearer to him; and if he draws one cubit nearer to Me, I draw a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running’” (Ḥadīth Qudsi, Bukhari).
Istighfar — Saying astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah) is a wonderful way to find relief and happiness. Asking Allah for forgiveness can reduce anxiety, increase inner peace, and facilitate contentment. Istighfar opens the doors of sustenance, mercy, and ease.
Duaa — Ask Allah to help you with everything that is distressing you. He will never tire of our requests, and He will never leave us empty-handed. One beautiful supplication that is useful in many situations is, “O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy. And you can ease sorrow if You wish.” Remember to make duaa for others, as well. Whenever we ask something for our brother or sister in faith, an angel says, “Ameen, and the same to you.”

Finally, whenever you feel you have regained a state of strong eman, consider supporting a brother or sister who seems to be struggling. Offer a smile, a listening ear, financial help, a hot meal, or something that will lessen their burdens a little bit. With your help, they might feel more able to cope with life and spend more time in worship. You might be the one to help them out of their slump, and that is surely pleasing to your Lord. The Prophet told us, “Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and in the Hereafter” (Sahih Muslim).

Tag: Eman

12 Keys to Divine Support