Questions: Assalaam,
Question 1) I ‘m not sure whether its a good question or not; but i was wondering: what can i, as a person, do to increase my imaan? you see, in this day in age and society, we who have been born and bred in a muslim family seem to take this BIG chance for granted. I try to read my Salaah as much as i can, and yet, i cannot increase my imaan. i feel as if there is still something missing inside me, but i dont know what it could be… any advice?
Jazakallah…

Question 2) I have another question. i was talking to my friends and realised how much of hypocrite i am. i researched hypocrisy in Islam and apparently the punishment is much severe than kuffaar, as its mixing kuffaar with Islam. i have knowledge of the things that shouldnt be done, yet when i forbid it from other people i end up doing the opposite. for example, lowering the gaze. i know the punishment and what it may lead to, yet i’m there checking out the opposite gender. so my question is, how can i rid myself of this evil habit of hypocrisy? Jazakallah… again…

Question 3) Final question (sorry).
during the last year i was commiting many filthy sins such as looking at rude things and neglecting Salaah. AlhamduLillah, i have been reading As-Salaah and left the filthy habit(s). my worry is, i had a bad dream that i think i’ll end up going back to my evil ways. even though i do not want this to happen, i feel its coming true as recently i have been almost listening to songs and definitely looking at the opposite gender. now, i feel like i am fighting a battle within myself and it seems to look as if my badness is starting to prevail over my good. i’m even getting dodgy waswaas (evil whispering from shaytaan)!!. i feel like i’m losing the plot! i was just wondering can you give me advice on how i could suppress this inner evil???
Jazakallah… again 🙂

Time: Thursday September 30, 2010 at 1:57 pm

Answers:
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Answer1: Your questions are all good, they are gems and well appreciated. They allow for greater introspection, something we can all use from time to time.

Part of Imaan is that Allah (SWT) places the feeling of wanting to improve in the heart of a believer. If this thought of doing good deeds did not come into you,  you would become arrogant like some modern day deviants who have come to equate themselves with prophets and the like.

Faith can always be increased with appropriate nudging. Your circle of friends must change or be improved. Attend gatherings of the pious. If you live in a remote area, have correspondences with a scholar you trust and care to emulate. This would make you take greater strides towards a more worthy pathway.

Solution 1: Have a routine: For example, do you read quarn everyday for even a few minutes? Read your tasbeeh after salah? Make dua for those close to you? Attend at least one salah at a musjid daily? Practice silence for greater spiritual healing and reformation? Incorporate a new sunnah in your life on a weekly basis? Take care of a needy person to the extent possible? Cook a meal for a loved one? Bring a smile to the young/elder? Refraining from ‘milking’ the system for a fast buck? Etc. My sister/brother, Islam is a way of life, yes, we can all do so much better. And it is great you started your journey, you are more closer than many of us, Ameen.

Observe this well known story of a sahabi that was bathed by angels:

Hanzalah (RA) reports: We were once in the company of Rasulullah  (SAW) when he (SAW) delivered a sermon. Our hearts became tender, our eyes were flowing with tears, and we realized where we stood. I left Rasulullah  (SAW) and returned home. I sat with my wife and children and was humorous with my wife, I felt that the effect of the Rasulullah  (SAW’s) sermon had completely removed from my heart.

Then it occurred to me that I was not what i had claimed to present myself as, and I said to myself, ‘0, Hanzalah! You are a Munafiq.’ I was grieved and I left my home repeating these words in sorrow, Hanzalah has turned Munafiq.

I saw Abu Bakr (RA) coming towards me and I said to him, ‘Hanzalah has turned Munafiq.’ He said, Subhanallah. What are you saying? Hanzalah can never be a Munafiq. I explained to him: when we are with the Rasulullah  (SAW) and listen to his blessed words about Paradise and Hell, we feel as if both are present before our very eyes but when we return home and are absorbed in our domestic and family affairs, we forget all about the Hereafter. Abu Bakr (RA) said: my case is exactly the same.

We both went to Rasulullah  (SAW) and I said, I have turned Munafiq, 0 Rasool of Allah. I repeated what I had said to Abu Bakr (RA). Thereafter Rasulullah  (SAW) remarked: by Him Who controls my life, if you could keep up for all times the vigor in you when you are with me, angels would greet you in your walks and in your beds. But, 0, Hanzalah! This is rare. This is rare!

Answer 2: When you see a person that you should not be seeing (zina), ask yourself the following: am I prepared to trade the glance of that which is haram  in exchange for that which is halal for me to view in the hereafter? Every act is a trade, and the Hadith states it well, we get up each morning allowing our limbs to indulge in a trade. We sell one thing for another. Thus, we sell our hands short when we touch haram. We sell our tongue short when we talk rudely to people. Likewise, we sell our greater vision of the hereafter in exchange of seeing things that do not benefit us much in this world. Have this in the back of your mind and InshaAllah you shall improve.

Answer3: Quaran states: salah helps remove lots of filth. Your salah has helped you. Shaytan brings fear in you and temps you. One way shaytan tempts a person is through music, for music builds hypocrisy upon the heart. Form a penalty system for yourself, every song you listen to would call for you to give a dollar to the poor person, every haram glace would call for 2 euro penalty to a person you had an evil thought of, etc.

Additionally, try and spend time in the path of Allah by joining people that talk good, preach good and practice good. Start to mentor youth in your area, this would make you want to be the best example in all your matters.

Overall, you are doing better than many others. The best amongst us are those that know they are doing wrong, they do not defend it nor do they pick on others, yet they seek to improve. May Allah (SWT) make more of us like you, in that we realize good for good, and the bad for its evil, so we can continue to improve.

Allah Certainly Knows Best.