All praise is to Allah, the Lord Of The Creation. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Owner of the Day of Recompense. Who blessed us being the Ummah of His Beloved Rasool Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam. Who sanctified our hearts with the Love and Affection towards His Beloved Rasool Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam. Who blessed us with the most precious treasure of Iman (Faith). Countless Salutations, Peace, and Blessings be upon the Cream of the Creation… Mercy for all Worlds… Seal of the Prophets Sayyiduna wa Maulana MuHammadur Rasool ALLAH Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam, His Blessed Parents, His entire Family, His Progeny, His Companions and all those who follow Him!!

In the present era, It is really being felt that people must get aware of the Value of Iman and to know what Iman really is? Especially when the Thieves and Robbers of Iman are everywhere putting the garb (attire) of the Scholars of Islam, Aalim, Mufti, Hafiz, Teacher, Imam, Doctor, Professor etc. Who are continuously cropping the deviations and confusions in the minds of a common Muslims who in their ignorance get deceived by the Insolent and Corrupt Creeds. May ALLAH guide us on the Straight Path!

Following are Golden Words by the Great Mujaddid AlaHadrat Ash-Shah Imam Ahmad Rida Khan al-Qadiri that will surely help us to understand the true meaning of Iman insha ALLAH!

What is Imaan?
Iman is to accept every word of Sayyiduna Rasool Allah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam as absolute and nothing else but truth and to testify whole-heartedly the reality and truth of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam.

One who observes the above would be called a Muslim, that is, if any of his words, actions or conditions does not reject, insult or falsify Almighty Allah and His Rasool SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. His relationship with Almighty Allah and His Rasool SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam must be above all other relationships. He must love and respect all those who are the beloved of Almighty Allah and His Rasool SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam even though that person may be his enemy. He must disrespect and hate all those who disrespect and hate Almighty Allah and His Rasool SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam even if that person may be his beloved son. Whatever he gives should be for Almighty Allah and whatever he abstains from must be for Almighty Allah. Such a person Iman is known as “Kamil” or “Complete”.

Sayyiduna RasoolAllah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam states:
“One who loves for Allah hates anyone because of Allah, spends for Allah, and holds back for Allah, then, indeed, he has completed his Iman.” [Sunan Abi Dawood, Vol 2, Page 632 – Hadith 4681]

The Value of Iman
Until such a time a person does not love and respect the exalted Nabi SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, even though that person worships all his life, his worship is fruitless and rejected. Numerous Jogees, Monks and Hermits take to seclusion and spend their lives in the Remembrance of Almighty Allah. Some of them even indulge in the Zikr of “La ilaha illal lah” (There is no god but Allah), but they do not respect and love Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. What benefit is such Ibadah? Almighty Allah states in the Holy Quran:

“And We turned all the deeds they had performed into scattered floating specks of dust.” [Furqan 25:23]

In another verse concerning such worshipers, Almighty Allah states:

“Laboring, striving hard. (Yet) Going into the blazing fire.” [Ghashiyah 88:3/4]

Say, O Muslims! Does the dependence of Iman, serenity, survival, and acceptance of deeds depends on the love and respect for the glorious Prophet of Allah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam or not? Say “YES” and certainly, YES!

The Validity of Iman on Two Important Points
(A) Respect for Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and
(B) To love him above all creation within the universe.

The correct method to put this to test is to see that all those whom you love and respect, for example, Father, Teacher, Children, Brother, Murshid, Molvi, Mufti, Hafiz, Lecturer, Imam, or Friends, etc., if they at any time show the slightest disrespect for the Station of Sayyiduna Muhammadur Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, then there must not remain an atom of love and respect for that person in your heart. Such an insolent person should be totally severed from family and community. His name should cause great discomfort to you. His knowledge or status should be absolutely rejected and discarded. After all, your respect and connection with him were due to his respect for Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. Now that he insults the very reason for respect what more is left to have any reason to respect such an audacious person.

On the other hand, if you accepted or observed silence to his insult to Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, kept good friends with him, did not regard him as wretched, shameless and mean-spirited and liked his condemnation, the, by Allah, with great justice, analyze where do you stand in the test of Iman!

Dear Muslims! Is it possible that the heart that contains the love and honor of the master of the universe, Sayyiduna Muhammad SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, could ever tolerate insults to him, though it may be his Ustaz, Murshid or father? Would the heart that extremely loves the Holy Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam above all creation, ever respect or love one who belittles the unique and faultless Prophet of Allah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, even though it may be his own child or intimate friend?

Brothers and Sisters in Islam! The reason for showing respect to a learned scholar or Alim is that he is a Waris (Inheritor) to the Knowledge of Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. Is that person the Waris of Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam or is that person a Shaitan who goes astray from the path of righteousness? In the former, his respect was the respect of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and, in the latter, his respect was for Shaitan. This is the case when an alim goes astray, like the Ulema of un-Islamic belief. Then, what can be said about that person who commits Kufr? To regard such a person as Alim-e-Deen is Kufr itself!

A million regrets on him who claims to be a Muslim but respects and regards his Ustaz greater than Almighty Allah and His Rasool SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. O Allah! With the true respect and mercy of your beloved Habeeb SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam, grant us true Iman. Ameen!

Steadfastness in Belief
Salvation depends on the fact that every single belief of the Ahle Sunnah Wa Jamah be so firm that one will remain firm even is the sky and the earth vanishes. One must have great fear for his belief at all times. The Ulama of Islam state that:

“One who does not fear that his Iman may be taken away would be stripped of his Iman at the time of death.”

Sayyiduna Umar Faruq (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu) states:
“If a voice calls out from the sky that all the people of the earth are forgiven but one, I would fear that the one would be me, and if the voice calls out that all the people on earth are dwellers of Hell but one, I will hope that the one is me.”

The status of “Khouf” (Fear) and “Raja” (Hope) must have a balance as displayed by Sayyiduna Umar Faruq (Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu).

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All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. May we live in this World with extreme protection of Iman and leave this world having our Iman safe and sound. May ALLAH keep us away from the tricks and hypocrisy of hypocrites; May ALLAH guides us to the path of those whom HE has favored. Keep us safe and away from those who have earned HIS anger and of those who have gone astray… Aameen!!

by AlaHadrat Ash-Shah Imam Ahmad Rida Khan Qadiri al-Baraylawi Alaihir raHmah