Signs that your `Imaan needs CPR...
Friday, October 29, 2010 Read more → Advice, faith, islam, masjid, spirituality, top tips In the name of God, entirely Compassionate, especially Merciful | Peace be with you
In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ Peace be with you السلام عليكم
From Islam, a Great Religion
Signs of weak `imaan do not mean you are spiritually dead but that you are flawed and imperfect and must never stop to improving your faith and character. 20 major signs that you need a kung-fu realisation in `imaan are:
1) Committing sins and not feeling any guilt about it.
2) Having a mean and unchanging heart and no desire to read the Qur'an.
3) Feeling too lazy to do good deeds, e.g. being late for salat, pretending to do dhikr.
4) Neglecting the Sunnah - in behaviour, dress, eating, speech etc.
5) Having mood swings, for instance being upset about petty things and bothered and irritated most of the time (this is not a PMS moment, brothers get overly emotional too).
6) Not feeling anything when hearing verses from the Qur'an, for example when Allah warns us of punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
7) Finding difficulty in remembering Allah and making dhikr.
8) Not feeling bad when you see things done against the Shari`ah.
9) Desiring popularity (status) and wealth
10) Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth., asking people for more.
11) Ordering others to do good deeds when not practising them ourselves (this is a form of hypocrisy, it still brings about good but is a sign of weak `imaan).
12) Feeling pleased when things are not progressing for others, getting jealous.
13) Being concerned with only whether something is haram or halal; and not avoiding makruh (disliked) things or not encouraging mustahab (recommended) actions.
14) Making fun of people who do simple good deeds, like cleaning the mosque.
15) Not feeling concerned about the situation of other Muslims.
16) Not feeling the responsibility to do something to promote Islam.
17) Being unable to deal with calamities, for instance crying and yelling in funerals.
18) Wanting to argue just for the sake of arguing without any proof or debating skills.
19) Becoming intensely engrossed and very involved with dunya, worldly things, i.e. feeling really sad when losing material wealth, becoming unemployed etc. Find a balance.
20) Becoming engrossed and obsessive about ourselves (vain and egotistical). In the words of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, "you think you're all that, when in actuality, you're about <this> much of that."
If you feel guilty now, good! This is the first step to making istighfar (seeking forgiveness) which will develop into tawbah (repentance). But before you feel really low...
Listed Below are the Ways to Increase your `Iman:
1) Recite and really THINK about the meanings of the Qur'an. Tranquility then descends and our hearts become humble. To get the optimum benefit, imagine that Allah is speaking to you. People are described in different categories in the Qur'an; think of which one you find yourself in.
2) Start realising the greatness of Allah. If everything is under His control, there are signs in everything that points us to His greatness. Everything happens according to His permission, the wind, rain, your mad driving skills! Allah keeps track and looks after everything, even a black ant on a black rock on a black moonless night.
3) Make an effort to gain knowledge, for at least the basic things in daily life e.g. how to make wudhu properly. Know the meanings behind Allah’s names and attributes. People who have taqwa are those who have knowledge AND carry out that knowledge. Don't be a bookshelf.
4) Attend halaqat, gatherings where Allah is glorified. In such gatherings we are surrounded by angels. Go to the masjid, conferences, or set up your own study circle.
5) We have to increase our good deeds. One good deed leads to another good deed. Allah will make the way easy for someone who gives charity and also make it easy for him or her to do good deeds. Good deeds must be done continuously, not in spurts.
6) We must fear the end to our lives; the remembrance of death is the destroyer of pleasures. When you remember your life is short, temporary you become more aware of what you truly own. Seriously, what are you going to take with you?
7) Remember the different levels of akhirah, the stages after we die - for instance when we are put in our graves, when we are judged, whether we will be in paradise or hell. Think about these things more often.
8) Make du`a more often, not just for yourself but for the Ummah, realise that we need Allah. Be humble. Don’t covet material things in this life. Be a team player.
9) Our love for Allah must be shown in actions. Don't give lip service, 'yes I love Allah, yes I do' - show it. We must hope Allah will accept our prayers, and be in constant fear that we do wrong. At night before going to sleep, we must think about what good we did during that day. Realise the effects of sins and disobedience.
10) Your `imaan is increased with good deeds and your `imaan is decreased by bad deeds. Everything that happens is because Allah wanted it. When calamities hit you - they are also from Allah to purify you (because you were wrong). It is a direct result of our disobedience to Allah.
Share this with others. Read again. Give your soul CPR and En-gage!
(my William Shatner impression)
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