Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Society Religion & Philosophy
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:salam2:

I read somewhere in a book (I think in a hadith) that a person who remove stones from a path is at the weakest/lowest level of his/her Imaan (Faith). Actually other day on my way back to home from Masjid, I removed a stone from the path and suddenly this thought came into my mind. Since that I’m thinking and keep asking myself that “Am I really at the weakest/lowest level of my Imaan (Faith)”?.

Do any1 came across such thought?
Do u think in that case a person is really in his/her weakest/lowest level of Imaan (Faith)?

Plz discuss. :slight_smile:

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Peace LLK :slight_smile: … Ah what a nice way to tell me about my mistake. In the other thread I said that Imaan cannot vary, let me amend that and say that Taqwa can be zero but you can still be a Muslim, but Imaan if zero then the person has entered kufr.

However, the removing of the stone from the way is not the weakest of Imaan, it is Imaan to remove the stone from the way. The weakest of Imaan is to dislike a bad thing in the heart, without doing anything to correct it. Not speaking out against it or stopping it with the hand.

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

The day on which property will not avail, nor sons. Except him who comes to God with a sound heart. (26:88-89)

What is the main qualification for having a sound heart? It is submission to the Truth. There are 3 leveles of submission:

1) Sumission of the body
2) Submission of the intellect
3) Submission of the heart

Unless and until a person submits to the Truth with the heart they cannot be considered a TRUE Muslim. Let us elucidate on this a bit

SUBMISSION OF THE BODY

It is possible to force a person's body to submit. For example, if two enemies are fighting in a battle, if one overcomes the other, the one who is overcome is now in a state of physical submission. However, force can never accomplish the submission of intellect or heart. So in the case of the defeated soldier, his intellect and heart have not yet submitted to his opponent which is why he is still using his intellect to plot an escape or counter-attack and he is still using his heart by emotionally loathing the enemy.

SUBMISSION OF THE INTELLECT

The powers that make the intellect submit are logic and reasoning. You cannot put a dagger at the chest of a person in hopes that they will explain to you the exact functions and intricacies of the digestive system in the human body. Only logic and reasoning can help such a person submit to understanding such a truth. This is why when Galileo proclaimed that the sun is the centre of the solar system, he was forced to recall his statements. However, even though he signed a document that said that he no longer believed this to be true, he was heard to say under his breath that "but the sun IS the centre." So ofcourse this form of physical threatening could not make his intellect submit, it could only make his body submit.

SUBMISSION OF THE HEART

Reality of faith is submission of the heart. It is possible for a person to submit with the intellect but not the heart. We may for example see many professors at western universities who know more about Islam than you or I. However, their hearts have not yet submitted to the truth. Or a better example would be shaytaan who rationally acknowledged the reality of God's existence, as well as the day of judgment and the prophets. However the qur'aan still says about him that "And he was of the unbelivers" (2:34) That is because, due to his pride, his heart refused to submit to the truth that his intellect bore witness to.

A Muslim in the true sense of the word is a person who submits WHOLESOMELY and not PARTIALLY to the Truth. I will end with a beautiful verse from Surah Baqarah verse *2:208

"Oh you who have faith! Enter into submission, altogether, and do not follow in Satan's steps. Surely he is your open enemy."*

This explanation is courtesy of Shaheed Mutahari from the last chapter of "Divine Justice."

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Peace Pagluu

JazakAllah for that. Yes, Islam, Imaan, and Ihsan ... Map on to the aspects of submission of the body, the intellect and the heart.

And a further interesting thing is that when it comes to Taqwa it works in reverse ... The heart being the easiest faculties to overcome, the intellect being analogous to the speaking out against evil and stopping it with the hand as a mark of highest Taqwa.

So as submitting with the body and yet harbouring a little flame in the heart for Islam is the basic level of recognition, the one who submits the heart and subject his body in harms way to stop evil must be the mark of the Muttaqi.

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Three levels of eeman are Muslim, Momin and Mohsin. The definitions are given in that long hadeeth where Jibra'eel came to prophet in human form.

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

But I read somewhere that if you remove a stone from a path it's a sadqa?

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)


yes it is...even a smile is a sadaqa. :) maiN laRkiyoN ko dekh kar aisa sadaqa nahiiN detaa ... Theek kartaa huN na? ;)

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

It is, but for it to be counted as sadaqa, you need to be Muslim first

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Niyaat pe depend karta hai ke niyaat sadqa dene Ki hai ya phone number.

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Ok, but why OP said that when he removed stone his thought his imaan was weak?

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

baat to saHeeH hai par niyat DaaNwaa Dol hote huye kitnii der lagtii hai?

chashm-zadan meN aao tumheN TooiNyaaN kar deN :cb:

chashm-zadan = palak jhapakte hii
TooNiyaaN = talking parrot [female] :cb:

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

OP mixed two matters together, but the reason for this is as I stated, which was a wise way to correct my mistake in the other thread.

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

I’m talking about this :bummer: ..the hadeeh I read said it’s a sadqa, then how this can show somEones low emaan?

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Re: Weakest/Lowest Level of Imaan (Faith)

Peace kinzz,

The hadith is as under and its nothing hav to do what I wrote at post #1 i.e., removing stone from a path with level of Imaan :slight_smile:
‘The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman)’ of Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 79

It is narrated on the authority of Tariq b. Shihab: It was Marwan who initiated (the practice) of delivering khutbah (address) before the prayer on the 'Id day. A man stood up and said: Prayer should precede khutbah. He (Marwan) remarked, This (practice) has been done away with. Upon this Abu Sa’id remarked: This man has performed (his duty) laid on him. I heard the Messenger of Allah :saw2: as saying: He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.