It is incredibly easy to become complacent when it comes to faith; being able to recognise when our faith is sliding is crucial so that we can take steps to increase it. After all, our reason for living is to worship Allah (swt), be that through direct religious acts or through acts which have a positive impact on the world around us. In order to worship we must possess and maintain a strong imaan in Allah (swt).
I did some research and have compiled a list below of things that we should look out for in our characters to make sure that our imaan is not weakening due to the everyday diversions of life. I hope it helps :)
1. Being heedless of prayers (salah)
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It is important that we take steps to properly concentrate during our prayers. Altogether, the 5 prayers take max 50 minutes out of a 24 hour day - Allah (swt) is not asking for much, plus it only benefits us if we concentrate.
"Behold, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is they who are being deluded by Him. When they rise to Prayer, they rise reluctantly, and only to be seen by men. They remember Allah but little."
[Surat Al Nisa: 142]
[Surat Al Nisa: 142]
2. Feeling envious of others
Envy is self-destructive and a hated characteristic in all the Abrahamic religions. If you find you feel any sort of negative thought towards someone because of what they have, try and turn that into motivation to better yourself and be happy for the person. Also remember the transient reality of this world and the true meaning of happiness - it is certainly not in worldly gains. Be content with what you have by looking at the person with less than you, not more. Be genuinely happy for others when something good happens to them.
"Beware of envy because indeed envy destroys good deeds in the same manner as fire destroys wood." - Prophet Muhammed (s)
"None of you are true believers until you want for you brother that which you want for yourself." - Prophet Muhammed (s)
'Hassed' includes feeling happy when things are not going well for other people.
3. Not feeling guilty about sinning...
This is a clear sign of someone lacking either knowledge or faith. If it is the first, that is easily rectified through reading. If the second - you need to analyse what you have been doing, saying and thinking recently in your life to be able to pinpoint the reason for this disregard to committing sin. It is often because you have been doing it regularly and so it has become normal to you. This is dangerous territory, so we must constantly analyse our actions and motives to make sure that we are not allowing the shaytan to trick us into wrong-doing.
"The greatest of sins is the one that the sinner considers to be ordinary" - Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a)
One of the mercies of Allah (swt) is allowing (and encouraging) us to conceal our sins from others and repent in private. We do not have to "confess" our sins to people and actually bragging about them is a hated thing to do in Islam.
"Allah (swt) will cover up on the Day of Resurrection the faults of the one who covers up the faults of the others in this world"
- Prophet Muhammed (s)
There also are other hadiths that tell of a person being less likely to receive forgiveness for their sins if they openly tell people about them.
5. Being miserly :(
"Stinginess and faith do not exist together in the heart of a believer"
Remember that people aren't just stingy with material things, we can be stingy with a kind word, a helping hand or simply in returning a smile.
6. Not concerning oneself with the suffering of fellow Muslims and innocent people
7. Not feeling anything when reading or hearing the Quran, or remembering Allah (swt)
8. Seeing oneself as better than others
"Stinginess and faith do not exist together in the heart of a believer"
- Prophet Muhammed (s)
Remember that people aren't just stingy with material things, we can be stingy with a kind word, a helping hand or simply in returning a smile.
Self explanatory. I would say that this goes along with actually contributing to the suffering of others.
“The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, mercy and compassion is that of the body; when one part of it is in pain, the rest of the body joins it in restlessness and fever.”
- Prophet Muhammed (s)
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"Is he whose breast Allah has expanded to Islam, so he (walks) in a Light from his Lord (like the disbeliever)? Then woe to the ones whose hearts are hardened against the Remembrance of Allah! Those are in evident error."
[Surat Al-Zumar: 22]
I've noticed that when some Muslims become religious they adopt this painfully snobbish holier-than-thou attitude where they believe that they are right, and anyone that may hold slightly varying opinions to them are deeply misguided and should go to hell for eternity. This is never a sign of strong faith. The Prophet (saw) was better than all of us and he did not act in this manner towards non-Muslims, let alone to people within the ummah.
I know that these people may be enthusiastic about Islam but they should probably channel their zeal into working on bettering themselves as opposed to calling everyone out on every tiny thing that they do.
"O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)."
[Surat Al-Hujurat: 11]
There are many other signs but these are the ones I wanted to discuss. Hope you found it beneficial. Insha'Allah everyone is having a fulfilling Ramadan.
