بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
ثم الصلاه و السلام علی محمد عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون
اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
Third Sign of the Righteous: certain belief
وَ إِیماناً فِی یَقِینٍ
And with faith full of certainty.
Faith is higher than Islam. By saying shahadatin ( sentences that enters a person into Islam) a person enters Islam and Muslim rules are fulfilled on him, but not every Muslim is a believer. The holy Quran says:
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ؛ إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ ﴿الحجرات:14-۱۵﴾
The Desert-Arabs say, “We have believed.” Say, “You have not believed; but say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered into your hearts. But if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish any of your deeds. God is Forgiving and Merciful.” The believers are those who believe in God and His Messenger, and then have not doubted, and strive for God’s cause with their wealth and their persons. These are the sincere.
Islam is only a confession and external deed, but faith is what that lives in the heart. Faith is what that makes a person safe and secure and to calm his heart. Faith frees people from anxiety, apprehension, confusion, anger and concern about the future. Someone who believes in the origin of being, and knows that
” لا مُؤَثِّرَ فِي الْوُجُودِ إلّا اللّه ”
He will no longer worry.
Faith has degrees, and many beliefs are uncertain. Beliefs with Certainly are very few. The least blessings that God has given among the people is certainty, so believers may turn away from religion and disbelieve. The Quran says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ سَبِيلًا ﴿نساء:۱۳۷
Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way.
Differences in the degree of faith of individuals and the difference of beliefs will have different practical implications. Not all believers can be expected to do the same, and of course, because the faith of the pious is firm, their action will be firm. Faith is sure to be courageous, weak and doubtfulness has no impact on the act of such believers. The strength of the divine prophets was also because of their faith.
Abraham the Prophet, the great prophet and head of the monotheistic prophets, at the time of the mission and the Prophethood, though he was the Divine Apostle, asked God for certain signs:
قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي ﴿بقره:۲۶۰﴾
“My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.” He said, “Have you not believed?” He said, “Yes, but to put my heart at ease.”
Many people are certainly “superficial” and “unreal”. They think they are certain, but they do not show any signs of certainty. All humans seem to be certain of death. No one has the slightest doubt that he will die sooner or later. But what effect does this certainty have on his actions? How is the act different from one who has no belief in death? This certainty is the certainty of appearance, imitation and emptiness. Amir al-muminin believes that the existence of true certainty and faith depends on the manifestation of its signs:
الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْثِرَ الصِّدْقَ حَيْثُ يَضُرُّكَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ حَيْثُ يَنْفَعُكَ، وَ أَلَّا يَكُونَ فِي حَدِيثِكَ فَضْلٌ عَنْ عَمَلِكَ، وَ أَنْ تَتَّقِيَ اللَّهَ فِي حَدِيثِ غَيْرِكَ (نهج البلاغه، حکمت455)
Faith is that, that prefers for you to speak the truth where it is harmful for you than to lay where there has benefit for you, and that your speech is no more than an act, and to practice divine piety when speak about others.
According to Amir al-Mu’minin, the first sign of true faith is “truthfulness” and honesty, though honesty is harmful to man. The believer never lies to achieve his own interests, and never gives up the truth.
The second sign of such a believer is “no false pretense”. A pious person will have no more claims and will not be content to be praised for what he has not done.
لَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أَتَوْا وَيُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُحْمَدُوا بِمَا لَمْ يَفْعَلُوا فَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفَازَةٍ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿آل عمران:۱۸۸
Do not think that those who rejoice in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done—do not think they can evade the punishment. They will have a painful punishment.