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Major Principles of Islam: Steadfastness

Major Principles of Islam: Steadfastness
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August 12, 2024
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Thabaat – firmness, resolve, constancy and a strong heart!

Upholding the truth and clinging to it is one of the main principles of Islam. When we read the Quran we see many verses in which Allah Almighty talks about thabaat – how to be steadfast, how to be firm in your imaan and not to compromise your principles. Also in the practice of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his seerah, we see the implementation of this principle or this concept – how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) practiced thabaat on the truth and how he did not budge when it came to the truth. There are further examples from other nations, such as the story of the people of the cave, and the people of the trench.

This major principle in Islam is very crucial. We know that imaan is required to get into Jannah. If you have no imaan you cannot access Jannah. Therefore how to keep your imaan strong and to preserve it is important. How to keep your imaan, how to preserve your imaan and how to keep it strong are key. This is what we are going to explore by going through these verses in the Quran, which I have collected containing thabaat, yathbutu, yuthabbitu and so on.

In return for sincerity

Let’s begin with Surat al-Anfal, Allah Almighty says:

إِذۡ يُوحِي رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمۡ فَثَبِّتُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْۚ سَأُلۡقِي فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلرُّعۡبَ فَٱضۡرِبُواْ فَوۡقَ ٱلۡأَعۡنَاقِ وَٱضۡرِبُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ كُلَّ بَنَانٖ

Your Lord revealed to the angels: ‘I am with you: give the believers firmness; I shall put terror into the hearts of the disbelievers- strike above their necks and strike all their fingertips.’ (8:12)

Thabittu means Allah give the believers extra power. Though the context here was the battlefield, it is not necessarily the physical battlefield, it could be another situation such as facing tyranny, or calamities, or challenges etc. Allah Almighty is confirming this in the Quran on different occasions and in different verses. Allah Almighty is telling the angels to give extra power to the believers, because of their sincerity. In order to reap the fruits of steadfastness or this strength that Allah Almighty gives the believers, they have to fulfil certain conditions to get it. It’s not free of charge; it will not parachute down on you whilst you are asleep!

Ask for it

In Surat al-Baqarah, Allah Almighty says:

وَلَمَّا بَرَزُواْ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡنَا صَبۡرٗا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

And when they met Goliath and his warriors, they said, ‘Our Lord, pour patience on us, make us stand firm, and help us against the disbelievers,’ (2:250)

Again Allah Almighty mentioned the word “thabbit” – which makes us strong.  Can we get extra power? They did ask for it and they got it.

In Surat Ale Imran, Allah says:

وَمَا كَانَ قَوۡلَهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسۡرَافَنَا فِيٓ أَمۡرِنَا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ

All they said was, ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses. Make our feet firm, and give us help against the disbelievers,’ (3:147)

Again in the context of the battlefield, where you feel that you are so weak, and overcome by fear, you are challenged by the circumstances, the weather, and anxious about the power that you are facing – the enemy. You are away from your family, you are against the odds in the battlefield, leaving your mundane life behind – your coffee, your pet, your shower etc. when you are in a different realm, you need the extra strength, otherwise you will be defeated by your own self before anything else.

Obedience

In Surat an-Nisa, Allah Almighty says:

وَلَوۡ أَنَّا كَتَبۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَنِ ٱقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ أَوِ ٱخۡرُجُواْ مِن دِيَٰرِكُم مَّا فَعَلُوهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٞ مِّنۡهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ أَنَّهُمۡ فَعَلُواْ مَا يُوعَظُونَ بِهِۦ لَكَانَ خَيۡرٗا لَّهُمۡ وَأَشَدَّ تَثۡبِيتٗا

if We had ordered, ‘Lay down your lives’ or ‘Leave your homes,’ they would not have done so, except for a few- it would have been far better for them and stronger confirmation of their faith, if they had done as they were told. (4:66)

Allah Almighty made it clear in this ayah that the believers had done what they were advised to do, it would have been better for them and more effective in making them firm.  Allah Almighty did spell it out – how to get to that level.  He says 1) listen to the command of Allah Almighty, 2) you believe in it and you follow 3) you apply it, then Allah Almighty will give you the extra strength which you are asking for.

Strength against the odds

In Surat al-Anfal, Allah Almighty says:

إِذۡ يُغَشِّيكُمُ ٱلنُّعَاسَ أَمَنَةٗ مِّنۡهُ وَيُنَزِّلُ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ لِّيُطَهِّرَكُم بِهِۦ وَيُذۡهِبَ عَنكُمۡ رِجۡزَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ وَلِيَرۡبِطَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُمۡ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ ٱلۡأَقۡدَامَ

Remember when He gave you sleep as a reassurance from Him, and sent down water from the sky to cleanse you, to remove Satan’s pollution from you, to make your hearts strong and your feet firm. (8:11)

Allah Almighty mentioned that He caused drowsiness to overcome them because they were terrified and weak. It brought them serenity from Allah Almighty, and He sent down water from the sky to wash them of Shaytan’s whispers, fortify their hearts and strengthen their foothold. When Allah Almighty sent rain before the Battle of Badr, it made the ground firm for them, because it was a slippery, dusty slope, so they could fight their enemy. Thus, Allah their hearts firm and strong. Otherwise, if you don’t have strength in the battlefield, no matter how many weapons you have or how big and strong your military capability, you cannot last long in your position. It is not the weapon which makes you strong, it’s the user of the weapon which makes it effective. Allah Almighty imbued their hearts with a special power that gave them resolve in the battlefield. Badr was the first battle and 313 soldiers took fought and won against 1000.

Any challenge

In Surat al-Anfal, Allah Almighty says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا لَقِيتُمۡ فِئَةٗ فَٱثۡبُتُواْ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ

Believers, when you meet a force in battle, stand firm and keep God firmly in mind, so that you may prosper. (8:45)

Although these verses are about a real battlefield, they also apply outside the battlefield, to any challenge you face in your day-to-day life. You may ask Allah Almighty for extra strength because you have a big challenge at work which you need to resolve or you are facing a very difficult person, and you need to overcome your fear to tell them the truth in the right manner and in the right way. Firmness doesn’t mean being aggressive – unless you are on the battlefield – where it is required. You don’t distribute cake and coffee on the battlefield!

Allah Almighty in Surat Hud, says:

وَكُلّٗا نَّقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَۚ وَجَآءَكَ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَقُّ وَمَوۡعِظَةٞ وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers. (11:120)

Allah strengthens our hearts with the stories of the prophets and messengers, and righteous people – those who were connected to Allah Almighty.

In these verses you can see Allah Almighty is saying that He will give extra power to certain people in certain circumstances, which will be explained later.

In Surat Ibrahim, Allah Almighty says:

يُثَبِّتُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ ٱلثَّابِتِ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَۚ وَيَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ

God will give firmness to those who believe in the firmly rooted word, both in this world and the Hereafter, but the evildoers He leaves to stray: God does whatever He will. (14:27)

This is a promise from Allah Almighty that as long as you are with Him, He will support you no matter what. If we are with Him, then He is definitely support and give us extra support when we need it.  When we are disconnected from Him, that is our own fault. He will never break His promise, but when we break the conditions of His support, we won’t receive it. This is an important point – Allah Almighty is promising that He will keep believers firm and strong in their imaan as long as they are connected to Him.

In Surat an-Nahl, Allah Almighty says:

قُلۡ نَزَّلَهُۥ رُوحُ ٱلۡقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَهُدٗى وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

Say that the Holy Spirit has brought the Revelation with the Truth step by step from your Lord, to strengthen the believers and as guidance and good news to the devout. (16:102)

Here we see that the revelation has been sent down to strengthen the believers – the lifeline of the believer is the revelation. The lifeline which supports you and gives you the power that you need.

In Surat al-Isra, Allah Almighty says:

وَلَوۡلَآ أَن ثَبَّتۡنَٰكَ لَقَدۡ كِدتَّ تَرۡكَنُ إِلَيۡهِمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا قَلِيلًا

If We had not made you stand firm, you would almost have inclined a little towards them. (17:74)

Allah Almighty gave Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stability. He had to enter into constant negotiations with the Quraysh, who suggested that he worship their deities for one year, and in return they would worship Allah the next. However he did not budge on this. As per his seerah, he said “If they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I will not compromise on this (peace be upon him).”

Stability and strength without compromising on our principles was exemplified by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was prepared to concede to demands that did compromise the core principles. He (peace be upon him) did not compromise on the principles.  He (peace be upon him) did compromise on minor things, not major things.

In Surat Muhammad, Allah Almighty says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن تَنصُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ يَنصُرۡكُمۡ وَيُثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَكُمۡ

You who believe! If you help God, He will help you and make you stand firm. (47:7).

This shows it is conditional support – if you support Allah Almighty’s cause, Allah Almighty will support you. If you do not support Allah Almighty’s cause, Allah Almighty will not support you. It is a clear-cut message.

In other verses, Allah Almighty used another term, apart from ithbaat and tathbeet and thabata and uthabittu, which He used in a few additional verses, which is rabata, yarbitu.

The first time it is mentioned is Surat Anfal (verse 11), in which Allah Almighty has mentioned both the words: yuthabbitu and yarbit. Rabata and yarbit come from the notion of tying a knot or to tie your camel. In the Arabic, rabata also means to bandage a broken bone. Similarly, Allah Almighty metaphorically strengthens the heart.

Secondly, in the very famous story of the People of the Cave – Ashaabul Kahf, (from which Surat Kahf gets its name), Allah Almighty mentioned that He strengthened their hearts. They were facing the tyrants of their time. They tried to invite him to faith and monotheism, but he refused and wanted to have them killed. They managed to escape and ran away and hid in the cave. Allah Almighty said:

وَرَبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ إِذۡ قَامُواْ فَقَالُواْ رَبُّنَا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَن نَّدۡعُوَاْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَٰهٗاۖ لَّقَدۡ قُلۡنَآ إِذٗا شَطَطًا

We gave strength to their hearts when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and earth. We shall never call upon any god other than Him, for that would be an outrageous thing to do. (18:14)

It’s not just in the battlefield that you face your enemy. Conveying the message to oppressors and tyrants requires courage and resolve from Allah Almighty, otherwise you will just dissolve like salt in water. Unfortunately, we have seen many people dissolve and crumble did melt like salt in the water under pressure in our times – celebrities, politicians and leaders have been dead silent, unable to express their horror at the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza. They are silent out of fear. They lack no strength to face the reality, the tyranny, and the oppression that their silence is enabling. Yet the People of the Cave stood up to contest what was wrong; they didn’t escape first. However, once their lives were threatened, they protected themselves and fled to the cave.

The third mention of yarbit is in the story of the mother of Musa (peace be upon him). Allah strengthened her heart (rabataa alaa qalbiha). This enabled her to stay calm when she put her baby in the basket and lowered it into the river.  No sane person would do this, let alone a mother. But because Allah Almighty gave her the strength, she managed to do this. When you face extra challenges, Allah Almighty can give you extra power as well. 

Allah Almighty said in Surat al Qasas:

وَأَصۡبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَٰرِغًاۖ إِن كَادَتۡ لَتُبۡدِي بِهِۦ لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ

The next day, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart––if We had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she would have revealed everything about him (28:10)

Cast fear

On the other hand, we see Allah Almighty casts fear in some hearts.  As He stated:

إِذْ يُوحِى رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ أَنِّى مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ سَأُلْقِى فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلرُّعْبَ فَٱضْرِبُوا۟ فَوْقَ ٱلْأَعْنَاقِ وَٱضْرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍۢ

Remember, O  Prophet,˺ when your Lord revealed to the angels, “I am with you. So make the believers stand firm. I will cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers. So strike their necks and strike their fingertips.” (8:12)

In some hearts, Allah Almighty will cast “wahn”.  What is “wahn”?  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that one of the signs of the Day of Judgement is that the Ummah will be afflicted by ‘wahn’.  They said what is ‘wahn’ ya Rasoolallah?  He (peace be upon him) said the love of dunya and the hatred of death. This “wahn” is weakness. It comes from two things:  1) when you love the dunya, your heart will be weak, 2) when you hate to meet Allah Almighty and you hate the akhirah, your heart will be weak. We can see that Allah Almighty is talking about the heart – how can this heart be strong and stronger and how can it be boosted by strength from Allah Almighty.  He is giving us the details in these verses and we see in the practice of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the siege, which lasted three years.  When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was under siege in the valley of Shi’b Abi Talib, on the outskirts of Makkah, he refused to renounce Islam, even though they were suffering from extreme hunger. They were humiliated and persecuted, but they did not compromise their principles.

We see the firmness of the believers, the People of the Cave and also in Surat al Buruj, which talks about the believers who were flung into a ditch full of fire. Yet they did not give in out of fear. How could they be that strong, when just the tiny flame of a candle is so hot you cannot hold your hand over it for very long. They could have saved themselves if they wanted to. But no, they believed that the truth is to worship Allah Almighty alone.

The same thing happened with the magicians of Firaun. When they saw the miracles of Musa (peace be upon him), they knew that he was telling that truth about Allah. It was clearly greater than any man-made sorcery. It was beyond human skills, from the realm of the divine. So they believed in the Lord of Musa (peace be upon him) even though Firaun threatened to kill them, but they didn’t back down; they didn’t change. This is what we are witnessing in Palestine. The people of Gaza are not backing down, not compromising their imaan – they are not giving up their right to live on their land, or their dignity, even when faced with death. Allah Almighty is giving them extra power from Him.  But as I mentioned earlier this extra power is conditional – if you are with Allah Almighty, Allah Almighty will support you, Allah Almighty will give you extra strength.  

The 8 qualities that bring steadfastness

In conclusion, how we can gain this extra strength from Allah Almighty? 

Number 1, if you have a real imaan, Allah Almighty will give you extra power from Him. He can change an ordinary person into an extraordinary person. The people of Gaza are not supermen or superwomen – they are ordinary people. But what makes them extraordinary is their imaan – their attachment to Allah Almighty and their lack of attachment to the dunya.  They are losing their houses, their universities, their streets, their community – this is dunya.  They are not attached to the dunya, although it is painful and they are losing their families – brothers, sisters, wife, husband, children, grandparents. But we believe that they are shuhada (martyrs) ascending the skies and going to Allah Almighty. It’s a special station – a special honorary station in the akhirah.  So number 1, to get this strength from Allah Almighty you have to have a true imaan.

Number 2 is to support Allah Almighty’s cause through your actions and through doing what is required to be done in your situation. For instance, the people of Palestine are trying their best to do whatever they can to preserve their lives and their family and their property and they leave the rest to Allah Almighty. So number 2 is when you support the cause of Allah Almighty through your actions, then Allah Almighty will support you and give you extra power from Him.

Number 3 is ikhlas (sincerity) is something between you and Allah Almighty. It’s not something you post on social media to get followers – it’s a secret between you and Allah Almighty. No one knows if you’re really praying with khushu’ except Allah Almighty. No one knows if you’re really giving your zakah for Allah Almighty or not. It is a quality we can have in everything we do. So when your actions have this sincerity towards Allah, He will give you extra support.

Number 4 is obedience – you have to be obedient to Allah Almighty.  Just think of the man who was trapped under the rubble of his house in Gaza – it had been bombed and the ceiling collapsed on top of him like a biscuit that had crumbled. He was trapped and they couldn’t break the walls to get him out. He couldn’t stand, so was just lying down. And as he lay under the debris, you could hear him  reciting the Quran and praying Fajr. It was astonishing. There were perhaps just a few minutes between him and death and he was praying Fajr.

Number 5 is istighfar.  Istighfar is a source of power – so when you do istighfar and supplicate Allah Almighty, He will give you extra power from Him and make you a strong person. These are the boosters of your imaan, boosters of your strength. Many people go to the gym to strengthen their body, but you need to strengthen your imaan as well. 

Number 6 is the remembrance of Allah Almighty. Because they were remembering Allah Almighty, they were connected to Him. Allah Almighty has asked us to remember Him even in the midst of the battlefield.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا

O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance. (33:41)

Even if you are in the middle of the battlefield, even if you are facing the most difficult scenario in your day, stay connected with Allah Almighty through dhikr. Don’t just rely on your plans, your strategy, your intellect, keep remembering Allah Almighty. 

Number 7, Allah Almighty mentioned through these verses which we recited to you – learning from the stories of other nations. Learning from their stories how they managed to face the difficulties. How did they manage to face the challenges? How did they manage to face their enemies? How did they manage to win in their battles?  How did they manage to stay firm in their imaan and not compromise? Read their stories – it gives you a boost.

Number 8, look at the people of Palestine. You can see not stories of the past, but the reality of the present before your eyes. Allah Almighty has strengthened the hearts giving them perseverance and patience – steadfastness. Hearts connected to Allah are extraordinary hearts. Disconnected hearts are very weak hearts. 

On a daily basis we have to deal with the weather, challenges, and difficulties, so we need to be connected to Allah Almighty. It  is no wonder we have 5 prayers, because we never a day without any challenges. Allah Almighty wants us to win our battles; He wants us to be strong and this is why He made it obligatory for us, to strengthen us, to make us closer to Him. 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه عن النبيِّ -صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم- قَالَ: «أفضل الجهاد كلمة عَدْلٍ عند سُلْطَانٍ جَائِر».

The best Jihad is to speak a word of justice to an oppressive ruler. (Ibn Majah)

Jihad is doing your best to change something for the better. It is about exhausting your efforts to do something. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is saying that the highest form of jihad is to stand up and tell the truth in the face of a tyrant. This is exactly what we see now in the encampments – started in America and spread to Europe, to universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, SOAS as well as Kings, and Queen Mary’s and many others. They are taking a bold stand against oppressive regimes and systems. On the other hand you see many people are so afraid to say anything because their hearts are weak, so their hearts need to be strengthened so they can do the right thing. Allah Almighty did give us the remedy and the power to do that. If we read the manual, follow the instructions, we can make ourself better. Otherwise, we’ll stay weak and people can step all over you and people can take your rights if you don’t stand firm.  

This is the summary of these verses about steadfastness and how hearts can be stronger – extra boosted from Allah Almighty, from the Quran, from the Sunnah, and from the previous stories of the other nations.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim 14th May 2024 – Transcribed by S Javaid

I am with you – how Allah strengthens the hearts of believers

How Allah strengthen the hearts of believers

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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