As salaam ‘alaykum WarahmatuLlahi Wabarakatuhu
FAITH MUST BE BACKED UP WITH GOOD ACTIONS
We heartily express our deep appreciation to Almighty Allah who has spared our lives to witness another Eid ul Adha this year. We glorify Him and seek more of His blessings in future. We pray to Allah to shower His Choicest blessings on the most noble of all the Prophets, Muhammad Mustapha, sallallahu alayhi was salam. We also pray for the acceptance of the Ibaadah of our brothers and sisters who are performing Hajj this year Dhul Hijja 1446 AH (2025). May Allah bless their sacrifices and reward them for their faith and actions. It takes a huge faith to perform Hajj. We pray to Allah to bless all the Muslims of the world and to make us deserve of His Rahmah and Maghfirah. Amin.
The key message of this year’s Eid ul Adha is “Backing up faith with positive actions” in line with the lives of Prophet Ibrahim (as – peace be on him), Prophet Ishmail (as – peace be on him), and Hazrat Hajara (ra – peace be on her). They do not only have faith in Allah, but they also demonstrated exemplary actions of obedience and respect to the will of Allah in implementing the faith. Our faith is insufficient to win the pleasure of Allah without appropriate positive works.
Imaan or faith in Islam are the six articles of faith narrated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In a narration by Hazrat Umar bn Khatab (ra) reported in Muslim, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw); responding to Malaika Jubril in a conversation:
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ.
قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ.
قَالَ: صَدَقْت.
Meaning “Inform me about iman. He (the Messenger of Allah) answered, “It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in qadar (fate), both in its good and in its evil aspects.” He said, “You have spoken truly.” (Rawaha Muslim)
No one becomes a Muslim except these six articles are firmly believed in and worked on. Each of these articles has profound impact in the lives of every Muslims. The articles are not just dogmatic and mere set of theories that has no philosophical background. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an Chapter 2 verse 178:
۞لَّيۡسَ ٱلۡبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ قِبَلَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلۡمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينَ وَٱبۡنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلۡمُوفُونَ بِعَهۡدِهِمۡ إِذَا عَٰهَدُواْ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِي ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلۡبَأۡسِ ۗ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُواْ ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the East or the West, but truly righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and spends his money for love of Him, on the kindred and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and those who ask for charity, and for ransoming the captives; and who observes Prayer and pays the Zakat; and those who fulfil their promise when they have made one, and the patient in poverty and afflictions and the steadfast in time of war; it is these who have proved truthful and it is these who are the God-fearing.”
It is evident that combination of faith and work translates to genuine truthfulness and piety. The most important question to ask is whether faith without corresponding actions is adequate? Could one believe in the existence of the Almighty God without succumbing to His will and deem himself belonging to Allah? Any physical acts of worship that does not lead ultimately to spiritual upliftment and moral rectitude is a nullity and a wasteful exercise. Allah has stressed the need for good actions and what determines the fate of any man in the hereafter will be the result of his good actions. Holy Quran 17:14 says:
وَكُلَّ إِنسَٰنٍ أَلۡزَمۡنَٰهُ طَـٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِي عُنُقِهِۦ ۖ وَنُخۡرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ كِتَٰبٗا يَلۡقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا
“And everyman’s works have We fastened to his neck, and on the day of resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open”.
This brings to our awareness that our good actions will play significant roles in our heavenly sojourn. Allah further affirms that faith must be backed up with good actions when He said in Holy Quran 21:95 that: فَمَنۡ یَّعۡمَلۡ مِنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَہُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَلَا کُفۡرَانَ لِسَعۡیِہٖ ۚ وَاِنَّا لَہٗ کٰتِبُوۡنَ
“So, whoever does good works and is a believer, his effort will not be disregarded and We shall surely record it.”
Allah stresses the need for good behavior, good conduct, moral uprightness and living up to the expectation of what one believes in. This is what the trio of Hazrat Ibrahim, Hazrat Ishmail and Hazrat Hajara demonstrated to us. It was not a mere story or tale for our comfort. It is a call to perpetual action.
Also, in Quran Chapter 78.30, Allah says وَکُلَّ شَیۡءٍ اَحۡصَیۡنٰہُ کِتٰبً meaning “And every thing have We recorded in a Book.”
It amounts to fallacy and deception if a believer is the one causing trouble and upheaval or turmoil in the society but claiming to have fath. A true believer will respect fellow human beings and will accord them their inalienable rights if truly he or she is a believer. He will not cheat or deceive them let alone steal as such actions are those of the faithless.
The Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghula Ahmad (as) says:
“If there is even one person of good, virtuous conduct in the house, that house remains safe. So, you should know that so long as you do not do good deeds, only your belief will not help. [Therefore], you should attend to your actions with a determined resolve, and a solid and binding pledge.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aba) quoting the Promised Messiah (as) says in his Friday sermon of 19th September 2014 that:
“… in order to perfect one’s faith, deeds or actions are needed. And one’s own faith is in need of care and attention with one’s deeds because without this even while having faith, or while claiming to believe, one cannot be called a mu’min, a true believer.”
Allah refers to those who are rightly guided and those who stand apart from those who are in a state of loss when He declared in Holy Quran Chapter 103 Suratul Asr thus:
وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ ٢ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَفِي خُسۡرٍ ٣ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ ٤
“By the fleeting time, surely man is in a state of loss, except those who believe and do good works and also encourages other to accept the truth and exhort them to remain steadfast.”
This message should be beneficial to all whether a public servant in whose care the trust of the people is entrusted or in private practice to administer the affairs of the people. Diversion of public funds to private pockets is not action that backs faith. It shows faithlessness. How can one claim to be a believer in the true powerful God and carries out all His biddings but yet stealing to demonstrate lack of faith in the most powerful he or she proclaims. Our actions are to be positive and right at all times and in tune with the will of Allah. That is when the rights of Allah is fulfilled.
The earliest Muslims who followed the teachings of Allah believed in giving and spending out of their wealth and not in taking from the public funds as it is rampant today.
A sincere believer is expected to be honest and just in his or her dealings with fellow human beings. He is to be compassionate and be ready to not only pardon those who offend him or also to suppress anger. Holy Quran 3:135 says:
ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ فِي ٱلسَّرَّآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَٱلۡكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلۡغَيۡظَ وَٱلۡعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ
“Those who spend in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger and pardon men; and Allah loves those who do good”.
They spend in prosperity and adversity and are ready to let go. Anyone who proclaims faith in Allah shall protect the lives and property of fellow mankind and evil shall not befall them from his hands or tongue. This is part of the meaning of Islam and as demonstrated by Hazrat Ibrahim (ra), Hazrat Ishmail (ra) and Hazrat Hajar (ra).
I pray that Allah make us witness more eid ul Adha and may He accept all our supplications, sacrifices and good actions as acts of Ibadah. Aamin.
Eid Mubarak.
Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.
Signed.
Alhaji Alatoye Folorunso Azeez.
Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat of Nigeria.
