SELF-CONSCIOUS FAITH AND ITS
REQUIREMENTS
According to Shaikh al-Hind, Mahmood Hassan (RA), ayahs 190-192 of surah Al-e-`Imran are concerned with “iman-e-`aqli” (intellectual faith) – the process of
attaining faith in Allah (SWT) and an awareness of the Hereafter via the
intellectual reasoning as outlined in the previous section. The subject of next
three ayahs (193-195) is labeled as “iman-e-sam`ee” (audition based faith) by Shaikh al-Hind. That is, when the ulul albaab, having successfully traversed the
process of iman-e-`aqli, hear the call of a prophet, they instantly answer his call. This
is so because the call of the prophet is based on truths and realities that ulul albaab have already grasped intuitively by
their intellects. Hence, the call of the prophet seems to them as nothing more
than the echoes of truths reverberating in their own hearts. Upon accepting the
call of a prophet, their emotions and feelings are spontaneously articulated in
the form of a supplication:
“Our Lord! We have heard the call
of one calling (us) to faith `Believe in the Lord' and we have believed.
Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot
out from us our iniquities and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the
righteous.
Our Lord! Grant us what You
promised unto us through Your prophets and save us from shame on the Day of
Judgment: for You never break Your promise.”
[al-Qur’an
3:193-194]
We should pause at this juncture to
reflect upon the significance of du’a (supplication) in Islam. According to two
sayings of the Prophet (SAW): du’a is the essence of `ibadah (worship); and du’a is itself (a form of) `ibadah. This is due to the fact that du’a is the link between the Lord (SWT) and
His slaves by which the slaves communicate to their Lord (SWT), call upon Him
and converse with Him (SWT). In addition, du’a is a manifestation of faith for
it proves that the believer recognizes the Lord (SWT) as All-Hearing and
All-Seeing, that He (SWT) alone can answer his call for He (SWT) is
All-Powerful and has Absolute Authority over all matters.
To be continued....
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