The essence of faith is the realization or discovery of God (ma‘arifah). When a man consciously seeks out and finds God, and thereby has access to divine realities that is what constitutes faith.

This discovery is no simple matter. God is the Creator and Owner of all things. He will award or punish all, according to their deeds; none is free from His grip. The discovery of such a God shakes to the core the whole life of man. His thinking is revolutionized, for God becomes the centre of all His emotions.

With God as the principal focus of his attention, man becomes God’s servant in the fullest sense of the word. He becomes a man whose living and dying is all for God.

Such a faith ultimately results in all of man’s behaviour and his dealings taking on the hue of God. When the believer speaks, he is conscious of the fact that God is listening to him. When he walks, he does so with modesty so that his gait may not be displeasing to God. When he deals with people, he is always worried lest he deal unjustly and be punished by God in the next life.

The impact of this degree of faith makes the entire life of man Hereafter—(akhirat)-oriented. In all matters his eyes are focused on the Hereafter. Instead of immediate gain he makes gain in the next life his goal. Whenever there are two aspects of any matter, one pertaining to this world and the other to the next world, he always prefers the latter.

Faith, another name for the recognition of the Supreme God, becomes for the believer a fountainhead of limitless confidence in his Creator. When this recognition takes root in an individual’s heart and soul, his whole personality becomes regenerated. Knowing that in all circumstances he may depend upon God, he becomes a new man.

The Arabic word for belief is “iman.” It literally means ‘to know,’ ‘to believe,’ ‘to put one’s trust in something or someone.’ In the Islamic Shariah, Iman means putting one’s trust in, or having complete faith in God or Allah, His Prophet and His message.

In this world all things fall into two separate categories – those that grow and those that do not. For example, a stone does not grow. It remains in the same state. On the contrary, a tree goes on growing. The Quran likens the faith and the faithful to the tree. (14:24). That is, unlike the stone, they do not remain static, but go on increasing, never coming to a standstill.

At various places in the Quran it is said that faith is something which continues to grow:

‘The true believers are those… whose faith grows stronger as they listen to His revelation.’
‘As for those who follow the right path, God will increase their guidance…’ (47:17).
‘As they (the believers) listen, their humility increases.’ (17:109)
‘God will increase the guidance to those that have followed the right path.’ (19:76).
… Say: Lord, increase my knowledge. (20:114)

Those who have had the wealth of true faith bestowed on them will find their faith goes on increasing in the manner mentioned in the Quran. On the contrary, those who have not been lifted up to the heights of true faith will find that their ‘faith’ is something static which does not grow.

According to Ata ibn Yasar Abdullah ibn Rawaha once said to one of his companions: “Let’s come to bring faith in God for a while.”

These words enraged his companion and he asked, “Aren’t we believers already?” Ibn Rawaha replied, “Yes, that is true. We are believers. But when we remember God, our faith increases.”

To the companion, faith (iman) meant the recitation of the monotheistic creed. There is no god but the One God – after which he felt that his faith was complete. But so far as Abdullah ibn Rawaha was concerned, he had discovered God the limitless, God with all his forms of perfection. For the former, the recitation of the creed (kalima) was all that mattered, but, to the latter, kalima recitation was only the beginning. The concept of God that came to his mind was a treasure house of limitless perfection. This being so, he felt that his remembrance of God should also be endless. He lived in God. And one who lives in God will remember God continuously. He will never have the feeling that he has come to the outermost limit. The third Caliph Uthman said, “If your hearts are purified, you will never feel that you have had your fill of the remembrance of God.”

Whether a man feels satisfied or dissatisfied depends upon his capacity for satisfaction. A small container is soon filled up with just a small quantity of water. But no amount of water will fill up the ocean-bed. An ocean requires an unlimited quantity of water, if it is to be filled right up. The same applies to a man. If, like the small container, his desire for God is limited in extent, it will soon be fulfilled. But if, like the ocean, his desire for God is limitless, it will never come to an end.

Iman-e-Mufassal
There are seven things which are essential for a Muslim to believe in. These are spelled out in detail in the formal declaration of Islamic faith known as Iman Mufassal. Muslims pledge:

1. Faith in God;
2. Faith in His angels;
3. Faith in all of His messengers or Prophets;
4. Faith in His revealed Books;
5. Faith in the Last Day or the Day of Judgement;
6. Faith in the doctrine of predestination, which lays down that everything good or bad is decided by God), (Taqdir) and
7. Faith in the life after death.

Without iman, the individual’s espousal of Islam as his religion would lack credibility. That is why, if he is to be a true believer, he must not only testify to his faith by word of mouth (shahaada bil lisan), but must also accept it with all his heart and soul and then staunchly adhere to it. Furthermore, he is obliged to do good works in keeping with the fundamentals of the faith. Both belief (iman), and right action (amal) are absolutely vital.

The Article of Faith – The Shahaadah
The Creed, or article of faith, called shahaadah, literally means ‘witness’ or ‘testimony.’ The first of the five pillars of Islam, its nomenclature derives from the word ‘Ashhadu,’ which means ‘I declare,’ or ‘I bear witness.’ As an Islamic term, it means testifying to faith in Islam. The words of the shahaadah in Arabic are: La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad ur-rasul Allah. This means: ‘There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’ Its recital is called the ‘kalimah.’

For Muslims there are certain requirements which have to be observed regarding the recital of the articles of faith.

They are as follows:

It has to be repeated aloud, at least once in a lifetime.
Its meaning has to be fully understood.
It should be believed in “with the heart.”
It should be professed until death.

When spoken in Arabic and with sincerity, it is a commitment to obey God and follow the Prophet:

‘I bear witness that there is no god but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’

These are the first words that are breathed into a child’s ear at birth. These are also the last words which a Muslim would utter with his dying breath.

Even if someone recites the shahaadah hypocritically— which is not acceptable to God—he will still, for practical purposes, continue to be regarded as a member of the Muslim community. Nevertheless, a proper understanding of the basic tenets is a prerequisite for all true believers. And sincere and heartfelt faith is a sine qua non if salvation is to be ensured in the life Hereafter.

The shahaadah consists of two parts; one, a negation, the other an affirmation. The first part— La ilaha illa Allah (there is no other God) negates the existence of each and every false god, and condemns false worship. The word ‘ilaah’ means ‘god’ or any object of worship; it could refer to any being, person, matter or concept, which is taken as an object of adoration or worship.

The second part of shahaadah—illa Allah— stresses that only God, the one and only God, the Creator and Sustainer of all being, merits our reverence. No one else is to be worshipped or turned to for help or refuge. Neither angels, nor prophets nor saints, nor any other object share in His divinity. There is only One God, One Creator, One Sustainer— the Almighty God.