THE CHARACTER
OF A BELIEVER

One of the qualities of a true believer described in the Quran is tawassum (15:75). Tawassum means the ability to understand deeper realities by reflecting on outward signs. Al-Qurtubi defines it as “istidlal bil-alaqat”—drawing conclusions through observable indicators (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 10, p. 43).

In Arabic, people may say: “Tawassamtu fihi al-khayr,” meaning: “I noticed signs of goodness in someone’s appearance and actions, so I concluded that goodness lies within them.”

A related hadith of the Prophet of Islam states: “Be aware of the insight (firasah) of the believer, for he sees with the light of God.” Then he recited this Quranic verse (15:75): “There are certainly signs in that for those who can learn a lesson.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 3127)

There are two kinds of people in the world. The first are those who judge everything based only on appearances. They cannot go beyond the surface and often form opinions without deeper understanding. Such people tend to act out of ignorance and make choices that lead to harm and loss.

The second kind are those who look beyond the surface and try to understand the reality behind what they see. They think ahead, consider consequences, and act with deeper awareness. This type of person is called a mutawassim—someone who observes with insight.

A mutawassim has such clarity that they are rarely misled. A true believer is such a person—someone who sees the essence of things, not just the form. This ability to see beyond appearances is what it means to “see with the light of God,” because God’s knowledge covers both the visible and the unseen.

And who can challenge someone who sees with that kind of clarity?