Faith is something far beyond most peoples� imagination.

It is not a mere opinion in a certain person or a judgement in a certain case, nor an adoption of a certain philosophy or a psychological indulging in a certain art.

It is a serious dealing between two parties one of them is Allah Almighty. It is a relation that pulls a person from his deepest natures and his apparent situations to the one who created him from nothing and rescued him from darkness.

And in the same way an unemployed person gets involved in a new job that would consume all his times in order to secure his present and future. Man who joins the path of Faith becomes involved day and night with duties that are required by his new position and would give him the means for accomplishing and success in it.

The Holy Quran has shown that people prior to Allah�s call for them were dead like and that their following to the Prophets is the rising of a new dawn in their selves, thoughts, manners, and behaviors.

Allah said: O ye who believe! Give your response to Allah and His Messenger, when He calleth you to that which will give you life; and know that Allah cometh in between a man and his heart, and that it is He to whom ye shall (all) be gathered. [8:24]

Real life is not just an image of flesh and blood, or big muscles and strong movements. No this is an image of life in which humans, lions, animals and reptiles share, and probably animals share is greater than Man�s share from these things.

True life is this connection that one gets with Allah after knowing Him.

This is the new discipline with Allah�s orders immediately after the tongue announces these words: "Our Lord! We have heard the call of one calling (us) to Faith, `Believe ye in the Lord', and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous. [3:193]

Yes, this kind of acceptance doesn�t slow down the believer�s movement toward his New World where he is supposed to surrender his face only to Allah almighty alone, and to wander upon this earth according to His rules.

Man is governed in his extensions or withdrawals, love or hatred, and peace or war, with boundaries of allowed or forbidden, rewarded or punished, and in seeking Allah�s closeness to him and being afraid from being outcaste from His mercies.

This faith raises completely a newly lead life.

We tend to consider a black man in Africa�s wilderness quite an uncivilized person in comparison to an atom scientist living in a highly civilized place. The idea one of them holds about the universe is quite different from the other. Undoubtedly the distance of retardation between them is so distant. This distance equals the same distance between a person who knows Allah and another one ignorant of Him. This ignorant person - no matter how civilized and developed - is a straying animal. Maybe a smart animal in certain matters, but his ignorance pulls him down to the bottom. He is not only retarded but also a dead person even if he flies high in the sky.

Being ignorant about Allah is like being in a lonely darkness. This why Allah said in the Quran: Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a Light whereby he can walk amongst men, be like him who is in the depths of darkness, from which he can never come? Out thus to those without Faith their own deeds seem pleasing. [6:122]

The difference between a believer and a non-believer is apparent from the description given by this verse. A believer has his own light that leads him among others.

I wonder, what is this light that emerges from a life full of faith?
It is a light that enlightens the deep consciousness in a way that enables it to recognize good from evil, and right from wrong.

Faith wouldn�t deserve to be honored and recognized without this characteristic.
Those cut out from Allah wouldn�t care for anything except life and what they desire in it. They wouldn�t hesitate to kill, steal, cheat or lie in order to get what they want.

As for those attached to Allah you�ll find them people of perfection, justice, piety, and honor.

No blessings would be spread on earth and no security in its societies except in the shades of this faith that moves in its way under heavenly guarantees.

Allah said: The blind and the seeing are not alike; Nor are the depths of Darkness and the Light; Nor are the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun: Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves. [35:19-22]

Indeed, Faith is life and the Prophet (pbuh) resembled the function of faith in souls to the rain�s effect on earth. � What Allah sent with me from guidance and knowledge is like heavy rains that fell on different lands, some of these land were pure and accepted the rain and grew food and a lot of grass��

Would the revelation be given this name without being able to revive dead hearts and awaken blind consciousness?

The limit line between true and fake faith is that with true faith a person would be reborn again, and would make him lead an honest life but the fake faith does nothing.

True faith is changed into a compelling force towards doing good and standing with the right in the same way fuel in a machine is changed into energy and power but fake faith produces nothing at all.

True faith reforms human entity in a way that makes him a follower to Allah in this life, by Allah�s name he wanders, and works while by fake faith one follows only his own desires and whims.

If it is important for countries to fight counterfeit money among people in order to control the value of things in addition to thieves and criminals. It is then more important to fight fake faith in order to keep and preserve the material and ethical benefits and values of the true faith.

If we were wise enough we would realize that preserving true faith is far more important than preserving the security of gold and silver and the money they represent.

Let�s bring some evidences from the Quran that explain what we are trying to say: In a life raised by faith there is no room for doubt and suspicion no matter how dark and hard life gets.

People of faith should hold on to what they believe in and be patient: By those are Believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah: such are the sincere ones. [49:15]

Positions of faith are never limited or contained in a certain path or manner rather they should be followed and taken no matter what the circumstances are.

Some people might be exiled while others might be asked to stay foot and aid with their money instead. Those who believe, and adopt exile, and fight for the Faith, in the cause of Allah, as well as those who give (them) asylum and aid, these are (all) in very truth the Believers for them is the forgiveness of sins and a provision most generous. [8:74]


It is impossible in a life established by faith to find bad behaviors pass unnoticed or without being followed by those who can amend them no matter how long time passes or requirements needed.

The quality of believers in order for them to avoid loss is to call each other to righteousness and patience.
An oppressor might frighten some people so they calm down or he might seduce them by money and wealth. The believers on the other hand seek only Allah�s acceptance and fear only His anger: For, Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and when they hear His Signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their trust in their Lord. [8:2]

There are other kinds of people who are occupied by improving their own status than any other matters. One of them would want to gather the hearts around him with all his talents. In this century worship of an individual to a group or a group to an individual has become common. While one�s monitoring his own in what he does for the sake of Allah and being aware of Him when spending or saving has no room in his soul.

This is what we call hypocrisy that would tear down all the deeds, and expose the emptiness of the hearts from the meanings of good.

Al Jonaid (a scholar) said: � if a servant came carrying the need of Adam to his lord, asceticism of Jesus, patience of Job, obedience of Johanna, love of Abraham, and the manners of our Prophet, while in his heart an atom weight for someone other than Allah then Allah has no need for him.�

Frankly speaking, hypocrisy attachment to the heart and its manipulation in it would eradicate both faith and good reward.

Rain when falls on fertile land exposes its validity for growth and good, but when it falls on rocks only reveals their harsh nature and poverty.

This is the example Allah gave for the hypocrite: O ye who believe! Cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day. They are in Parable like a hard barren rock, on which is a little soil; on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it (just) a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guideth not those who reject Faith. [2:264]

Life established on faith is a life of deep sincerity, and total devotion to Allah the Lord of all. Let�s by pass these scattered patterns that describe life and created by faith to say:
Man who is free from any kind of religion or ideology would feel hungry and full, happy or sad, arrogant or humble, kind or hard, hopeful or despaired�to the end of what overcomes the human nature at all times.

Faith that is totally secluded from these symptoms and doesn�t arose or suppress them is a fake faith.

Sociologists and teachers have talked anciently about the necessity for man to fear Allah, have hope in Him, repent to Him, and count on Him�etc.

This is fine, but remains a partial description of the desired truth or a side drawing of life in which faith fills its wide corridors.

The failure in applying came from peoples� simple understanding of what these scholars said not a product of them.


While we all agree that Faith is to be patient and thankful, and afraid and hopeful, some had the understanding that despite faith entering the soul this soul keeps its general nature.
Sometimes it fears Allah, and sometimes someone else, sometimes it asks Allah and sometimes someone else.

But this is not the goal, nor it is the perfection and purification of faith.

The Faithful in dealing with Allah and not associating any with him while being aware of Allah�s names and attributes should build his manners in this life on total devotion to his Lord and complete attachment to him while be ignorant to all who are below him.
Oneness and not associating doesn�t mean to stop worshipping idles and then make money an idle, woman an idle, and ruler an idle then to direct all or part of our sensation to these new idles.

Until we find that most of our actions are directed to these idles and very little to Allah the eternal.

We can by mere observation sense that a lot of people withhold their Creator from their strongest emotions and direct them to other than Him. What kind of faith is this?

This is the secret in that some claims to ask and hope from Allah alone but if you inspected his behaviors you wouldn�t find any trace of this claimed hope.

A poet said:
Why do you accept impurity in your religion,
While you accept non-on your clothes?
You hope to be safe though you don�t follow safety ways,
A ship can never travel on dry lands�


A lot of religious based civilizations have collapsed because the title they carry is totally different from the reality they live in.

When the leech holding human soul is out from the leadership of those with good faith into the hands of those who follow their desires and whims then nothing can be done to help.

Sins usually start strongly because violent emotions are the trigger behind them. Is it wanted that faith to be born weak because it has fragile link with the agitated feelings in the human soul?

If faith didn�t have a deep-rooted being in humans� spirits then it is a sick faith that is in need for a healer to straighten it up.

Reliance on Allah in a believer soul should be stronger than dependence on authority in an oppressor cruel soul.

Preferring the hereafter should be stronger than the preference of those desiring life for life itself.

Under this light we understand Allah�s saying: Yet there are men who take (for worship) others besides Allah, as equal (with Allah): they love them as they should love Allah, but those of Faith are overflowing in their love for Allah. If only the unrighteous could see, behold, they would see the Punishment: that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the Punishment. [2:165]


But if you noticed an atheist is wiser, sharp and more motivated than a believer then this believer�s faith is an untrue faith.

Ethical talents should bloom by faith in the same manner flowers bloom in the spring. Faith creates life from death, a life full of strength, and prosperity worth of survival and respect.


In our current times a lot of people assume that religion is just a relationship between a servant and his Lord, or a relation between man and the supernatural forces unseen by the senses. This kind of relation is represented in forms of worship an individual performs. But this assumption though true in some religions doesn�t apply to Islam.

Our religion has a wide circle and its teachings cover various branches. It deals with the relations between man and Allah, Man and Man, and man to the whole life.

In other words: the relation between man and Allah in Islam extends beyond the limit of the inner life of the human soul to affect one�s relation with other matters. So he deals with this and that under the guidance of his attachment to Allah, his devotion, obedience, and reliance on Allah in all his movements and actions.

To explain the wideness of the circle faith moves within our prophet (pbuh) said: � faith is sixty and something or seventy and something branches, the highest of them is to testify that there is no god but Allah, and the lowest branch is to remove harm from the road, and bashfulness is one of the branches of Faith.�


I�ve read an article that gathered these branches of faith and they numbered 79 branches that collected the essences of legislation, the origins of manners, and the pillars of religion together with what follows from ethics and additions that with them Islam reaches its perfection.

In my opinion it's not the number that matters but what the Wise Legislator wanted is to awaken us to that it's in the nature of faith to control the soul, the society and the state. To guide both private and public life by the name of Allah according to His will. That the orders of Allah be taken into consideration at home, in the street, between man and himself, and between man and the others in away that any intention a Muslim does would be for the sake of Allah and to spread His word. Not one aspect of life would be out from being colored by religion and its principles and goals.

It doesn�t matter for the number of branches of faith to have a meaning in itself or not, but what I would like you to sense is for us to be able to put the Islamic teachings in a downward order in a way that resembles the functional hierarchy in a state and its chain of command that enables it to perform its duties and jobs correctly.


Faith is like a living organism in which life is supported by the function of certain organs. If one gets a fatal injury like in the brain, lungs, intestines, or spinal cord then he would die definitely. One might be injured in his limbs or senses but he wouldn�t lose the origin of life and would be able to live retarded or crippled.

So is faith in its perfection and lacking, in its existence or loss.

True faith should contain from these elements enough to be able to have its full control.
* First: over soul in its desires and means.
* Second: over the society in its dealings and systems.
* Third: over life in its economical and structural activities in order to be guided toward serving religion, to establish its origins and branches and to secure its essences and looks. Of course the pillars of Islam would gather from these facts what would fill out all these aspects.

Praying and fasting are two pillars of the personal belief�and the individual is responsible for performing them on his own. They provide for the human soul a great atmosphere of purity, sincerity, virtue and pride.
In addition to these two pillars faith have to be stretched to the whole society in order for to formulate society in its molds and to construct the general environment according to its demands.

Two other pillars have taken care of that: fighting for the sake of Allah (Jihad), and ruling according to Allah�s orders.

We only described these two of being from the social pillars of Islam- because the individual though carrying the obligation of performing them- are still considered from the prime functions of the society. The society organizes, plans and prepares for Jihad and the society is also the one that controls the judicial system, chooses its men and carry on its verdicts.


If Islam fills the heart with faith that would motivate working and good manners that would prevent straying and falling into oblivion. If Islam would wrap public life with its strings and would hold its leads with its rules then with these two pillars Islam would impose its sovereignty over the sources of wealth in land, sea, deserts and plains. It would make the material energy of the nation a compelling force for its message and ideals.

Branches of faith can be distributed on the sections that we have pointed out whether they were conclusive or not.

We would like to mention a group of them as gathered by Al- Hafez Al-Bihaqi in his book titled �Branches of faith� explaining them on the light of what we mentioned earlier.

Righteousness has its own sacredness that urges one to be very enthusiastic for it, defend, and hold on to it until the end�
Being very enthusiastic for righteousness is an effect that results from true belief.
This branch of faith is placed by Al-Bihaqi under the title � One�s tenacity to his religion to an extent that being burned with fire would be easier on him than becoming an atheist.� As citation for this he mentions a saying of the Prophet pbuh narrated by Anas bin Malik saying that the Prophet pbuh said, �three qualities whoever has them would find the sweetness of faith: That Allah and His Messenger be more loved to him than anyone/thing else. To love someone else just for the sake of Allah, and to prefer to be thrown in fire would be more liked to him than returning to atheism after Allah has rescued him from it.�

In another Hadeeth (saying) narrated by Muslim: A man came and asked the Prophet (pbuh) for some charity. The Prophet pbuh gave him a valley full of sheep, the man went back to his people and told them: Oh people become Muslims, I swear by Allah that Mohammad is giving away in a manner of a man who is not afraid of poverty!

But is trying to win the hearts in this way a secret for Faith to enter their hearts? No�
The scholar narrating comments: � the man used to come to the Prophet pbuh with only this life is all that he cares for, by the evening you would find religion more loved to him than this life and all that�s in it.�

And from being enthusiastic for righteousness is for one to be friends or foe to others according to the principle they believe in not from hope or fear of them.

To testify for or against them only for justice implementing and injustice suppressed not for any other purposes.

This branch of Faith is linked directly to the politeness of the soul and passes through the individual worships though having a clear and conclusive effect upon the society.

Al-Bihaqi considered lawful earning a branch of Faith and he mentioned this correct Hadeeth for that purpose: � Oh people Allah is kind and accepts only kind deeds, and that Allah ordered the believers with what He ordered his messengers: O ye messengers! Enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness: for I am well acquainted with (all) that ye do. [23:51] And He said O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship. [2:172]

Then The Prophet pbuh mentioned a man who travels a lot and covered with dust from his long travel raising his hand to the sky and asking Oh my Lord, Oh my Lord, while his food is not lawful, nor his clothing, nor his drinking, and is being fed with forbidden, how would he expect Allah to answer his calls?�


This is a description for some hard working people who have strong desire for this life like a beast for his prey.

They suffer a lot for its wealth, but they don�t seem to get anything from Allah�s mercy because of their evil deeds and unlawful earnings.

Knowing that most people in their quest for wealth would say that the ends should be gotten no matter what the means were. They would go after their ends with every possible way without caring for lawful or forbidden.

And what the poor does for getting money from any source the rich does the same in seeking positions that might expand their wealth and degrees, but people of faith are innocent from all of this.


Al-Bihaqi mentioned some stories that would strengthen virtuousness in the souls and would urge earning from allowed sources only. Zaid bin Aslam said that Omar ibn Al-Khatab may Allah be pleased with him once drank some yogurt and liked it so he asked the one who gave it to him: from where did you get this yogurt? The man told him that he milked some of the cattle of the charity. Omar immediately put his hand in his mouth and forced himself to through up what he drank.

Another story by Besher bin Al-Hareth said that Yousef bin Asbat said: If a man made some worship Satan would ask his followers to look from where does he earn his living? If it were from a forbidden source Satan would tell his followers: leave him alone and don�t bother, let him work and tire himself it won�t do him any good.


Sufian Al-Thaoury (a scholar) was asked about the virtue of praying in the first line so he said: watch from where you eat the piece of bread which you earn and pray in the last line. And this is a direction for people to look for the obligatory deeds before the extra ones. Praying in the first line doesn�t compensate seeking lawful earnings though you find some people who are keen to pray in the first lines try to win their earnings from any sources they can get.

It is told that a scholar once witnessed people hurrying to stand in the first line so he told them: you should hurry towards eating lawful bread!

If what is allowed to eat not accepted to be earned by suspicious means then how about the forbidden?


Al Hakem bin Hisham told a son of his: Oh son, be ware from wine. It is vomit in your mouth, foolishness in your mind, punishment in your back, and you�ll be a joke for the kids, and a prisoner for those whom you are in debt for.


A poet- Al Hussein bin Aburahman- said:

I see all people feel jealous on their women,
But those who drink have none�
If you come to them they would welcome you,
But when you are absent then you are scorned�
You are only a brother to them when they get drunk,
But after that they wouldn�t even care�
I tell you these words not out of ignorance,
But of complete knowledge of their affairs�


The poet is saying the truth that drunk people have no Honor, and what you see from lack of honor in the west or east is due to the popularity of drinking, absence of thinking, and the awakening of desires. We ask Allah to relieve us from that.

The relation with life doesn�t mean only acquiring it from clean sources, but also being kind in exploiting its treasures is an asset for the religion of Allah.

To be able to use the earth, extract its wealth, and to be skilled in its various jobs and crafts in addition to knowledge in the universe powers and secrets are common characteristics Man with which he deserves to be called Allah�s representative on earth.

Of course people vary in their strengths and weaknesses, and wealth and poverty according to what they possess of these characteristics and benefit from them.

The race between right and wrong principles on taking the lead of this life depends also upon superiority in that side.

For this reason we consider skill in this life�s arts, and good usage of them for the right causes part of fighting for the sake of Allah (a Jihad).

And everything done in this field is considered a branch of faith as long as the intention is for Allah�s sake. If this wasn�t the case then the believers shouldn�t expect any victory for their cause.

True faith dominates the society and the environment and leads them to its goals like a wave carrying everything with it to its destination.

Of the branches that humanity is elevated by, and Islam is nourished with are good manners. Al-Bihaqi had something to say regarding this issue we�ll mention it after presenting the texts related to that.

�Good manner, and in it is restraining the anger, being lenient and humble because Allah said: And thou (stand) on an exalted standard of character. [68:4]
And said Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; for Allah loves those who do good. [3:134]

And for what Abdullah bin Amr said the Prophet (pbuh) wasn�t obscene and didn�t like obscenity. He said (pbuh), � The most beloved from among you to me is the ones with the best manners.�

And in a Hadeeth narrated by Aicha- the Prophet�s wife- she said, � whenever the Prophet was asked to choose between two things he would choose the easiest of them unless it was something sinful. If it were sinful he would be as far from it as possible. The Prophet never sought vengeance for himself except if it was something that would violate the holiness of Allah then he would avenge that.

Then Al-Bihaqi said: the meaning of good manners is for the human soul to straighten itself towards seeking the kindest, and the best of deeds whether in dealing with Allah almighty or with people.

With Allah almighty you will find the servant open hearted to Allah�s orders. You would find him do what he is told with pleasure and abstain from what he is told with consent. You would find him eager to do extra good, and leave doing a lot of the permitted if this permissible would take him away from being close to Allah and His worship with clean and happy heart.

In dealing with people you�d find him kind and pardoning with his rights. He wouldn�t ask others for them nor fight others on them.

If he got sick but no one came to check on him, if he came from a travel but no one came to see him, if he saluted others but they didn�t reply to him, if he did good but no one thanked him, if he asked to enter on some people but they didn�t let him, if he talked but no one listened, if he asked for permission to see a friend and wasn�t granted, if he proposed but wasn�t accepted, if he asked to be given more time to pay his debt but wasn�t approved, if he was accused with something but he didn�t do it, if all that happens he wouldn�t be angry and wonder about his situation. He wouldn�t feel lonely and neglected and he wouldn�t do the same to others if he had the opportunity. He wouldn�t even consider all that.

He would return the bad done to him with what is better and close to virtue and what is praised and pleased by others. Then he would pay back his debts as soon as possible, and keep his promises.

If one of his friends got sick he would visit him, if was asked for help he would give it, if was asked to prolong someone�s debt to him he would accept, and wouldn�t treat others in the way they treated him in the past rather he chooses those who are better than him as examples for him to follow.