1. Whatever the situation, a believer does not change
In the status of welfare, most people praise and thank Allah, but when they face a sign of any problem, many mistrust Allah Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone other than the believer." (Muslim, #2999) In the status of welfare, most people praise and thank Allah, but when they face a sign of any problem, many mistrust Allah (SWT) and begin to neglect worship. The person whose worship changes with the change of his situation is not a true believer, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, and Allah warned of the dangerous turn:
Allah (SWT) says (what means): {And many a prophet (i.e. many from amongst the prophets) fought (in Allah's Cause) and along with him (fought) large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah's Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves As- Sabirin (the patient ones)} (Surah Al-Imran, 3:146)
And Allah (SWT) says: {When they came upon you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes grew wild and the hearts reached to the throats, and you were harboring doubts about Allah. There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking. And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubts) said: "Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!"} (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:10-12)
And in another verse, He (SWT) says: {Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah, of them some have fulfilled their obligations, and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allah] in the least.} (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23)
This means: If you change your trust level in Allah, your worship, or your straightness along with the change of your circumstances and status, then your actions negate the real belief in Allah, because a true believer in Allah is characterized by the Prophet's description: "If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer." If your circumstances have changed, you should roll up your sleeves and renew your faith in Allah, because a true believer never changes with the change of the circumstances.
Allah (SWT) also says: {And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were, upon the very edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts back to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss.}(Surah Al-Hajj, 22:11) Allah puts the believers to the test, and He sends precise tests and trials. Allah (SWT) says: {Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested?} (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:2)
There must be a test, as Allah The Almighty says: {And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones).}(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:155)
If the market is in a good condition, you'll find the trader cheerful and glad, he talks about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he talks about doing good deeds. But if the condition of the market is not good, he loses his eagerness to do so. A true believer should not be affected by any circumstances, because he deals with The Creator of the universe, he deals with Allah (SWT); this is the first bargain.
2. Love and caring for believers
This is the second. Your cooperative action toward your brothers is an indication of your true belief characteristic. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The believers are like a structure, each supporting the other.” [Sahih Muslim, Book 032, Number 6257] It means that your cooperative action toward your brothers is an indication of your true belief, if you love your Muslim brothers and relieve them of their difficulties, this will be an indication of your true belief; helping each other is one of the believer's characteristics. It has been said: "A believer has four enemies: a jealous believer, a detesting hypocrite, a deviating Satan, and a hostile infidel." If believers envy each other, then their level of faith will be low.
So the second sign of a believer is to love and help fellow Muslim brothers, to feel their pain and joy, to be happy for their happiness. If your Muslim brother gets something good, succeeds in his job or marriage, or gets a certificate or degree, and you feel happy for him, then you are a true believer. As for the hypocrite, Allah (SWT) says: {If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it.} (Surah Al- Imran, 3:120) The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The believers are like a structure, each supporting the other."
3. A true believer is a well-mannered person
Abu Darda' narrated that the prophet, peace be upon him, said: “There is nothing heavier in the scale of a believer (on the Day of Judgment) than good character.” [Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 4781] and At-Tirmidhi]
Faith means: morality, bravery, generosity, patience, forgiveness, forbearance, and humbleness. If he is a well-mannered person and treats his family well, then for sure he behaves well with other people When you describe a person as "a believer", this means that he is a well-mannered person, because if he were ill-mannered, people would hate the religion because of him, and will not earn the pleasure of Allah in return. Furthermore, his behavior with his family at home indicates his level of morality, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The best one of you is the best among you to his family" [Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3252]
There is no surveillance on man in his home; he fears nothing. If he is a well-mannered person and treats his family well, then for sure he behaves well with other people. And on the contrary, if he is kind and polite with people outside his home, but bad-tempered at home, this means that this kindness and politeness are not morals that would satisfy Allah (SWT), because they are acts of self-interest that depend on the person's intelligence and benefit. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “A believer achieves by his good conduct the same reward as a person who fasts much and prays (the voluntary prayer) during the night.” (Abu Dawud)
4. Reciting the Holy Quran is a requirement for the believer
In this authentic hadith, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, says: "The example of a believer, who recites the Qur’an (and acts according to it), is like an orange (utrujjah) which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of the believer who does not recite the Qur’an (but acts according to it) is like a date that tastes sweet but has no smell. And the example of the hypocrite who recites the Quran is like a sweet basil which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth (bitter apple) which tastes bitter and has a bad smell." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim, hadith no. 995 from Riyad Us-Saliheen]
This means that reciting the Quran is among the requirements of faith; the Quran is the spring of the heart of believer; the Quran is Allah's tight rope; the Quran is the Straight Path, and the believer worships Allah by reciting the Holy Quran. So glad tidings for the reciters of the Holy Quran, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "He who comprehends the Quran, Allah grants him enjoyment in his mind until he dies."
5. A true believer does not outbid his brother
"A believer is a brother to another believer. It is therefore not lawful for him to outbid his brother in buying something, or to propose to a woman when his brother has done so, unless he gives him permission." [Muslim, Book 8 Hadith 3294]
This is a sign of true belief: If a Muslim brother buys or sells something, then you should have nothing to do with that transaction until it is done. If you heard that your brother got a good sale bargain, and you outbid him by offering the buyer a lower and more competitive price, this would not make you a true believer. Our righteous ancestors would not do so; if a buyer came to a merchant, he would sell to him properly, but if another buyer came, he would tell him "I've already sold to a buyer, please go and buy from my neighbor" (wanting to benefit his neighbor). This is among the characteristics of true believers; you shouldn't outbid your brother, or propose to a woman that has been proposed to by your brother as this conduct conflicts with true belief.
6. A believer should be shrewd
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "A believer is not stung twice (by something) out of one and the same hole." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, #154; Muslim, Vol. 4, #7137] Imam Al-Shafi' said: "I never give my enemy a chance to cheat me twice"
Allah the Almighty says: "O you who believe! Take your precautions" (Surah Al-Nisaa, 4:71)
A true believer should be smart, cautious, and can't be deceived easily, as Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I am not sly, and a sly man can't deceive me." It means that I'm not vicious to cheat and harm people. On the other hand, I'm not naïve to be deceived easily.
7. Glad tidings for the believers
A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: “What do you say regarding a man who does a good deed and others praise him for it?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “That is one of the early glad tidings that a believer will receive (for the good he does)” [Muslim] If there is a person who is described as "a righteous believer", as he always does good deeds, it is normal that people will praise his deeds and love him, this is not hypocrisy; but the nature of his faith indicates his righteousness, patience, humbleness, and mercy; this is the early glad tidings that a believer will receive for the good he does.
This means; if Allah loves you, He makes people love you too, because the hearts of the servants (of Allah) are between the Fingers of the Most Beneficent (Ar-Rahman).
8. A believer is not somebody who curses
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A believer is not a defamer nor a curser nor coarse nor obscene." [Bukhari, Adab Al-Mufrad XV, #312] The believer should control his tongue; he shouldn't curse, insult, or say something obscene or ribald. Some people say that you should be tough in order to be a real man........ Is that really among the characteristics of a true believer? Of course not, because you'll contradict the Sunnah. Whatever the situation is, you should not say anything vulgar or harsh, just remember the Prophet's saying (peace be upon him): "A believer is not a defamer nor a curser nor coarse nor obscene." Obscenity means to reach to an unbearable extent of harsh words, slander, curses, and defamation. What does the soul of the believer get attached to?
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The soul of the believer is chained to his debt until it is paid on his behalf" [Musnad Ahmad (9302), Sunan al-Tirmidhî (1078), and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (2413); Al-Tirmidhî grades it as a good hadîth and al-Albânî grades it as authentic] It means that the matter of debt is something related to the rights of the servants (of Allah). Some Islamic scholars said: "The rights of Allah are based on leniency and pardon, whereas the rights of human beings are incontestable."
Most people conceive that if they go to Hajj, they will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins].... Well, this is true to some extent with concern to the sins that are between you and Allah, but that doesn't apply to the sins that are between you and the servants (of Allah), because these sins will not be pardoned, except by settlement and forgiveness. Some people procrastinate their debt settlement. They don't duly settle their debts intentionally, because they think that the creditor is a very rich man and this amount of money will not affect his fortune, so they procrastinate their debt settlement. This is not the characteristic of true believers because the soul of the believer is chained to his debt until it is paid on his behalf. Even for the martyr, who sacrifices his soul for the sake of Allah, Allah forgives all his sins except his debt.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was praying for his (dead) companions, he used to say: "Does he have any outstanding debts?" If they said yes, he said "pray for your (dead) companion", but if someone took the responsibility for paying the debt, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for him.
Jabir narrated that a man died and they washed him, perfumed him and shrouded him. Then he was brought to Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, to lead the funeral prayer for him. They asked, "Could you pray for him?" He took a step forward then asked: "Does he have any outstanding debts?" It was answered: "Two dinars." He said: "Make the funeral prayer for your companion," and began to leave. Abu Qatadah took responsibility for [paying] the debt, saying, "The two dinars are my responsibility." Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) asked: "Will the creditor be taken care of and will the dead person be absolved from them?" He replied, "Yes," so the Prophet (peace be upon him) led the funeral prayer for him. A day later he asked Abu Qatadah: "What was done about the two dinars? He replied, "He only died yesterday!" The following day he returned to the Prophet and said, "I have paid them off." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Now his skin has become cool." [Musnad Ahmad (3/629); classed as hasan by al-Nawawi in al-Khalaasah (2/931) and by Ibn Muflih in al-Adaab al- Shar’iyyah (1/104). ]
This means that survival from the grave torment can be achieved by settling the debt not just by words.
You should learn and understand this Hadith: Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "None of you should wish for death and neither should one make duaa for it before its time. Verily when one of you dies, (the ability to add to) his deeds is finished. The life of a believer only increases him in good." [Muslim: Book 35 Hadith 6485] Abdullah ibn Busr Al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The best of people is one whose life is long and his conduct is good". [At-Tirmidhi; Imam Al- Nawawi's Riyad-us-Saliheen Chapter 11, #108] Excellence is among the believer's characteristics
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer." [Muslim: Book 33 Hadith 6441]
There are several types of power; there is the power of money, the power of influence...etc. A strong believer can do a lot of good deeds that the weak one can't achieve. A rich believer can do many charitable and beneficent deeds that the poor one can't do. A Muslim scholar is more beneficent to people than the uneducated Muslim. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "High ambition is a part of faith". everything that happens to a believer is considered good for him, because he believes that everything comes from Allah
Excellence is one of the characteristics of a true believer, the strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than the weak believer, but the Prophet (peace be upon him), who had been given wisdom, said: "and there is good in each."; this means that there is good in all believers whether they are weak, poor or uneducated ones, but by financial, administrative, and intellectual powers and abilities, you can achieve many good and beneficent deeds.
Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: "A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in each, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had done that, so and so would not have happened, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do, as your saying "if" opens the (gate) for the Satan." [Muslim: Book 33 Hadith 6441] This means that everything that happens to a believer is considered good for him, because he believes that everything comes from Allah.
Don't bear a grudge For example: If a tender father beats his son with a stick, will the son bear a grudge against the stick? Of course not, similarly for a believer who considers that any person who harms him or causes him injury a discipline tool in the hand of Allah in order to bring him back to the right path.
Allah The Almighty says: {And you (Muhammad) threw not when you did throw but Allah threw} (Al-Anfal, 8:17) {The Hand of Allah is over their hands} (Al-Fath, 48:10)
When you believe in the Oneness of Allah The Almighty, you don't bear a grudge, because the basis of the grudge is polytheism. Allah The Almighty says: {So invoke not with Allah another ilah (god) lest you be among those who receive punishment.} (Surah Ash-Shu'ara', 26:213)
{And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred.} (Surah Ash-Shu'ara', 26:214)
Conclusion All of the above mentioned hadiths are authentic ones, which the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, in order to be a standard measure for us. I've mentioned in the beginning of the lesson that the human being generally flatters and praises himself; as he complains about his livelihood, but praises his intellect, so in order not to fall in this trap and misjudge ourselves (to think that we are so good, but actually we are not), I've mentioned some of the characteristics of true believers as described by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Oh Allah, teach us what is good for us, and benefit us from what You taught us, and increase our knowledge.
Allahu A'lam - And Allah Knows Best !!
Courtesy Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi www.iloveAllaah.com