By A. Helwa
“And whoever puts all his trust in God, He will be enough for him.” (Qur’an 65:3)
Iman is having faith in the unseen and trusting that God always has our best interests at heart. Faith is about tawakul, or sincere trust that whatever Allah chooses for us to experience, be it a blessing or a trial, is ultimately in service of our deeper witnessing of Him. Since faith blossoms in direct relationship with our trust in God, we can water the seeds of our faith through chanting and meditation. For example, we may chant or repeat the Qur’anic verse, Hasbuna Allah wa ni’ma al Wakil, which means, “Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best Protector: (3:173) When we practice this powerful chant of remembrance or dhikr while experiencing fear or doubt, it increases our receptivity to the love and light of God, which further nourishes the seeds of faith within us.
At its core, surrendering in faith is the acknowledgement that although we may not have power over the outcomes of our life, we always have the freedom to choose the state of our spirit, in meeting the trials and blessings that are written for us. Some make the mistake of thinking faith is a feeling, when in fact in many ways it is a choice to be open to what Allah has already given us. At its essence, faith is having the trust and patience to hold on to your relationship with God through the changing winds of your feelings and circumstances.
Islamic sages have said, “Faith is comprised of two things: one half is patience and the other half is gratitude.” Patience is a necessary element of fostering faith, because sometimes it takes time to unveil the divine purpose behind God’s will. Patience and true reliance on Allah lead to gratefulness, because when we understand that God always wants better for us than we could ever imagine for ourselves we are naturally inclined toward being grateful. To have iman is to believe that although the future is unknown, our God is known and forever faithful. To have faith is to proclaim that although we don’t know what tomorrow will hold, we know that God is already there, embracing and protecting our souls.
This blog is an excerpt from A. Helwa’s recently published best-selling book, “Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey into the Heart of Islam.” Her book is available on Amazon.com
About A. Helwa
A. Helwa believes that every single person on Earth is deeply loved by the Divine. She is a writer who has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers through her passionate, poetic, and love-based approach to spirituality. Her popular blog @quranquotesdaily, was established while obtaining her Masters in Divinity, as a means of helping others overcome personal and spiritual struggles on their journey of experiencing divine love.
With over 15 years of experience writing and speaking on Islam and spiritual development, A. Helwa draws from her personal experiences and traditional sources to help her readers access ‘Divine love in everyday life.’