Posted by Umm Sahl in Did You Know | 15 Comments
Step By Step
How often does it happens to all of us that we hear a lecture, attend a conference or read an article and suddenly an ImanRush springs into our hearts! “Yes I have to start doing something now!”
We have had such a huge Imanrush that we just feel like starting to do several good deeds at once.
But do we sit back, relax and think before advancing? How long can we continue doing all the good deeds we decided to do? At one point we would feel we are overburdened and would want to stop.
So how do you tackle this problem?
The solution is to start doing good deeds one by one, slowly and steadily. Once you are consistent with practicing one good deed, move on to the next one. In this way you won’t be overburdened and you won’t get frustrated thinking about the number of time you fall short of your duties.
Did you know that, the most beloved of good deeds to Allaah is that in which a person does it consistently, even if it is little?
Remember what Prophet (SAW) told us:“O people, you should do whatever good deeds you can, for Allaah does not get tired (of giving reward) until you get tired. And the most beloved of good deeds to Allaah is that in which a person persists, even if it is little.”
If the family of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) started to do something, they would persist in it.” (Bukhari)
So let’s remember to take one step at a time, be consistent in practising our deeds while making sure our footsteps are firm by the will and mercy of Allah SWT! Because, it’s easier to climb one step at a time than to traverse 10 steps at once!
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Umm Sahl, your sister in Islam, a wife and mother of 3 beautiful blessed babies
mash’Allah good reminder to increase our imaan graph by doing step by step…
A’Salaam A’kum all. Mashallah a very good article to make things much more simpler. I know this may sound very lame to many readers, but for the purpose of an open discussion – could anyone comment on using the same strategy to moving away from sin? Many a times I have had the ‘Iman Rush’ and decided I would quit or completely stop things which I know are not completely correct if it were to be taken from a pure Islamic stance.
However, unfortunately, what tends to happen often is, I resort back to the old ways with time, and then feel a lot of guilt and in fact feel extremely disturbed and worried about being a repeated wrong doer, even after making firm resolutions not to. Could moving away step by step be an option? I know I feel its just a way of false justification. Just raising this scenario if it may Inshallah benefit of the readers around.
J’Khairan.
Walaikum Assalam brother
I am also waiting for someone to have an open discussion on this:)
Till then, try reading these articles, insha Allah it will be highly helpful:
10 Ways of Protection from Shaytan: http://areweprepared.ca/post/2009/06/01/10-Ways-of-Protection-from-Shaytan.aspx
Fighting Satan: http://areweprepared.ca/post/2009/04/30/Fighting-Satan.aspx
What Hold does Satan have on You: http://areweprepared.ca/post/2009/04/04/What-Hold-does-the-Satan-have-on-You.aspx
These are articles are really very good. May Allah help us benefit from it, insha Allah.
WaAlaikum Salaam Brother,
I know this happens to many of us being in sin (major or minor) and then we tend to get rid of all but then it happens to us that we slowly slowly get into it again. Just as an Example if some one chooses to quit smoking..then all of a sudden he leaves…it like may be during the Holy month or for some new year resolution then they think whts wrong in smoking once a month.. then once a week then once in forthnight…then everyday!! then his condition is just before he took the oath not to quit smoking.
Few scholars says the Human beings i e Insaan as we call in Arabic. It is interesting to note that the Arabic word for human being is ‘insan’ which is derived from the word ‘nasiya’ which means ‘to forget.’ This indicates that it is in human nature to forget and make mistakes and so Muslims believe that humans should be aware of this and be quick to repent if they do wrong and not dwell on it afterwards as everyone makes mistakes.
Hence a Human being needs timely reminders of his deeds of his faith…of doign good…
This may Sound more as an advice and not any kind of discussion !!
May Allah guide us all and make us firm in his Belief & to Worship him & Fear him Alone.
JazakAllah Khair.
Ameen. that’s true if we keep our selves relax thinking i will leave this specific evil act after few days when i am a bit ready and have firm emaan…shaitan plays his variety of tactics so not to let us leave that what we had intended initially…but tell me if because of lack of Islamic knowledge you know these these these are all evil deeds and you really want to leave but because of family pressure and personal interest to a minute extent you are unable to leave some of them but you are really tensed to nth degree concerning those you were unable to leave at present…how to tackle such feelings and failures….and please tell me when person knows s/he will be committing a sin because of family pressure and not out of his/her own desire and that upcoming sin that s/he will be committing (may Allah protect us from being sinful) is making him/her really distress than what a person should do in that particular scenario…apart from making lots lots of du’as not to commit that specific sin….its confusing…but step by step means what sister????? apart from what is mentioned in the beautiful article 🙂
Assalamu alaykum everyone at AWP 🙂
The comments on this post are very interestin …i decided to add mine, too lol
I am writin in response to : how to be away from sins…step by step?
Islam’s teacher say somethin like this : never give into shaytan…if you commit a sin…repent! the door of forgiveness is ever opened 🙂
everyone of us slip over and over again. Shaytan wants to make us feel we are really bad people and makes every possible effort to make us feel hopeless.
Remember that: "No one despairs of Allah’s mercy except those who have no taith." [Surah Yusuf]
And, there is haidth in Bukhari, ‘When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His Book which is with Him on His Throne, ‘My Mercy overpowers My Anger.’
Rather than bein in a state of despair, be quick to repent!!
And, keep in mind a hadith : "Remorse is repentance" [Tirmidhi]
So feelin bad after sin is good, acutally.
My understandin is, we can’t leave sinnin completely. Because, "Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who repent constantly." [Ibn Majah, Tirmizi]
May Allah make us of those who rush towards the forgiveness of Allah and are THE BeSt!!!! :):)
Please, note : I aint a scholar, Mufti, Alim or anythin of that status…have shared only what I have learnt over the last couple of years…
Anythin that is correct, accept it. Mistakes are from my nafs and whispers of shaytan, reject them!!
Wassalamu alaykum waRahmatullahi waBarakaatuhu
JazakAllahu Khairan Anonymous:) for sharing your thoughts and views
Wa iyyaki sis
And, I am here to correct some of the mistakes :
it’s ‘faith’ in the ayat from Surah Yusuf.
And, the hadith "Remorse is repentance" is recorded in Ibn Majah, not tirmidhi.
SalaaaaaaammMMMMM 🙂
The way to leave the sins step by step :
1. leave bad people’s company at once!!
2. Don’t go to the places where you are reminded that sin.
8. Don’t sit idle. Keep busy with something that’ll bring you closer to Allah and to Jannat.
4. Control your tongue, salah, and chastity. If one protects them then Allah will protect him. I learnt it in a class at : http://www.chatislam.com
4. Learn the basics of Islam…start with Knowin Allah…His Perfect Names and attributes…How to worship Him…why to worship Him…Knowin the Angels, the Prophets…all the fundamentals of faith!! And, the pillars of Islam, also.
Why? Because, for many years Allah kept on revealin the aayaat on the Oneness of Allah – Tawheed (I was told so).
And, my sis Khadejah said that once the base is strong then it becomes easy to do everything that Allah has commanded. For instance, when the news of prohibition of alcohol reached the companions, they threw the bottles that they had, immediately. Those who had the alcohol in their mouth, spat!! My sis explains it’s because their trust on Allah was strong…they knew who Allah is.
How to make Iman strong : the more you learn, the more your faith on Allah increases. So keep yourself busy with learning Islam rather than sittin idle!!
If new ideas come to my mind, I will share, Insha ‘Allah 🙂
Please, if you find anythin incorrect, do inform me and I shall correct my mistake, Insha ‘Allah 🙂
Wassalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarkaatuhu
JazakAllahu Khairan sister..
Beautiful tips:) Alhamdulillah…
JazakiAllah khair khair Anonymous for your VALUABLE and PRACTICAL suggestions. May Allah Bless you with High Imaan at allllllllllll Times including all of us. Exactly we HAVE to make our base stronger to stand firm at all calamities. Alhamdulilah and May Allah bless you alllllllll. I am honored to be see such pious muslims through your blog Sister Shayistha. Barakallahu feekum
Salam alaykum,
Wa iyaki sis Shayistha 🙂 I am too happy to be part of this deen and I love this sisterhood in Islam, really!!!!!!!!
Ameeeeeeeeeeenn sis in deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenn to your duas May Allah bless you with the high Imaan, too!!!!!!!! 🙂
May I be far more better in the eyes of Allah than what you expect, Sister!!!!!!!!!!
Take care both of you sisters :):):)
Wassalamu alaykum waRahmatullahi wabarakatuhu
Ameen lovely Anonymous :):):)
A’Salaam A’kum. Mashallah, its such a good feel to see such participation. Firstly, apologies for not being able to respond or thank anyone earlier on itself. May Allah reward all of you for your involvement and stride towards becoming better Muslims and Muslimahs.
The hadith "Remorse is repentance" [Tirmidhi] stated above really helps as I feel it gives all of us more hope that Allah will Inshallah forgive us for our sins, and that we will be able to amend our ways. A very personal viewpoint, I think many a times, individuals who would have otherwise led commendable and respectable lives – due to peer pressure or a slip of faith – sin; what follows is an utter feeling of self dejection and the self esteem rock bottoms to concluding that now there is no turning back – a sinner once, is a sinner for life – I pray sincerely that Allah save us all from this very dangerous loop, because it is extremely extremely difficul to break that self destructive cycle!
Also as mentioned above, our surroundings and peer group play a very important role in helping us remain steadfast or leading us to our downfall – especially when one under goes the sudden transition from family to university – and surprisingly more often than one would think – the empty phase when one moves out of university and before he/she gets settled on a routine/settled in life.
As brother Suhail rightly pointed out, forgetfulness is part of human nature, and this is where constant reminders from sites like AWP really comes to help! I am sure, there are readers out there who have felt that connection with faith in their lives, and then the problems they may be facing in day to day life seems ok/bearable, but as we slip away and lose that connection, the same us, find the same set of problems completely taking control over us.
I am not sure if anything I penned above is of any help, and I apologise sincerely for any mistakes or wrong standpoints that I may have presented.
May Allah help us all become more closer to Islam.
aslkm to all …..d hadith "remorse is repentance" is an excellent one considering todays scenario!its an excellent first step towards increasin ur imaan….and its been helpful to me!!!!