A Good ‘Muslim’: 10 Signs

  

Say, ‘Follow me if you love Allâh’ (3:32)

 

A ‘Muslim’ is, literally, one who submits to the Will of God; someone who follows in the footsteps of holy prophet Muhammad ^(sa) in quest of Divine forgiveness and approval and salvation. Between the lines of its pure message, the Holy Qur’an gives us an intimate portrait of true believers. Indeed, the character-sketch of a sincere devotee of God is clearly discernible  in the Book of God. A Muslim is one who loudly proclaims ‘Laa Ilaaaha Illallah, Muhammad Rasulullah’ [There is no diety except Allah; Muhammad is His messenger’]. A true Muslim is the one who backs his/her verbal declaration or profession of commitment to Faith with actual good deeds in everyday life as evidence in support of his claims of belief.    

 

The Qur’an notes: ‘The desert Arabs say, ‘We have faith.’ [Prophet], tell them, ‘You do not have faith. What you should say instead is, “We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered your hearts.’ If you obey God and His Messenger, He will not diminish any of your deeds: He is most forgiving and most merciful. The true believers are the ones who have faith in God and His Messenger and leave all doubt behind, the ones who have struggled with their possessions and their persons in God’s way: they are the ones who are true.’ (49: 15-16)

According to the Qur’an, most people know only the outer aspects of life in this present world and have no concern for the life to come in the Hereafter. On the other hand, believers are acutely conscious of the hidden realities of life in this universe. Even when they cannot see God, the believer understands that all journeys’ end in our Sustainer, the Great Fashioner of all destinies; and that 'free-will' entails the choice to abide by Law in exchange for Divine pleasure in Heavenly abode, or to earn the punishment of Hellfire for choosing to be a lawbreaker in this world, and that everyone will face their own records on the Day of Judgement before our Just Lord.

Indeed, what distinguishes true believers from the rest of the people is their sense of gratitude towards the Lord who makes it possible for us all to experience the blessings of life in this world. The human faculty of discernment is illumined when the clear guidance of Divine wisdom- taught by the Prophets- is followed and implemented in everyday life. A believer recognizes that through the creation of humans with free will, God wishes that we use our ‘brains’ and follow His revelations (the Scripture and the Balance), and thereby become perfect believers- the resplendent and illuminated women and men of Faith in this world- the real ‘trustees’ of God on earth: those who attain the true purpose of life and gain the high destiny He promises for the truly good in the Garden of Bliss, Insha Allah, Aameen.

 

Every verse  ['Ayat'] of the Divine Book is a Sign for true believers to absorb and gain insights to grow spiritually. Reproduced below are the holy verses of the Qur’an that speak about the fine qualities and distinguishing characteristics of true believers- for everyone to reflect upon and profit by:   

‘This is the Scripture in which there is no doubt, containing guidance for those who are mindful of God, who believe in the unseen, keep up the prayer, and give out of what We have provided for them; those who believe in the revelation sent down to you [Muhammad], and in what was sent before you, those who have firm faith in the Hereafter. Such people are following their Lord’s guidance and it is they who will prosper.’ (2: 2-6)

 

‘These are the verses of the wise Scripture, [with] guidance and mercy for those who do good, who keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and are certain of the Hereafter: these are rightly guided by their Lord, and it is they who will prosper.’ (31:3-7)

 

‘What you have been given is only the fleeting enjoyment of this world. Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry; respond to their Lord; keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; give to others out of what We have provided for them; and defend themselves when they are oppressed.’ (42: 37-40)

‘Allah compares those who believe to Pharaoh’s wife, who said, ‘Lord, build me a house near You in the Garden. Save me from Pharaoh and his actions; save me from the evildoers.’ And (Allah next compares the believers) to Mary, the daughter of Imrân, she who took care to guard her chastity, so we breathed into him (the believer who is exemplified here) Our inspiration while she declared her faith in the revelations of her Lord and His Scriptures and she became of the devoted ones to prayers and obedient to Him.’ (66: 12-13)

 

‘It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and true Faith so that He may help it prevail over all other faiths. Indeed, Allâh is Sufficient to bear witness (to the truth of Islam). Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh, and those who are with him are (also) firm and strict against the disbelievers (to accept their influence), but soft-hearted and compassionate towards one another. (Reader!) You will find them kneeling and prostrating themselves (in Prayer). They seek grace from Allâh and His good pleasure. Their distinctive indication is (apparent) on their faces from the illuminous traces of (their) prostration. Such is the description (of these attributes of theirs) in the Torah, and their description in the Evangel is that they (will be) like a seed-produce that sends forth its sprout, then makes it strong. It then becomes stout and stands firm on its stem giving delight to the sowers; (Allâh will in a similar way raise the believers from strength to strength) with the result that He may make the disbelievers suffer an impotent rage because of them. Allâh has promised His protection and a great reward to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness.’ (48: 29-30)

 

‘…The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travellers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage; those who keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms; who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God.’ (2:178)

 

Who expend in prosperity and adversity, and restrain their rage, and pardon their fellow-men; and God loves those who are virtuous.’ (3:134)

 

‘And they give food, despite [their] love of it to the needy, and the orphan, and the prisoner’. (76:8)

 

‘And those who persevere in seeking the favour of their Lord, and observe Prayer, and spend out of that with which We have provided them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good. It is these who shall have the best reward of the final abode’ (13:23).

 

‘And they were not commanded but to serve Allah, bearing true faith in Him, (and) being upright, and to observe Prayer, and to keep on presenting the Zakat. That is the true and firm conduct of faith’. (98:6) 

‘The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace’; those who spend the night bowed down or standing, worshipping their Lord, who plead, ‘Our Lord, turn away from us the suffering of Hell, for it is a dreadful torment to suffer! It is an evil home, a foul resting place!’ They are those who are neither wasteful nor niggardly when they spend, but keep to a just balance; those who never invoke any other deity beside God, nor take a life, which God has made sacred, except in the pursuit of justice, nor commit adultery. (Whoever does these things will face the penalties: their torment will be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and they will remain in torment, disgraced, except those who repent, believe, and do good deeds: God will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. He is most forgiving, most merciful. People who repent and do good deeds truly return to God.)’ [25: 64-72]

 

‘[The servants of the Lord of Mercy are] those who do not give false testimony, and who, when they see some frivolity, pass by with dignity; who, when reminded of their Lord’s signs, do not turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to them; those who pray, ‘Our Lord, give us joy in our spouses and offspring. Make us good examples to those who are aware of You’. These servants will be rewarded with the highest place in Paradise for their steadfastness. There they will be met with greetings and peace. There they will stay– a happy home and resting place!’ (25: 73-77)

‘Is one who worships devoutly during the hour of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord - (like one who does not)? Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.’ (39: 10) 

‘Man was truly created anxious: he is fretful when misfortune touches him, but tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way. Not so those who pray and are constant in their prayers; who give a due share of their wealth to beggars and the deprived; who believe in the Day of Judgement and fear the punishment of their Lord––none may feel wholly secure from it––who guard their chastity from all but their spouses or their slave-girls––there is no blame attached to [relations with] these, but those whose desires exceed this limit are truly transgressors––who are faithful to their trusts and their pledges; who give honest testimony and are steadfast in their prayers. They will be honoured in Gardens of bliss.’ (70: 20-36) 

‘We have commanded man to be good to his parents: his mother struggled to carry him and struggled to give birth to him– his bearing and weaning took a full thirty months. When he has grown to manhood and reached the age of forty he [may] say, ‘Lord, help me to be truly grateful for Your favours to me and to my parents; help me to do good work that pleases You; make my offspring good. I turn to You; I am one of those who devote themselves to You.’ We accept from such people the best of what they do and We overlook their bad deeds. They will be among the people of Paradise– the true promise that has been given to them.’ (46:16-17) 

‘[How] prosperous are the believers! Those who pray humbly, who shun idle talk, who pay the prescribed alms, who guard their chastity except with their spouses or their slaves ––with these they are not to blame, but anyone who seeks more than this is exceeding the limits––who are faithful to their trusts and pledges and who keep up their prayers, will rightly be given Paradise as their own, there to remain.’ (23: 2-12)

‘Can someone who knows that the revelation from your Lord is the Truth be equal to someone who is blind? Only those with understanding will take it to heart; those who fulfill the agreements they make in God’s name and do not break their pledges; who join together what God commands to be joined; who are in awe of their Lord and fear the harshness of the Reckoning; who remain steadfast through their desire for the face of their Lord; who keep up the prayer; who give secretly and openly from what We have provided for them; who repel evil with good. These will have the reward of the [true] home: they will enter perpetual Gardens, long with their righteous ancestors, spouses, and descendants; the angels will go in to them from every gate, ‘Peace be with you, because you have remained steadfast. What an excellent reward is this home of yours!’ (13: 20-25)