Steadfastness is a sign of acceptance… Will you remain steadfast?
- Suggested points:
1) The meaning and reality of steadfastness
2) Steadfastness is a divine commandment
3) Steadfastness after obedience is greater than obedience itself
4) One of the signs of Ramadan’s acceptance is the continuation of obedience afterward
5) The state of the righteous predecessors after the seasons (fear + perseverance)
6) The danger of backsliding after Ramadan
7) Examples of instability (abandoning prayer, returning to sins…)
8) Means of steadfastness
9) Steadfastness is the path to salvation
- Introduction:
All praise is due to Allah, who commanded steadfastness and promised Paradise for it, and forbade deviation and made its consequence manifest loss. We praise Him, the Exalted, for His guidance, we seek His help in obeying Him, and we ask His forgiveness for our shortcomings and slips. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
Now then: O servants of Allah, the question is not: Have you worshipped Allah? But have you remained steadfast in your worship? How many a righteous person has fallen, how many a repentant person has relapsed, and how many a heart has known the path only to stray from it! The most dangerous thing a believer faces is not the beginning of guidance, but its continuation until death.
- The meaning and reality of steadfastness:
True steadfastness is adhering to the straight path outwardly and inwardly, with the heart remaining firm in faith and the limbs continuing in obedience, without being swayed by temptation or desire. God Almighty says: {Indeed, those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remain steadfast} [Fussilat: 30]. “Then” here is not merely a chronological order, but rather an order of trial and testing. That is, they remained steadfast after declaring their belief and did not waver in the face of temptation. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Steadfastness is a comprehensive term encompassing the entirety of the religion. Muslim narrated on the authority of Sufyan ibn Abdullah al-Thaqafi, who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not need to ask anyone else about after you.’ He said, ‘Say, “I believe in Allah,” and then be steadfast.’”
Indeed, this hadith is a fundamental principle regarding steadfastness, encompassing the entirety of the religion in two phrases: a creed (“I believe in Allah”) and a way of life (“and then be steadfast”). • Uprightness is a weighty divine command:
Yes, it is a weighty divine command. God Almighty said: {So be upright as you have been commanded} [Hud: 112]. The commentators said:
This verse is among the most difficult verses revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. At-Tirmidhi narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Surah Hud and its sister surahs have aged me.” Why the gray hair? Because it entails a duty to be completely and consistently upright, without deviation… Yes, “as you have been commanded” means: Do not follow your desires… Do not choose what suits you… Rather, adhere to what God has ordained.
- Uprightness after obedience is greater than obedience itself:
O servants of God: Many may perform acts of obedience, but only the sincere can remain steadfast in them. God Almighty says:
“And do not be like the one who unravels her spun thread” [An-Nahl: 92]. This is a terrifying image: She builds then destroys, she obeys then turns back. Therefore, the two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The most beloved deeds to God are those that are done consistently, even if they are small.” Consistency is more beloved to God than a multitude that is intermittent, because it is evidence of truthfulness, sincerity, and steadfastness. • One of the signs of acceptance of Ramadan is the continuation of obedience after it:
Allah Almighty said: {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (of death)} [Al-Hijr: 99]. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: Allah has refused to set a limit for the believer’s deeds except death… So whoever worships Allah only in Ramadan is as if he has set a season for Allah! This is contrary to the meaning of servitude. Some of the predecessors said: The reward for a good deed is another good deed after it. Therefore, a sign of acceptance is that after Ramadan you find yourself closer to God, not further away…
- The state of the righteous predecessors: between fear and perseverance:
O servants of God, listen to the words of God Almighty: {And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful} [Al-Mu’minun: 60]. Fear and apprehension are associated with obedience, not with disobedience. They fear that their deeds will not be accepted and that they will be rejected. At-Tirmidhi narrated on the authority of Aisha, may God be pleased with her, that she said:I asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about this verse: “Is it about the one who steals and commits adultery?”
He replied: “No, daughter of Abu Bakr, but it is about the one who prays, fasts, gives charity, and yet fears that it will not be accepted from him.” They combined action with fear, while we combine negligence with complacency!
- The danger of relapse:
Relapse is not merely a sin, but a change in the direction of the heart. Muslim narrated on the authority of Hudhayfah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Trials are presented to the hearts like a reed mat, one reed at a time. Any heart that absorbs them will have a black spot placed upon it, and any heart that rejects them will have a white spot placed upon it, until there are two types of hearts: one that is white like pure marble, and no trial can harm it as long as it remains pure.” The heavens and the earth, and the other is black and dusty like a jug, lying flat, not knowing what is good, nor rejecting what is evil, except what he has imbibed of his own desires. And hope: until the heart ends up as: a steadfast white heart… or a black, inverted heart…
Relapse means: the death of faith-based awareness, and becoming accustomed to sin. Herein lies the loss of God’s awe, and therein lies the catastrophe, which is a bad end. The two Sheikhs narrated, on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Sa’idi, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “A man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise, as it appears to people, while he is among the people of Hellfire. And a man may do the deeds of the people of Hellfire, as it appears to people, while he is among the people of Paradise.” So the real danger is a bad end due to instability.
- Examples of instability:
It is painful to not remain steadfast after Ramadan. Among the examples of instability and lack of righteousness is abandoning prayer after being consistent, returning to hidden sins after repentance, forsaking the Quran after becoming familiar with it, and indulging in desires after purification. This type of person forgot God, so God made him forget himself. And He, the Exalted, said: {And do not be like those who forgot God, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.} [Al-Hashr: 19] That is, He punished them by depriving them of guidance.
- Means of Steadfastness:
Therefore, dear brothers, there must be means of steadfastness, and I will mention some of them:
- Constant dependence on God: Among the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) supplications, as narrated by At-Tirmidhi, was:”O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.” Know, O poor soul, that steadfastness is not due to your own intelligence, but rather to God’s grace.
- Disciplined Continuity: Yes, discipline in obedience is like discipline in food and drink. The two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) narrated on the authority of Aisha that she said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had a mat, and he would set it aside at night and pray on it. So the people began to pray behind him, and he would spread it out during the day. Then one night they returned, and he said: “O people, you should perform only those deeds which you are capable of, for Allah does not tire until you tire, and indeed, the most beloved of deeds is that which you do not do.” Deeds are accepted by God as long as they are done consistently, even if they are few. And the family of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when they performed an action, they would establish it…
- Good companionship: A person is nothing but a companion, and a companion is nothing but an influence. God says: {And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And do not let your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the adornments of the worldly life. And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who has followed his desire and whose affair has become extreme.} [Al-Kahf: 28]. Look at this, God’s address to His beloved, peace and blessings be upon him. And peace be upon him; so what about us? This is why the beloved said: “A person is on the religion of his friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” Narrated by Abu Dawud
- Renewing Faith: Yes, renewing the covenant with God, and reflecting on your current state, dear brother. Al-Hakim narrated on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas, who said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, faith wears out in the heart of one of you just as a garment wears out. So ask God to renew faith in your hearts…”
- Finally, dear brothers: Know that steadfastness is the path to salvation. God Almighty said: “Indeed, those who say, ‘Our Lord is God,’ and then…” They remained steadfast.The angels descended upon them. Do you know when? At the moment of death… at the most critical moment! They gave them glad tidings: “Fear not, nor grieve, and receive the good news of Paradise.” This is the reward for steadfastness, not for beginning.
So, O servant of God, the question is not: Did you fast? Rather: Did you remain steadfast after fasting? The question is not: Did you weep? Rather: Did you change? And remember that Satan is not saddened by your worship of God for a single day; but he is saddened by your steadfastness for a lifetime. If you are sincere, then stand firm… If you are afraid, then stay away… If you fall, then get up and don’t give up…
O Allah, Turner of hearts, keep our hearts steadfast in Your religion…
O Allah, do not make us among those who knew You and then abandoned You…
O Allah, grant us a good end…
O Allah, let our last words in this world be “There is no god but Allah”…
