The True Believers - Surah Al-Anfal 8:2-4

Explanation:

In these important verses, Allah lists some of the characteristics of the true believers. Each and every one of us should strive to gain these attributes so that we too can have a high status in the sight of Allah along with the other rewards mentioned.

The qualities listed in these verses are five:

1. Taqwa - the trembling of the heart at the mention of Allah alludes to the quality of Taqwa, which we discussed previously, both in terms of importance and how to achieve. Taqwa is the consciousness of Allah, gaining it helps one benefit from the Qur’an’s guidance and it can be achieved through fasting, Salah and other acts of worship.

2. The Qur’an impacts the heart – When it comes to the Qur’an people are of two types, those whose hearts are dead and are not moved by its message and recitation, and those who feel their faith rising and are moved and touched by both the recitation and message of the Qur’an. The latter are those who have true faith. We ask Allah to grant us true faith in Islam.

3.Tawakul – One of the surest signs of true faith is the development of the quality of Tawakul. Tawakul means to trust Allah’s plan after making a complete effort to fulfill our goals. The attainment of Tawakul is directly linked to the third reward mentioned here: generous sustenance.

4. Establishing the Prayers – The prophet (peace be upon him) taught us that praying five times a day is what distinguishing a believer from a disbeliever. Thus, the Qur’an calls us not just to pray but to establish the prayers which means to pray regularly, on time and in the best manner.

5. Paying the Zakah – A selfless altruistic attitude is a key quality of the believer. The prophet (peace be upon him) said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself,” Thus paying the Zakah regularly and wholeheartedly is a sign of a true believer.

Source: Verse of the Day Collection by Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar