Faith By Islam

As every Muslim knows or should know,Iman is the foremost and essential requirement of Islam. Without proper Iman, one cannot become a Muslim even if one is born in a Muslim family.In fact,Iman is something which has to be self consciously acquired in order to become a Muslim,constantly maintained in order to remain a Muslim,and continually reinforced and fortified in order to begin the next life as a Muslim. Therefore,Iman is something which cannot and should not be taken for granted.Unfortunately,many of us take it for granted. If Iman is so important that it is the gist of life here and a savior in the hereafter, then it becomes necessary for each of us to find out what Iman really is.It is not right to say that I am a Muslim and therefore I have Iman because I was born in a Muslim family.As we will see shortly,the Quran and that means Allah Almighty does not accept this as a valid argument. What is Iman and what is its definition in the context of Islam? This is a fundamental question concerning Muslims and Islam. But one thing is quite clear: A definition of Iman which contradicts any Quranic principle cannot be accepted as Iman in Islam, no matter where and whomsoever it may have come from. After this preamble,let us explore first of all the meaning of the arabic word Iman and its definition given in the Quran by Allah Almighty.

The root of the word Iman in arabic is a-m-n which means: to be calm and quiet in one's heart; to be protected from fear; trustworthiness and truthfulness (Taj al-Urus).Iman means to accept truthfully to be convinced to verify something to rely upon or have confidence in something.Iman is usually translated in English as faith or belief,and faith in turn signifies acceptance without proof or argument, without reference to reason or thought, knowledge or insight. According to the Quran, Iman is conviction which is based upon reason and knowledge; a conviction that results from full mental acceptance and intellectual satisfaction; the kind of conviction that gives one a feeling of inner contentment and peace. And a Mumin is one who accepts truth in such a way that it ensures his own peace and helps him to safeguard the peace and security of the rest of mankind. In fact, Al-Mumin is one of the attributes of God Himself Quran chapter 59 verse 23.