❀ Ways to Attain the Sweetness of Faith in Light of Qur’an and Hadith ❀
Derived from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khālis, Vol. 1, p. 129
How can a person taste the sweetness of faith (ḥalāwat al-īmān)? Kindly explain. May Allah reward you with goodness.
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Amma ba‘d:
The very first step is to supplicate to Allah ﷻ and ask Him through His grace and mercy to bless us with the sweetness of faith.
Sayyidunā ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“He has tasted the flavor of faith who is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad ﷺ as his Messenger.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 47, Mishkāt: 12)
Explanation:
Whoever has full conviction and is pleased with Allah as Lord, Islam as religion, and the Prophet ﷺ as the Messenger, he will taste the sweetness of faith.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are three qualities through which one can taste the sweetness of faith:”
— That Allah and His Messenger ﷺ are dearer to him than all else.
— That he loves someone only for the sake of Allah.
— That he hates to return to disbelief just as he would hate to be thrown into fire.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 49, Mishkāt: 12)
Explanation:
➤ Preferring love of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ over everything,
➤ Loving solely for Allah’s sake,
➤ Having hatred for disbelief and sin,
These are the qualities that lead to the sweetness of faith.
In another Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“There are three deeds which, if adopted, will bring the sweetness of faith:”
— Worshipping Allah alone with sincerity and not associating any partner with Him.
— Giving Zakat cheerfully every year and not offering inferior goods, rather giving from the middle (moderate) quality.
— Purifying one’s soul (nafs).
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 230, Kanz al-‘Ummāl: 45, Ibn Kathīr: 4/302)
Explanation:
➤ Engaging in pure worship,
➤ Spending wealth in Allah’s cause with a happy heart,
➤ Maintaining the purity of one’s soul,
These acts enhance and manifest the sweetness of faith.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever lowers his gaze (from that which is forbidden), Allah will grant him such worship in which he will experience sweetness.”
(Mishkāt: 270, Ibn ʿAsākir, Kanz al-‘Ummāl: 26, Ḥadīth 86)
Explanation:
Avoiding impermissible glances results in spiritual enjoyment in worship, granted by Allah ﷻ.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“No one will taste the sweetness of faith until he believes in four things:”
— That there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad ﷺ is His true Messenger.
— That resurrection after death is true.
— That all good and bad destiny is from Allah.
— That one must believe in all of Allah’s commands.
(Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Mishkāt: 22)
Explanation:
➤ Belief in divine destiny (taqdīr),
➤ Conviction in life after death,
These strengthen one’s faith and enable the believer to taste its sweetness.
Important principles for attaining the sweetness of faith:
① Being fully content with Allah, Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ
② Loving Allah and His Messenger ﷺ above all else
③ Loving for Allah’s sake and hating disbelief
④ Sincerity in worship and cheerful payment of Zakat
⑤ Guarding one’s gaze
⑥ Firm belief in divine destiny and the Hereafter
Whoever practices these qualities will experience the sweetness of faith in this world.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Derived from: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khālis, Vol. 1, p. 129
❖ Question:
How can a person taste the sweetness of faith (ḥalāwat al-īmān)? Kindly explain. May Allah reward you with goodness.
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. Amma ba‘d:
✿ Supplicating to Allah
The very first step is to supplicate to Allah ﷻ and ask Him through His grace and mercy to bless us with the sweetness of faith.
✿ Causes of the Sweetness of Faith (in Light of Ahadith)
① Being Content with Allah, Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ
Sayyidunā ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“He has tasted the flavor of faith who is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad ﷺ as his Messenger.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 47, Mishkāt: 12)
Explanation:
Whoever has full conviction and is pleased with Allah as Lord, Islam as religion, and the Prophet ﷺ as the Messenger, he will taste the sweetness of faith.
② Three Qualities That Bring the Sweetness of Faith
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are three qualities through which one can taste the sweetness of faith:”
— That Allah and His Messenger ﷺ are dearer to him than all else.
— That he loves someone only for the sake of Allah.
— That he hates to return to disbelief just as he would hate to be thrown into fire.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 49, Mishkāt: 12)
Explanation:
➤ Preferring love of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ over everything,
➤ Loving solely for Allah’s sake,
➤ Having hatred for disbelief and sin,
These are the qualities that lead to the sweetness of faith.
③ Three Actions That Lead to the Sweetness of Faith
In another Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“There are three deeds which, if adopted, will bring the sweetness of faith:”
— Worshipping Allah alone with sincerity and not associating any partner with Him.
— Giving Zakat cheerfully every year and not offering inferior goods, rather giving from the middle (moderate) quality.
— Purifying one’s soul (nafs).
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 230, Kanz al-‘Ummāl: 45, Ibn Kathīr: 4/302)
Explanation:
➤ Engaging in pure worship,
➤ Spending wealth in Allah’s cause with a happy heart,
➤ Maintaining the purity of one’s soul,
These acts enhance and manifest the sweetness of faith.
④ Lowering the Gaze and Its Reward
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever lowers his gaze (from that which is forbidden), Allah will grant him such worship in which he will experience sweetness.”
(Mishkāt: 270, Ibn ʿAsākir, Kanz al-‘Ummāl: 26, Ḥadīth 86)
Explanation:
Avoiding impermissible glances results in spiritual enjoyment in worship, granted by Allah ﷻ.
⑤ Belief in Four Matters Leads to the Sweetness of Faith
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“No one will taste the sweetness of faith until he believes in four things:”
— That there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad ﷺ is His true Messenger.
— That resurrection after death is true.
— That all good and bad destiny is from Allah.
— That one must believe in all of Allah’s commands.
(Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Mishkāt: 22)
Explanation:
➤ Belief in divine destiny (taqdīr),
➤ Conviction in life after death,
These strengthen one’s faith and enable the believer to taste its sweetness.
❖ Conclusion
Important principles for attaining the sweetness of faith:
① Being fully content with Allah, Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ
② Loving Allah and His Messenger ﷺ above all else
③ Loving for Allah’s sake and hating disbelief
④ Sincerity in worship and cheerful payment of Zakat
⑤ Guarding one’s gaze
⑥ Firm belief in divine destiny and the Hereafter
Whoever practices these qualities will experience the sweetness of faith in this world.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
