USMANI DISCOURSES. English translation of talks by Mufti Taqi Usmani DB.

In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said,

“The example of a Momin and his Iman is like a horse tied to a peg with a long rope. As a result he can walk up to a certain distance but he cannot go beyond that limit. He will then come back and stay beside the peg. In that way the peg performs two functions; the first is that it stops the horse from going beyond a certain limit, the second is that it provides an anchor for the horse.”

After giving this example the Holy Prophet ﷺ said,

“A Momin’s Iman is his peg. It is a consequence of his Iman that a Momin can go to a certain limit, but if he tries to go beyond the limit, his Iman will pull him back, and after roaming here and there the Momin will come back to the peg of his Iman.”

The second adverse consequence of committing sins is that in a Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that when a person commits sin for the first time a dark spot is placed on his heart. What is the reality of that dark spot, only Allah Ta’alah knows best. When he commits a second sin, a second dark spot is placed on his heart, and after a third sin a third spot is placed. If he then commits Taubah (repentance) then all these dark spots are erased. But if he doesn’t perform repentance and keeps committing sins, those dark spots eventually cover his whole heart. Then those dark spots change into rust and his heart becomes rusty. Once his heart becomes rusty, he loses the ability to accept the truth. He then becomes so misguided that he becomes unable to recognize sins as sins and stops seeing the adverse consequences of sins.

A person asked Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas Razi Allah Anhu, “Would you like a person more who does not do much prayers [meaning he just restricts himself to Fard and Wajib prayers but does not offer much Nafl prayers], but he commits very few sins, or a person who offers a lot of voluntary prayers but also commits a lot of sins?” Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas RAA replied, “I do not consider any act of worship equal to saving oneself from sins.”

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said; “A person’s Iman (faith) is perfect when;

if he gives something to someone, he gives it only for Allah’s sake,

if he refuses to give something to someone, he refuses only for Allah’s sake,

if he loves someone, he loves them only for Allah’s sake, and

if he harbours anger and resentment towards someone he does so only for Allah’s sake.”

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said; “A person’s Iman (faith) is perfect when;

if he gives something to someone, he gives it only for Allah’s sake,

if he refuses to give something to someone, he refuses only for Allah’s sake,

if he loves someone, he loves them only for Allah’s sake, and

if he harbours anger and resentment towards someone he does so only for Allah’s sake.”

The Holy Prophet ﷺ said; “A person’s Iman (faith) is perfect when;

if he gives something to someone, he gives it only for Allah’s sake,

if he refuses to give something to someone, he refuses only for Allah’s sake,

if he loves someone, he loves them only for Allah’s sake, and

if he harbours anger and resentment towards someone he does so only for Allah’s sake.”

“O’ you who believe, enter Islam completely…” (2:208)

 In a Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ said,

الحمد الّٰلہ الّذی رد کید الشیطان الی الوسوسہ

“Praise to be Allah that He limited the Satan’s trickery and deceit to doubts.” It means that Satan won’t be able to influence a Momin (believer) beyond putting doubts in their mind.

In another Hadith the Holy Prophet ﷺ said;

ان الّٰلہ تجاوز عن امتی ما وسوست به صدورہا

“Allah Ta’alah will overlook the doubts that will enter my Ummah’s (community of followers) mind.”

Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Masud Razi Allah Anhu narrates that someone asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ about doubts that what is the ruling about the doubts of Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (association) that come to a person’s mind? The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "ذاک محض الایمان". “These are a sign of Iman (faith).”

Once a Sahabi (Holy Companion) asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ, “O’ Prophet of Allah ﷺ! Sometimes we get such doubts and thoughts in our hearts that we would rather burn to coal than express those thoughts.” In answer to this question the Holy Prophet ﷺ said the same thing that it is a sign of Iman (faith).