Sweet Taste of Faith

              Abbas bin Abdul-muttalib narrated that he

                   heard the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him)

                   saying: “Surely he has found the sweet taste

                  of faith, whoever contents with (the only) God

                  as his Lord, Islam as his way-of-life and

                  Prophet Muhammad as God’s messenger”

                   (Bukhari and Tirmidhi in their Collections of Hadith).

In so many of his sayings, we find Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings upon him) often used a style of words describing invisible realities with tangible things, in order to make them clearer to people easier for them to visualize. In this Hadith (= saying of the Prophet) he used “sweet taste of faith” which can be attained by those who feel the satisfaction of having God as their Lord, Islam as a way of life and Prophet Muhammad as the Messenger of God.

This is one of the ways the Prophet used to guide his followers to increase their spirit, candidly, to live according to God’s ordinances.

In the Qur’an we find as follows: “Truly those who declare: Our Lord is God, and then steadfastly pursue the right way – upon them do angels often descend, (saying:) Fear not and grieve not, but receive the glad tiding of that paradise which has been promised to you! We are your close supporters in the life of this world and (will be so) in the life to come; and in that (life to come) you shall have all that your selves may desire and in it you shall have all that you ever prayed for: as a hospitality from One Forgiving, Merciful. And who could be better in speech than him who calls (his fellow-men) to God, and does what is just and right, and says: verily I am of those who have submit (to God)?” (41:30-33).

The contentment of a believer, that God is his Lord, that Islam is his way-of-life and that Prophet Muhammad is God’s messenger, makes him cheerfully declare, “my Lord is God”. And this declaration is not merely an utterance by mouth, but is strengthened by clear actions and good deeds in his everyday life, according to God’s ordinances, by making the Prophet his role model. As God ordered in the Qur’an: “Verily, in the Messenger of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward (with hope and awe) to God and the Last Day, and remembers God profusely” (33:21).

Hence he may surely be proud of being a Muslim among others. So we can see clearly here, that a mere allegation that one is a Muslim does not mean anything in the sight of God. One must prove his claim by concrete actions and good behavior in the life of this world.

God also says: “Say (O Prophet): If you (plural) really love God, follow me (and) God will love you and forgive you your sins, for God is much-Forgiving, a Merciful. Say: Obey God and the Messenger. And if they turn away – verily, God does not love those who deny the truth” (3:31-32).

But it should be clear, that when the Qur’an incites faithful Muslims to obey the Messenger of God, it does not mean they should exaggerate in praising and describing him. The Prophet himself was very humble in dealing with people.

God says in the Qur’an: “And We did not send you, except as a mercy to all the worlds” (21:107). Yes, by the mercy of God to this Prophet brought out an extremely gentle nature, which endeared him to all: “It was by the mercy of God that you were lenient to them; had you been harsh and fierce of heart, they would have dispersed from about you. So pardon them, and ask (God) forgiveness for them, and consult them in all matters (of public concern); then once you have taken a decision (upon a course of action) place your trust in God: for God loves those who rely (0n Him)” (3:159).

  

Omar bin al-Khattab narrated; I heard the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him) saying: “do not exaggerate in praising me, as the Christians praised the Son of Mary, for I am only God’s slave. So, call me the slave of God and His messenger” (Al-Bukhari in his Collection of Hadith). By obeying the Prophet it is meant to obey God’s ordinances.

Anas bin Malik narrated the saying of the Prophet (God’s blessings upon him):  

“There are three qualities that whoever possesses will surely taste the sweetness of faith:

1.   That he loves God and His Messenger more than anything else;

2.   That whenever he loves a person, he should love him only for the sake of God; and

3.    That he detests reverting to disbelief as he detests to be thrown into the Hell-Fire”  

(Al-Bukhari in his Collection of Hadith).

If a person has an earthly attachment to comforts, profits and pleasures more than he loves God, and therefore fails in responding to God’s consciousness, then he is in danger of becoming wicked in the sight of God. And it means that he will not taste the sweetness of faith.

God says: “Say: if your fathers (means: paternal and maternal) and your children, and your spouses, and your clan, and the worldly goods which you have acquired, and the commerce thereof you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you take pleasure – (if all these) are dearer to you than God and His Messenger and the struggle in His cause, then wait until God makes manifest His will; and (know that) God does not guide the wicked folk” (9:24).