22 Ekim 2015 Perşembe

The death of the believer

Dear Readers,

In my last article, basing on the Rasulullah’s (s.a.w.) orders, I had stated that always keeping ablution, performing the salats with congregation, praise, patience and consent to predestination were the most important indicators of faith. In reality, every thing that Rasulullah (s.a.w) associated with faith is important to migrate to the Hereafter with faith.


# Situations and behaviors associated with faith

Some of them are as follows:

"I swear that the one who doesn’t like my Ahl al-bayt, can not have faith in his heart."  [I. Ahmad]

"The supreme practice of religion is faith. The supreme faith is knowing that Allah is always beside you ."  [Tabarani]

"The best one among you in terms of faith, is the one who is the best in terms of morality."  [Hakim]

"The one who betrays to custodial thing is an unbeliever"  [Tabarani]

"The one who is not merciful is an unbeliever."  [Tabarani]

"Cleanliness is half of faith."  [Fayzu'l-kadir]

"Shame is an indicator of faith."  [Bukhari]

"Struggling for keeping honesty is an indicator of faith."  [Daylami]

"Loving country is an indicator of faith."  [Imam-ı Rabbani]

"Alcoholic drink and faith don’t exist together, one move away the other one."  [Bayhaqi]

As seen, these matters; such as love of ahl al-bayt, cleanliness, good morality, showing respect for trust, mercy, shame, struggling for keeping honesty, love of country are indicators of faith and we shouldn’t compromise on these issues. We should know that Allah is always beside us, and we should keep away from such things like alcoholic drink, gamble. We shouldn't deal with useless and unnecessary affairs. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that good morality was to go to those not coming to you, giving those not giving you, forgiving those behaving cruelly towards you.


# We shouldn’t be in doubt about our faith

Dear readers, We shouldn’t be in doubt and suspicious about our faith. These kind of apprehensions of heart are the most obvious indicators of being a believer. An unbeliever does not remember Allah that’s why he doesn’t worry about his faith for no good reason.

"Some of Sahaba-al-kiram asked Rasulullah (s.a.w.) that:

- Ya Rasulullah, some of us hear such kind of voices inside them that they prefer burning until being coal completely or being thrown from the sky to the ground rather than saying it (consciously). Does these apprehensions damage us? Rasulullah (s.a.w)  ordered that:

- This is real faith ." [Muslim, Abu Davud]

Dear readers, considering the multitude of sins, we shouldn’t have fears of dead. We should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness immediately and have recourse to His mercy, and attempt to increase our good deeds. Death is a gift for believers. Death oriented disease problems and sufferings of the moment of death are the penances to the believer's sins. In addition, Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that the believer wouldn’t have any suffering at the moment of death.

"Death is a gift and penance for believers."

"The believer see angels of mercy when he dies, he doesn’t feel any sufferings of dying. His spirit goes out of body in a easy way, he obtains benefactions." [Bazzar]


# The greatest help to be held for a person

Dear Readers,

The greatest help to be held both for a person who is engaged in daily business confusion and doesn’t get interested anything except for his own businesses, and for a patient convicted to death on his bed, surely, is to remind Allah. In this way, it will be ensured that they will remember Allah once again, who is sole creator and sole owner of material and spiritual worlds, the only Rab, lord, and god of the human, and their faith will be refreshed through accepting His supreme existence and resignation to him. This resignation is called as "Islam", and this belief is also called as "Belief of Tawhid". Belief of Tawhid is essential principle of faith. It is stated in the words of "Lailahe illallah". All prophets were sent for it. This basic reality has been emphasized throughout Qur’an. The most enjoyable thing to Rab is acceptance and approval of this reality wholeheartedly. The most disliked thing to Rab is denial of this basic reality, in other words, it is unbelief. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that:

"The supreme thing that I and other Prophets uttered is Lailahe illallah." [Tirmidhi]

The human who placed belief and mentioning of Rab into his heart with love, will consent and approve everything from Rab with the same affection.

I had stated in my previous articles that it is a logical necessity to accept that this order has a creator and owner, for every person apprehending the order he lives in correctly. But heart approval is essential on this subject.

Dear readers, as all other entities in divine order, natural disposition of the human also doesn’t change.


# Only faith changes the natural disposition of  human

The studies have revealed that brain stem have managed automatic life, some parts of brain have managed practical life, and some other parts of it have managed theoretical life. According to which sections the human used more active, the human are divided into two major groups as practical (self oriented) type and  theoretical (mental) type.

Self oriented type are practical ones, desires of whom stand in the forefront. Whatever their self desires, they just do it. They are such kind of types created for bodily working, eating, drinking and touring. They produce instant solutions to each problem. Due to their active work life, their attention is always extrovert. They show concern for everything, They're curious about everything. However, mental types are theoretical types basing on mental thinking on everything. They attempt doing everything by thinking and planning in the smallest details. They are organized and systematic at all their business. They are rational and careful at all their behaviors. You can distinguish these two type people even by the way of their shoe taking off in front of the door.

Dear readers, these disposition properties of human never change until they die. The only thing that changes these disposition properties is faith. That is to say, the natural disposition of the human changes only with "faith". Because, although before having faith, self oriented types are always subject to desires of their selves and mental types are always subject to their mentalities, after having faith, one type by leaving a side of desires of their selves and the other type by leaving a side of their mentalities, both types begin to follow the Religious Rules” communicated by the prophets.

Making more plain, for example since self oriented types are self centralized, they don’t care of anything except themselves, but after having faith, they become more altruist. Because Rasulullah ordered that:

 "If one wants something for himself, but doesn’t want it for his neighbor or his friend he is not a believer." [Muslim]

Thus, faith makes someone more thoughtful. Relating to this issue, it is ordered in hadith that:

"Intellect is induced by faith." [Bayhaqi]

Due to introversion of mental types, their verbal communications is generally insufficient, and sociability is weak. Because of that they are obliged to live human relationships that was advised by Allah; after having faith, they become more social with time.


# Having faith while breathing last breath is useless

Briefly, faith obliges self oriented types and mental types to be liable for "Religious Rules" which furnish them with great human values, by including into the training system of Allah. For this reason, although Allah has met all beings necessity and doesn’t need any living creature’s adoration, He has attached very importance to faith, being believed Himself, and being subjected to His provisions. The Hereafter's circumstances, torment that will implemented to the unbelievers is shown to the patient who is about to die, while breathing last breath. But, to believe in under these circumstances is no longer beneficial.. Allah ordered that:

"But their professing the Faith when they (actually) saw Our Punishment was not going to profit them." [Mu'min, 85]

Faith must be had before breathing last breath so that human could benefit from it in this world and life after death.

Dear Readers,

For turning away from unbelief, arrival of the moment of death must not be waited. For repenting and begging Allah for forgiveness after turning away from unbelief, first of all, it is needed to believe in six things required to believe by a believer wholeheartedly, and then to recite kalima-i tawhid. But, having faith and professing his faith to everybody while breathing last breath will not be accepted. It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that:

"Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now have I repented indeed;" nor of those who die rejecting Faith." [Nisaa, 18]

"(Pharaoh) At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: 'I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam).'  (It was said to him): 'Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!'"  [Yunus, 90-91]

"But when they saw Our Might, they said: "We believe in Allah,- the One God - and we reject the partners we used to join with Him!" [Mu'min, 84]


# But repentance is accepted while breathing last breath

However, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that religious repentance performed in the last moments of death before giving up the ghost will be accepted.

"Allah accepts repentance of his servants, as long as they don't arrive the last breath.”  [Ahmad b. Hanbel, Tirmidhi, Ibn Mace]

"Repentance performed one hour ago before death is admissible."  [I. Ahmad]

But, dear readers, the issues of having faith and repentance for sins shouldn’t be postponed to end of life. Many people consider religion and faith as issues necessary for life after death. They think that “now lets live our lives as we want, then we perform our religious tasks." Such kind of thought, which is a delusion of devil, is greatest disaster of human. Religious tasks of human starts when he reaches puberty. The human will give account of his every behavior and word he uttered since he reached the puberty age. Besides, Rasulullah ordered that:

"You will die in the same way you have lived, and you will be resurrected in the same way you have died" [Mirkatu’l-mafatih]

That’s why we must never delay having faith, professing the faith and repentance. Having faith is basis for all the beneficence. A perfect faith is ensured by purifying our nafs (ego) with Riyazat (eschewing religious forbidden acts) and Mudjahada (worship and obedience); and purifying our heart from everything except for Allah by remembering Allah every moment. If the human doesn’t live these religious provisions in their life, how it can be possible to have a perfect faith purified from suspicions and doubts? Lets not allow ourselves to be tricked by obeying our egos’ desires. Our egos’ desires are infinite. They don’t get end. After you have fulfilled one of them, it desires another one, after you have fulfilled it too, it is followed by other one. These desires are without end. 


# We shouldn’t delay having faith and repentance for sins by obeying our egos’ desires

If human can’t be able to restrict the desires of his nafs (ego) by the rules established by Allah, he is dragged to disaster. All beneficences emerge by human’s resignation and being subject to his Rab. His nafs is the greatest enemy of human. It is ordered in a hadith kudsi that:

"Treat your nafs as an enemy, because it is my greatest enemy." Rasulullah ordered that:

"The greatest enemy of human is his nafs, It is followed by his household." [Daylami]

The nafs is so mad. If human began to be dragged by desires of it, it is extremely difficult to get rid of it. If nafs hasn’t such kind of uncontrolled desires, terrible friends and devil can not damage human so much. That’s why the human shouldn’t be a toy of his nafs, should repent and ask Allah for forgiveness immediately and turn to Allah's mercy no matter how old, no matter what stage of his life.

It is ordered in a verse from the Qur’an that:

"Allah accept the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in mercy. " [Nisaa, 17]


# The moribund patient shouldn’t be desperate of Rab’s mercy

Dear readers, one shouldn't think bad and unfavorable things for Allah. He is the greatest friend of human who is created by Him. Every rule established by Him, every suggestion, every prohibition, every order issued by Him, and every worship and obedience He wanted the human to perform are all for benefit of the human and for making human a perfect entity. He is fair, merciful, and compassionate. All people including prophets will be extricated by only His mercy.

Especially, moribund patient shouldn’t be desperate of his Rab’s mercy, he should desire to meet Him. The words shouldn’t be uttered beside moribund patient, which will cause him  despair, and fall into despair from Rab’s mercy. It is ordered in a hadith kudsi that:

"I meet my servants in direction of their expectations from me. Then, always expect favour from me!"  It is ordered also in the hadiths that:

"Give up the ghost expecting favour from Allah!" [Seadet-i Ebediye]

"If anybody likes to meet to Allah, Allah likes to meet to him too." [Seadet-i Ebediye]


Be entrusted to Allah.

15 Ekim 2015 Perşembe

To die as a believer

Dear Readers,

In my last writings, I explained the issues needed to be performed not to die as an unbeliever. Now, I'm sure you're surprised when you saw this title due to although the expression is different, the title has the same meaning. But do not be surprised. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that some situations indicates if a person is believer. I want to talk about them under this title.

But before moving them, let's try to remember the one described earlier: Not to die as an unbeliever, first of all, it is needed "dread very much about dying as an unbeliever" and "thank Allah very much for benefaction of faith". Allah (swt) orders good treatment against mother and father, immediately after servitude to Himself. [see  Isra, 23]. Then we shouldn't hurt our parents’ feeling and must attempt to make them pleased. We shouldn’t forget our Rab; and we shouldn’t leave salat, which is the most important mentioning (remembrance). We should always stand between fear and hope. We should not persecute anyone; we should love for only Allah’s consent, we should hate for only Allah’s consent. We should keep away from lies and hypocrisy, and we should keep away from sins, especially from major sins.

Dear readers, people always must be on Sirat-i mustakim (the right way). If the human spends his every moment with Riyazat and  Mudjahada,  in other words, he avoids of prohibitions of religion and behaves in accordance with order of religion, and behaves sincerely in these respects, he gets rid of dying as an unbeliever by acquiring Allah’s consent. But, he shouldn't trust his own labor and effort in any way, he should trust mercy of his Creator, and he shouldn’t forget even for a moment that the divine will of the Almighty Creator is above all. For that reason, we should pray Allah very much not to die as an unbeliever. After all, every thing happens under His potency and knowledge.


# Some behaviors are serious indicators of faith

On the other hand, there are such cases that they are serious indicators of faith. These situations are lived only by mature faith owners.  For example, one of these behaviors is to perform the salat in the mosque. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"Witness the faith of those attending to mosque on a regular basis."  [Tirmidhi]

Therefore, five times salat by all means must be performed in mosque. Especially "salat al fajr" and "salat al isha" by all means must be performed in mosque.  It is ordered in a hadith that :

"If believers had known the merit of salat al fajr and salat al isha, they would come to mosque to perform their salat with congregation even they are needed to grovel." [Bukhari, Muslim]

Dear readers, one of the most important faith indicators is keeping ablution. It is ordered in hadiths that:

"The one dying after having performed an ablution, doesn’t suffer the pain of death; because ablution is a sign of being a believer.  It is the key of salat and body cleanser from sins."

"Those who have died after having performed an ablution are martyr."  [Daylami]


# In order to keep ablution

Of course, it is very difficult to keep ablution permanently for old people and those suffering from gastro-intestinal distress. Since old men couldn’t full discharge due to enlarged prostate, they need to urinate frequently. But in the event of not drinking water more than required, people will be more comfortable by this way. Nowadays, physicians recommend to drink water permanently. For this reason, the people drink water everywhere permanently with water bottle in their hands. Water is a life liquid with many functions, such as, digesting the food we ate by hydrolysis, disposing of toxins from the body, providing blood fluidity, setting the temperature of the body, transporting vital chemicals. But as it is valid for everything, it is required not to drink excessively. This disrupts the whole electrolyte balance of body causing minerals in ion pool to be washed. The need to go to the toilet is additional…

In order to avoid from bowel gas, it is needed to eat rice and yoghurt as often as possible;  consume milk and pulses as little as the body can easily digest, and keep away from stale vegetables meal. The bacteria in the intestinal flora can not use the starch as a food component. If rice is eaten frequently, their population decreases. On the other hand, milk and pulses causes gas to be occurred due to elements inside them encourage these bacteria. Yoghurt and fermented milk products should always be preferred instead of milk. Small amount of meal should be eaten. When stomach  is extreme filled, indigestible foods are fractionated by intestinal bacteria and their decayed products are always causes trouble. Provided that a few simple rules like these are followed, it will be  possible to keep the ablution for a long time.


# Kalima-i tawhid must be brought up repeatedly

On the other hand, in order to die as a believer, kalima-i tawhid must be said very frequently believing its meaning. We must say it continuously. It is ordered in hadiths that:

"The spirit of one whose last word is Lailahe illallah, exits easily his body and that word becomes a heavenly light for him in doomsday." [Hakim]

"Refresh your faith by saying Lailahe illallah frequently!" [Taberani] . [The last one should be said by adding "Muhammedurrasullullah"]

Dear Readers,

There is no doubt that the universe, which is an unique layout and complete and perfect organization in respect of every aspect has a "constituent" by whom it was created, organized,  arranged and managed. As every arrangement has… If we deny such a "Creator" and  accept that everything was occurred spontaneously as materialist philosophy assumed, for the reason that material hasn’t any mind or ability to manage itself, we have to accept that everything in the world  happened randomly. However, as even any ordinary people could realize, there's nothing in the universe occurred  randomly. On the contrary, everything is in order and in a complete arrangement. I explained this issue in my article titled "Understanding the divine order-1-" and its continuation through examples.

Due to this perfect organization in the universe, which is a visible world, accepting that it has a creator is a  logical requirement for every one. Allah (swt), who is creator of the universe, informed those not having the capability of perceiving this fact about His own presence,  by messengers he chose. Allah informed human through these messengers about that He is the only creator, owner and sovereign of the universe and described them the ways of living compatible with these divine realities He created and stated that He was the greatest friend and protector of human.


# The words of The Creator must be listened

The Creator revealed with examples that in case of living in accordance with these rules that He informed about, people always will meet with kindness, otherwise, they will be punished:

"Allah is the Creator of all things." [Zumar, 62]

"To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens and on earth." [Rum, 26]

"Regulating and governing all things." [Yunus, 3]

"He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence" [Rad, 27]

"And obey Allah and the Messenger; that ye may obtain mercy." [Al-i imran, 132]

"So take what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he prohibits you." [Hashr, 7]

"Allah is your Protector, and He is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom." [Tahrim, 2]

Dear readers, the base of Islam is to accept that visible and invisible worlds have unique  creator, and subject to and give in to this divine will. The Creator is primordial and deathless. Everything created is temporal. They can continue their presence with will of Allah and with energy and power supplied by Him. Their survival depends on the provision of certain conditions. It is clearly understood that continuation of its presence of any object and occurrence of any formation is not possible without the creation of Allah. Everything depends on this infinite will of The Creator. Although some events is realized by small will power of intelligent creatures like human, whatever Allah wants comes true in the end. It's like that a simple officer’s works and applications can not be able to get over the will power of a minister. After all, what minister says always come true.


# Praise and patience are the most important indicators of faith 

Dear readers, that’s why regardless of that it is good or bad, benefaction or wickedness, it is an important sign of faith to accept and approve that everything was created by Allah, who is the reason of reasons. It is ordered in a hadith that:

"Three things are signs of faith: To be patient against disaster, to thank God for benefaction, to consent to predestination."  [Ihya]

And in the other hadiths:

"The half of faith is patience and the other half of faith is to thank God."  [Bayhaqi]

"The place of patience in faith is like the place of head in body." [Daylami]

"Fast is half of patience and patience is half of faith."  [Abu Nuaym]

"The one whose faith is superior is the one who is patient, generous, and indulgent" [Daylami]

Allah ordered that He would test His servants in terms of faith and loyalty, the ones being patient against misfortune would be rewarded countlessly.

"Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere." [Baqarah, 155]

"Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!" [Zumar, 10]

Dear readers, it was ordered in the hadith that each favor would be rewarded with sawab (the reward of Hereafter)  from 10 times to 700 times depending on degree of it. But it has been understood from the above verse that those being patient would be rewarded infinitely.

The sign of patience is not to complain about them and accepting them sensitively perceiving that misfortunes, troubles and distresses occur due to that Allah ordered them. The sign of thankfulness is to live in accordance with divine purpose and perform practices of religion. The ones performing their salats and fasting will have fulfilled the gratitude of their lives; and  the ones giving zakat and using their goods in accordance with the consent of the Almighty Allah will have fulfilled the gratitude of their goods and properties. May Rab grant us all to die like this

Be entrusted to Allah.

10 Ekim 2015 Cumartesi

No, no, no!.. I'm not depressed

Dear readers,

It was about a month ago. The phone rang. I picked up the handset. It was my daughter in Istanbul. Of course, I was glad to hear her voice. After inquiring her and my health, we talked about some issues for a while.  I don't remember how it was opened up, she said me that "Daddy, I'm reading the messages that you sent. You explain the issues very well with clear and comprehensible terms, basing on hadiths and verses. But you're talking about death always lately. It is all the good… Are you depressed?" I want to share with you the answer that I replied he since I consider it very important.

Dear readers, of course I'm not depressed. Praise be to Allah, my physical health, and mental health is good… I'm not dependent on anyone else my Rab. I have nothing except of a house, a pension, food and clothing enough to meet my needs, a computer with the necessary hard ware, and a library. All my need is being supplied my hard-working wife whom my Lord has granted me. I try to share some issues that I know with you for Allah’s consent with love and affection in my heart. I don't have any expectations from anyone… I love everything and everyone very much. I feel myself the most happy and peaceful person in the world. We beg Rab not to ruin our established order. What's better than that…

Dear readers, this approach of my dear daughter, in fact, is not anything other than the reflection of very serious spiritual disease to her, happened to our dear folk in recent years. We began to remember death only in the case of depression, distress and illness. If we don’t have a head ache and our business doesn’t go wrong, we will not remember neither death nor further of it. However, formerly our dear folk never used to get death and doomsday out of their mind. That's how it was overtopped than other nations. Now, I will share with you a few paragraphs from an article titled "What we were and what we became“ posted on a site on the internet, the source of which I couldn’t identify. See the difference.

 [We wouldn’t touch illicit things: French author Motray, tells our status in 1700 as follows: "Even my single penny never got lost in Turkish shops. Whenever I forgot anything, the shop owners whom I didn’t introduce any time, submitted man behind me to help, in fact, a few times, they had come up my resident in Beyoglu."

We were civilized: British Ambassador Sir James Porter tells about Turkey’s status in the 1740s as follows: "Safety and public peace prevailing both in Istanbul and other cities of the Empire without hesitation prove that Turks are very civilized people."

We were rightful: French general the Comte de Bonneval pass a decision that: “The offenses, such as, injustice, usury, monopolism, burglary doesn’t exist among Turks... They exhibit such a honesty that many times people remain fascinated their accuracy.“

We wouldn’t know what burglary was: French author Dr. Brayer sets out Istanbul in the 1830s: “In Istanbul where gate of house used to rarely closed, and shops used to leave open trusting public, five to six cases of the burglary used to happen in Istanbul every year."

Ubicini, certifies Dr. Brayer by saying that: "In this amazing city, although owner of shops leaves their shops open on salat times, and gates of houses is closed with a simple latch, the number of  case of burglary doesn’t exceed  four. However, in Galata and Beyoglu, people of which are Christian inhabitants, without exception,  every day, cases of burglary and murder occur.”

We were kind:  Italian explorer, namely Edmondo de Amicis tells about us in the 1880s: "Turkish people in Istanbul is the most gentle and polite people in Europe. Street fighting is rare.  Laugh loudly is rarely heard."

We led by example to the world: Judgment of Du Loir on Turkey in the 1650s, who is famous with his travel book on Turkey, is as follows: "Undoubtedly, Turkish politics and Turkish civil life could be an example to the world  in terms of morality."]

And author ends the article with a question as follows :

 [The essential question that worth asking and answering: What is that existed at that times but doesn’t exist today? How did we lose it? And how can we acquire it?]

Dear readers, the answer of this question is quite simple: This thing that existed at that times but doesn’t exist today is  "mature faith ", "fear of Allah”. And of course,  it is to remember death basing on these, and often remember the doomsday. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"Remembering the death protects from sins and prevents from engaging with the world exceedingly" [Ibni Abiddunya]

"Anyone who thinks the death twenty times every day, rises to the degree of the martyrs." [I. Ghazali]

"Remember the death very often, the heart of the people remembering the death very often becomes very happy, and his death occurs easier." [Daylami]

“Remembering the death is a good deed like giving alms” [Daylami]

“As iron rusts,  hearts get rusted with sins. The polish of hearts is to remember the death very often and read Qur’an” [Bayhaqi]

In the communities forgetting Allah, remembering the death and the Hereafter only on depressed days and in cases of illness, do troubles get end?


Be entrusted to Allah.


5 Ekim 2015 Pazartesi

Not to die as an unbeliever -3-

Dear Readers,

An unbelieving heart is a dead heart. Faith is like spirit of heart. Heart awakens through faith. As long as the love of Allah, which is the light of faith in heart, increases, a spiritual joy, serenity, peace occur at heart. This situation is reflected likewise to human’s body, his looks, voice, and every movement. I listened at a television conversation. A software engineer working on audio technologies told in an interview conducted with himself that they had made audio recording and analysis in several places, and as a result of these studies they had concluded that serenity in heart was reflected to voice of human completely, sound values of those conducting hajj task and that of uneasy people working in stressful environment  were different from each other. What gives this peace to the heart is being remembered Allah, trusting him, being dependent on Him. Although bodies of those remembering Allah are physically near public, their heart are always near Allah. It is ordered in a Qur’an verses that:

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah;"  [Rad, 28]


# We must keep away from affairs weakening faith

Dear readers, every fact weakening faith in heart is a factor causing to die as an unbeliever.

Imam azam Abu Hanifa  hazrats stated that faith was declared by tongue, and certified by heart, and increase or decrease on faith wouldn’t be occurred. But it is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that:

"Whenever there cometh down a Surah, some of them say: "Which of you has had His faith increased by it?" Yea, those who believe,- their faith is increased." [Tauba, 124]

"Believers are those who, ...  when they hear His revelations rehearsed, find their faith strengthened,"  [Anfal, 2]

Then, what is that increasing and decreasing?  That increasing and decreasing is love of Allah that is light of faith. 

The love is a heartfelt faithfulness. When human loves his Rab by believing Him, love against everything relating to Allah occurs in his heart. You will remember that, I had declared at one of my articles issued recently that, things relating to Allah and reminding Him were called as "sheairullah" and these were signs of Allah on earth. The most important ones of these signs are Qur’an, Allah’s prophets and Muslims. Divine mercy spreads all over the world through them.


# The greatest friends of human

The greatest friends of human are Allah, and Allah’s prophets and Muslims, who are Allah’s signs on earth. Because, they attempt human to forward to goodness and rescue the human from eternal fire. They don’t demand any charge or reward for that. It is ordered in a Qur’an verse that:

"Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers."  [Maida, 55]

Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that:

"... I am holding you, and prevent you from falling on fire. You are striving to fall down in fire getting rid of my hands!"  [Bukhari, Muslim]

While loving believers and loving them for only Allah’s consent is a sign of faith, not to love unbelievers who are enemy of believers, and treating them as an enemy for only Allah’s consent is a sign of faith in the same way. This is called in Islamic literature as "Hubbu fillah, Bugdu fillah" (loving for Allah’s consent and treating as an enemy for Allah’s consent)


# The most powerful sign of faith

It is ordered in the hadiths that:

"The strongest basis and the most powerful sign of faith is hubbu fillah, buğdu fillah."  [Abu Davud]

"The base of faith is to love believers and not love unbelievers." [I. Ahmad]

"Even you perform worship like Gabriel (a.s), unless you love believers for Allah’s consent and not love unbelievers for Allah’s consent, none of your worships, favours and beneficial works are accepted!"  [Ay Ogul Ilmihal]

"The righteous of faith is loving for Allah’s consent,  mistreating for Allah’s consent, mentioning Allah through tongue, demanding good things that he thinks so for others, not demanding anything that he doesn’t want for others, talking about beneficial issues or shutting up."  [Tabarani]

Dear readers, as it is seen, hubbu fillah and  bugdu fillah are ones of the most important indicators of strong and mature faith.

For this reason,  we should love for Allah’s consent and mistreat for Allah’s consent not to die as an unbeliever. We shouldn’t consider wishes and desires of our nafs and personal interests essentially as a gauge for our love and mistreatments. The correct gauge on this issue must be Allah’s provisions and consent. If human acts in direction of his self’s desires and wishes, he always makes a mistake. Human’s nafs (ego) is the biggest enemy of himself and Allah. It always orders evil. Those subjecting to their nafs can not get rid of the troubles.


# Addiction of the world life is the poison of faith and salvation

Dear Readers,

The reason why the human is devoid of peace, comfort and eternal happiness, and the right way in brief is their fondness of the world life. It is ordered in a Qur’an verse that:

"This because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those who reject Faith."  [Nahl, 107]

The reason of human’s salvation is "faith".  It is ordered in a Qur’an verse that:

"Those who believe, and work righteousness,- their Lord will guide them because of their faith." [Yunus, 9]

In addition that, addiction of the world, love of the world life and preferring it to the Hereafter drags the human to the rejection of Allah which is the most clear truth; it is also one of the most important reasons damaging faith, weakening and ruining faith on the believing humans.           


# The love of the world life is primary reason of spiritual diseases

The love of the world is one of the most serious spiritual diseases of heart. The human indulging in the world’s pleasures usually doesn’t avoid of lying, tricking, deceiving the people for small benefits of the world. The reason of deception, deceit, fraud, trickery, cheat is fondness of the world. These kind of behaviors occur among the people, not believing in Allah, being interrogated, being punished due to his bad behaviors as a result of revealing of divine justice. In other words, the main reason of lie and humbug is faith weakness. It is ordered in a Qur’an verse that:

 "It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah, that forge falsehood: it is they who lie!"  [Nahl, 105]

The mother Aishe told that “There was nothing worse than lie in salaf-i salihin’s opinion.  Because lie and mature faith don’t get together."  

It is ordered in a hadith that:

“There are such three things, whom one of those exist in, he is a hypocrite (factious), regardless of the fact that he performs the salat or fasts. he lies, doesn't abide by a promise, misappropriates.”  [Bukhari, Muslim, Imam Suyuti]



# The biggest fault: Lie 

“The biggest fault is to lie.”  [Hutbatur Rasul]

“As long as a Muslim’s heart isn’t righteous, his faith won’t be real.  As long as he lies, his heart won’t be righteous.”  [Ibn-i Hanbel]

Safvan Ibn Sulaym (r.a.) tells: 
We asked "Ya Rasulullah! Does a believer have fears?" 
He said "Yes!". 
We asked  "All right, can he look twice at every penny?"  
He said "Yes!" again  
We asked  "All right, does he lie?"  At this time, he said: "No!"  [Muvatta, Kalam 19]

Dear readers, plainly, the worst poison weakening faith is to lie. Lie is rejection of the reality, and invert the truth. Although lying is so bad behavior,  amazingly, in most cases, the reason of lying is to provide small world interests. Whereas, lying isn’t needed for that. Because, Allah clearly orders that He will provide the world benefactions to those whoever want them, and Hereafter whoever wants it:

"To any that desires the tilth of the Hereafter, We give increase in his tilth, and to any that desires the tilth of this world, We grant somewhat thereof, but he has no share or lot in the Hereafter."  [Shura, 20]


# Allah narrows and widens livelihood  

Allah doesn’t discriminate between his servants in terms of science. He gives it whoever wants. But the case is different in terms of livelihood. Allah (swt) gives goods and property to those He wants to give to. He widens or narrows the livelihood of those He wants to do.

"Allah doth enlarge, or grant by (strict) measure, the sustenance (which He giveth) to whomso He pleaseth. (The worldly) rejoice in the life of this world: But the life of this world is but little comfort in the Hereafter." [Rad, 26]

Dear readers, another way of perverting the facts by inverting the truth is hypocrisy. The hypocrisy is to reveal out his feelings and thoughts differently than they are in his heart. In other words, the hypocrisy is to be seem differently than it supposed to be, performing works for showiness rather than Allah’s consent, and being double faced. It is one of the issues and maybe the most important one,  damaging and weakening our faith.

 Rasulullah (s.a.w)  ordered in respect of hypocrisy that:

"Hypocrisy is small shirk."  [Tabarani]

For this reason, not to be died as an unbeliever, we should always keep away from these two spiritual diseases, lie and hypocrisy, weakening, ruining, and destroying our faith. We witness that lie and hypocrisy are acquired a habit and often repeated by some people. This is a very dangerous affair. It is very difficult for those people to keep their faith when they yield up the ghost.


# We should keep away from major sins

Dear Readers,

Not to die as an unbeliever, one of the issues to be aware of is to keep away from major sins.  

It is needed to keep away from every kind of sin. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) ordered that:

"To keep away from the smallest sin is better than the total worships of all gin and human."  [R. Nasihin]

It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an that:

"Eschew all sin, open or secret: those who earn sin will get due recompense for their earnings." [Anaam, 120]

"For He loveth not any ungrateful and wicked."  [Baqarah, 276]

Dear readers, surely it is not an easy issue at all to keep away from every kind of sin for us as incapable servants owner nafs. The most important issue on this respect is that human should be sincere to his Creator on his loyalty, take control of his own behaviors, and return to his Creator by repenting and pleading for mercy and demanding the forgiveness from his Creator whenever he sins. Islam is belief and trust of human to his Creator and surrender himself to Him. If faith and resignation are constituted completely, Allah (swt) forgives small sins of person with variety of occasions and excuses. He doesn’t load anybody more than he can be able to carry. Even if he can’t be able to keep away from small sins, he should attempt at least to keep away from major sins.

It is ordered in the verses from the Qur’an on the qualifications of a Muslim that: 
 
"Those who avoid the greater sins and indecencies, and, when they are angry even then forgive;"  [Shura, 37]

"If ye (but) eschew the most heinous of the things which ye are forbidden to do, We shall remit your evil deeds, and admit you to a Gate of great honor."  [Nisaa, 31]


# Illicit deeds keep us away from our creator

Dear readers,  as well as practices of religion close us up to the creator by conducing to remember Allah and His benefactions for us,  on the other hand, getting something illegally, performing works prohibited by the religion, briefly sins keep us away from our Creator. Every sin is a poison for our faith. Antidote of this is repentance. Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"A black stain occurs in heart when a person sins. It is cleaned when he repents. If he continue sinning, that stain enlarges and covers entire heart."  [Nasai]

Darkening of a person’s heart causes heart to die spiritually over time, in other words it causes him to lose his faith.

Every repeated behavior becomes a "habit" over time. If these repeats continue, habits turn into indispensable "passion".  It is a big disaster for a person that the behaviors being major sins turn into major such habits.  Such a person, even if he is man of faith, his heart is constantly restless like the heart of an unbeliever.

Since the habits like drinking, smoking cause physiological addiction by affecting energy metabolism directly, it is more difficult to give up them. Because due to the resulting energy gap, in case giving up them, person gets into "depression" within hours. If person is nourished with nutrients such as flour products. honey, eggs, lentil soup, beans, apples, oranges rich in terms of glucose, proteins, B and C vitamins, citric and malic acid in depressed times, and he continues that for a few days, he can easily get rid of these habits without professional help. Most of the addicts can’t leave these habits since they can’t be able to take distresses for a few days. Moreover, at the expense of destroying their lives… In reality, all issue is to want to leave these habits sincerely.


# We should repent and after that do a favour when we sin

Dear readers, major sins were brought out in my article with headline "The golden rules of an eternal happiness"  People don’t get out of religion by committing major sin. Getting out of religion means losing faith, and falling into unbelief.

Rasulullah (s.a.w)  ordered that:

"Don’t say unbeliever to those saying Lailahe illallah due to their sins! Those saying unbeliever to such people become unbeliever themselves."  [Bukhari]

"I will intercede to every believer committed major sins."  [Nasai, Tirmidhi]

But, the faith of a person committed a major sin gets too weak. If he doesn't repent after committing a major sin, love of Allah in his heart, which is "divine light of faith“, get lost. Especially if he is away from worships, over time, he doesn't care about religious values and do not recognize his Rab. This takes him out of the belief. That's why people should repent immediately if he committed a major sin. If he cannot cope with his nafs, at least he should not leave his practices of religion, namely worships. So at least merits of his worships will compensate the committed sin.

 Rasulullah (s.a.w) ordered that:

"Do a favour, perform a meritorious action immediately after the sin you have committed so that your good deed could destroy that sin!" [Bayhaqi]

Thus, person get rid of these sins over time by means of his worships and favours. There are many examples related to this issue. People should not go to his death in various sins, without feeling any remorse.

 Be entrusted to Allah.