What Are the Best Ways to Prevent One’s Faith from Weakening?
Answered by Shaykh Bassem Itani
Question
What are the best ways to prevent one’s faith from weakening?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his Family, and all his Companions.
There are many ways to protect one’s faith from weakening, but the most important three are self-accountability, reading and reflecting on the Quran, and the remembrance of Allah (Most High).
A Muslim may experience a weakening of faith during their life for various reasons. Understanding these causes helps in addressing the weakness. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Indeed, faith wears out in the heart of one of you just as a garment wears out; so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.” [Hakim]
To safeguard their faith, Muslims can use the following three key methods:
Self-Accountability
This is a crucial means of protecting one’s faith. Allah (Most High) says:
“O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what (deeds) it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, (for) certainly Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” [Quran, 59:18]
Reading and Reflecting on the Quran
This is a fundamental means of protecting one’s faith, as the Quran serves as a complete remedy for the heart and is a mercy that descends upon the believer. Allah (Most High) says:
“We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers.” [Quran, 17:82]
Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)
This is an essential way to protect one’s faith. Remembrance keeps the heart in a state of tranquility and stability and protects one from anxiety and confusion. Allah (Most High) says:
“Those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.” [Quran, 13:28]
This means that hearts become content and settle at the side of Allah, finding peace and satisfaction in His remembrance and accepting Him as their Guardian and Helper. [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
I advise you to frequently recite this supplication:
”اللَّهُمَ حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيِّنْهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَكَرِّهْ إِلَيْنَا الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ.“
“O Allah, make faith beloved to us and adorn it in our hearts, and make disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience hateful to us, and make us of those who are rightly guided.”
Supplication is a powerful means of protecting the heart from spiritual weakness, especially as this specific supplication relates directly to what we are discussing. This supplication is also derived from Surat al-Hujurat, carrying the illumination of the Noble Quran.
And Allah is the One who grants success.
[Shaykh] Bassem Itani
Shaykh Dr. Bassem Hussayn Itani was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 2005. Among his mentors were Shaykh Muhammad Taha Sukkar, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Mulla Abdul ‘Alim al-Zinki, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bugha, Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, and others, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Shaykh Itani has a rich background in both academic and administrative fields. He has held significant positions in many governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lebanon and abroad. This includes his role as a member of the Academic Committee at SeekersGuidance and a senior teacher with the free online global seminary.
From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Dean of the College of Da‘wa – University for Islamic Studies (Lebanon) – Postgraduate Studies. He was the Director of Dar Iqra for Islamic Sciences from 1998 to 2018. Shaykh Itani is a well-versed teacher in several academic subjects, including Fiqh, Usul, Aqida, and Tafsir. He has supervised and examined numerous Master’s and Doctoral theses at various universities and colleges in Lebanon.
His contributions to Islamic sciences are also evident in his writings and research. His notable works include “The Relied-upon Statements of Imam Zufar in the Hanafi School,” “Collective Ijtihad: The Sublimity of Thought in the 21st Century,” and “Custom and its Impact in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Shaykh Itani has actively participated in numerous scientific conferences and seminars, both in Lebanon and internationally. He is linguistically adept, excelling in Arabic, proficient in French, and comfortably conversant in English.
