Table of Contents
Walking With a Living Faith
Faith in Islam is not a fixed possession that a person receives once and then keeps without change. It is something that lives in the heart, grows and weakens, brightens and dims, according to what a person does and what Allah grants. Allah describes the believers as people whose īmān increases when they hear His words.
“And when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith, and upon their Lord they rely.”
Qur’an 8:2
In this way, strengthening īmān is a journey that lasts from the moment a person believes until the moment he or she meets Allah.
Faith That Rises and Falls
A Muslim may sometimes feel close to Allah, soft-hearted and eager to worship, and at other times feel lazy, distracted, or distant. The Prophet ﷺ himself acknowledged this natural change in spiritual states.
Ḥanẓalah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Ḥanẓalah has become a hypocrite.” Abu Bakr said, “Subḥān Allah, what are you saying?” He said, “We are with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he reminds us of Paradise and Hell as if we are seeing them with our own eyes. Then we leave and play with our families and children, and we forget much of that.” Abu Bakr said, “By Allah, we experience the same.” So they went to the Prophet ﷺ and he said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you were to remain in the state you are in with me and in constant remembrance, the angels would shake your hands on your beds and in your streets. But, O Ḥanẓalah, there is a time for this and a time for that.”
Muslim
This hadith shows that fluctuation does not itself make a person a hypocrite. However, it also teaches that the believer should not accept weakness of faith as normal and permanent. Rather, he takes steps to renew his heart and strengthen his link with Allah.
The Heart, the Qur’an, and Remembrance
The most direct way to strengthen īmān is a living relationship with the words of Allah. The Qur’an was revealed to guide and to give life to the hearts.
“O mankind, there has come to you an instruction from your Lord and a healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.”
Qur’an 10:57
“Allah has sent down the best statement, a consistent Book, oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it, then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah.”
Qur’an 39:23
Reading the Qur’an with understanding, even if only a small portion every day, feeds īmān. The believer listens carefully, reflects, and tries to act upon what he learns. The more the Qur’an shapes thoughts, feelings, and decisions, the stronger the faith becomes.
Dhikr, the remembrance of Allah with the tongue and heart, also renews īmān and protects it from rust.
“Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”
Qur’an 13:28
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord is like the living and the dead.”
Bukhari
Simple phrases such as “Subḥān Allah,” “Al-ḥamdu lillāh,” “Lā ilāha illā Allah,” and “Allāhu akbar,” when said with attention and sincerity, can transform the state of the heart over time. Sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ is also a means for gaining mercy and light in the heart.
Faith and Righteous Actions
In Islam, īmān is closely connected with action. Good deeds are not just outer movements. They have a direct effect on the internal reality of faith. Every time a believer chooses obedience over disobedience, his īmān is strengthened, even if only a little.
“As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, He will give them in full their rewards and increase them from His bounty.”
Qur’an 4:173
“And Allah increases those who were guided in guidance.”
Qur’an 19:76
The Prophet ﷺ explained that even simple acts of kindness and obedience form part of this faith.
He ﷺ said, “Faith has over seventy branches, the highest of which is saying, ‘Lā ilāha illā Allah,’ and the lowest of which is removing something harmful from the path, and modesty is a branch of faith.”
Muslim
This means that the path to stronger īmān is built from many small, repeated choices: performing obligatory acts on time, giving charity, controlling the tongue, helping others, being honest, and avoiding sin.
A foundational rule: Every act of obedience, done sincerely for Allah and according to the Sunnah, strengthens īmān. Every act of disobedience, even if small, weakens īmān.
Because of this, a believer who wants a stronger heart will treat daily worship not as a burden, but as the main “exercise” that keeps faith alive and healthy.
Striving Against the Self
Strengthening faith requires effort and struggle with the self. The Qur’an praises those who strive in the path of Allah with their inner and outer efforts.
“As for those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.”
Qur’an 29:69
“And those who are guided, He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.”
Qur’an 47:17
The believer often has to fight laziness, worldly distractions, and sinful desires. These struggles are not a sign that faith is worthless, but rather a sign that the heart is alive and trying to obey. In one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ described true strength as the ability to control one’s anger, which is one example of this inner struggle.
He ﷺ said, “The strong man is not the one who throws his opponent to the ground, but the strong man is the one who controls himself when he is angry.”
Bukhari and Muslim
Every time a believer holds back from a sin for the sake of Allah, his īmān grows more solid.
Using Tests to Grow in Faith
Trials, sadness, loss, or difficulty are not always signs of Allah’s anger. Often they are a means by which Allah raises the believer in rank and purifies him, and they can greatly strengthen faith when met with patience and trust.
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits. But give glad tidings to the patient. Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings