On the authority of Abu Amr- and it also said Abu Amrah— Sufyaan ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me a statement about Islam such that I will not have to ask anyone other than you.” He answered, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah,’ and then stand firm and steadfast to that.” (Recorded by Muslim.)
- “O Messenger of Allah, tell me a statement about Islam..
- He answered, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah’ …
- “and then stand firm and steadfast to that.”
- Other Points Related to This Hadith
General Comments About This Hadith: This hadith is another instance in which a few words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have expressed the entirety of Islam: Imaan and istiqaamah. Islam is based on tauheed and obedience to Allah. Tauheed is captured in the belief in Allah and obedience is captured in istiqaamah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was asked to state something that would be sufficient for the person, such that he would not have to ask anyone afterwards, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave this reply to him. If a person adheres to this hadith properly, he will be applying his Islam in a proper manner.
1. “O Messenger of Allah, tell me a statement about Islam..
In this hadith, the person asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell him something concise about Islam. It was to be such a comprehensive statement that the person would not have to ask anyone after he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) this question. In addition, the statement must be so clear that the person would not be in need of getting any further explanation after getting the response from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). In other words, both its comprehensiveness and its clarity should be such that the person would not be in need of asking anyone other than or after the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Obviously, he was not asking about all of the rules and principles of Islam. Such cannot be condensed into one statement. However, he was asking him for a general principle that could guide him in his Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him a statement that was so comprehensive that it summarized his mission of twenty-three years.
2. He answered, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah’ …
In his comprehensive response, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to, “Say … ” Here, the point is not simply a statement upon the tongue. It can be proven through other evidences that a mere statement with the tongue without belief in the heart does not avail a person in any way. Hence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was telling the person, “Say, with true conviction and belief in your heart … “
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to say, “I believe in Allah.” In other reports, the wording is, “My Lord is Allah.” In other words, the first principle or foundation is to have correct belief in Allah, known as tauheed. This implies the correct and true belief in Allah. The expression “belief in Allah” is one of those expressions that the shareeah has given its own unique and particular meaning to. The meaning of it is not the same as when, for example, the polytheistic Arabs at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say, “We believe in Allah.” Nor is its meaning the same as what many people today mean when they say, “We believe in God.”
3.”and then stand firm and steadfast to that.”
After having the correct belief in Allah, one must remain steadfast in that belief. This means, as stated by al-Qaadhi Iyaadh, that one must not swerve from that proper belief in any form whatsoever. One must adhere to that belief by fulfilling what it obligates and remaining away from what it forbids. One must continue in this path until death comes. After stating the above, al-Qaadhi lyaadh stated, “What we have stated is the explanation of most of the Companions and those who came after them. It is the correct meaning of the hadith, Allah willing.” One must remain steadfast to the belief in Allah and all that it implies. This includes remaining steadfast to one’s belief in the Prophet (peace be upon him) and following his way. It also includes remaining steadfast with respect to the prayers, fasts, pilgrimage and so forth.
3.1 The Meaning of the Word “then”
The meaning of the word “then” in this hadith implies that first one must have the proper belief in Allah. Without this proper belief, the following actions will be of no beneficial consequence. One must first start with this essential foundation. This essential foundation, however, must be followed up by constancy and steadfastness to the essential foundation itself. Both of these are essential and necessary aspects. The proper belief in Allah followed by straying from that belief will be of no benefit to the individual. Similarly, steadfastness to an incorrect or false belief in Allah will also be of no benefit. This is why it is of extreme importance to ensure that one’s beliefs about Allah and one’s imaan are correct. For a person’s deeds to be accepted by Allah, his imaan must first be sound and correct.
Another interpretation for “then” in this hadith is that it is in reference to “rank” or merit. In other words, one starts out with the belief in Allah and then one moves on to the higher degree or stage, wherein one has steadfastness and constancy in that belief.
3.2 The Implication of the Imperative
In this hadith, a believing Muslim has come to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the hopes of getting comprehensive and clear guidance. In his response, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered him to say, “I believe in Allah.” What is the meaning of this order directed toward someone who was already a believer? The scholars have offered two responses to this question. The first response is that the Prophet’s statement is in the same vein as the Quranic verse directed to the believers,
“O believers! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger, and the Book which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before” (al-Nisaa 136). This verse is a command to renew and confirm the faith that one has already possessed. This is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) was telling this Companion in this particular hadith. A second explanation is that the Prophet’s response was a message to every human that the key to salvation in the Hereafter is belief in Allah and remaining steadfast in that belief. Hence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) simply used that question as a means to express a general instruction for all of mankind. With respect to the inquiring Companion, the first part was simply a reminder while the second part stressing steadfastness is the message that the Prophet (peace be upon him) wanted to convey to him in particular.
3.3 The Meaning of Istiqaamah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) told his Companion, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah,’ and then istaqim.” Another way of expressing this in English would be, “Say, ‘I believe in Allah,’ and then have the characteristic of istiqaamah.” Like the concept of hayaa’ in the previous hadith, the concept of istiqaamah is very important. An in-depth understanding of the concept of istiqaamah will lead to a greater understanding of this hadith .. Lexically, the supplement to Lane’s Lexicon has defined the word istiqaam in the following fashion,
It became right, direct, in a right state, straight, even, tended toward the right, or desired, point, or object, had a right direction, or tendency, was regular. He continued in the way of truth, or the right way … He or it was, or became right, direct, rightly directed, undeviating, straight, or even, and he or it stood right, or straight, or erect. He went right on, straight on, or undeviatingly . . . he went on undeviatingly in the way. He went right, pursued a right course, acted rightly or justly . .
Furthermore, the meaning of the root word for istiqaamah implies something that is straight, allowing for no crookedness or swerving. In Surah Hud verse 112, the Quran juxtaposes istiqaamah with tughyaan, tughyaan implies going beyond the proper bounds in any matter. The word istiqaamah is also derived from the stem qiyaam. This stem implies continuance, guarding over something and constancy. It also implies checking into a situation, following up and making sure something is right and good. This is the usage of the related term in the verse of the Quran,
“Men are in charge (qawwaamoon) over women” (al-Nisaa 34). From this root, one understands that istiqaamah is not merely the practice of following the straight path. Beyond that, it implies the adhering and constant attachment to that straight path. One tries to cling to it and stay within its limits at all times, to the best of his ability.
A number of definitions for the shareeah understanding of the word istiqaamah have been passed on from the early generations of Islam. For example, Abu Bakr was quoted as saying that it refers to not associating any partner with Allah. In another narration, he stated that it implies that a person does not turn to anyone other than Allah. Abu al-Aaliyah stated that it means that the person then makes his religion and deeds purely for the sake of Allah. Qataada stated that it means that a person remains continual in his obedience to Allah.
These statements are different expressions of what istiqaamah entails. A good comprehensive definition of istiqaamah is given by ibn Uthaimeen, “lstiqaamah is for a person to affirm himself upon the law of Allah in the manner that Allah has ordered him, all being preceded by true sincerity and purity to Allah.” Another good comprehensive definition of istiqaamah is given by ibn Rajah, who stated, Al-Istiqaamah is the following of the Straight Path, it is the straight and proper religion, without any turning to the right or left. It encompasses performing all of the acts of obedience, both the external and the internal of them. It similarly implies abandoning all of the forbidden acts. Therefore, [this advice from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Sufyaan] is advice that encompasses all of the features of the religion.
3.4 Istiqaamah in the Quran
In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) reiterated a message that is found in a number of places in the Quran. Indeed, he has reiterated a verse that was addressed specifically to him in more than one place in the Quran, but its message applies to all Muslims. Allah said to the Prophet, “Therefore, stand firm [on the straight path] as you are commanded and those who turn in repentance with you. And do not transgress [from that straight path], for He sees well all that you do” (Hood 112). Allah also said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “So unto this [religion] invite [the people]. Stand steadfast as you are commanded and do not follow their desires” (al-Shoora 15). In this verse, remaining steadfast to the path of Allah has been directly juxtaposed with following the desires of the People of the Book who strayed from the original teachings of their prophets. This implies that following a way other than what the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought is the very antithesis of the istiqaamah that is ordered in this verse.
If someone truly seeks to fulfill the requirements of istiqaamah, he should turn to the Quran for the Quran has been revealed for that purpose. Allah says, “It is not except a reminder to the worlds for whoever wills among you to take a right course (yastaqeem)” (al-Takweer 27-28). In two places in the Quran, Allah has stated the result of the proper istiqaamah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned to Sufyaan in this hadith (stating one’s belief in Allah and then istiqaamah). Allah says in the Quran, “Verily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah [alone],’ and stand firm and steadfast, on them will descend angels [at the time of their death, saying], ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised. We have been your friends and protectors in the life of this world and are [so] in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have [all] that your souls desire, and therein you shall have [all] that you ask. A hospitable gift from [Allah], the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful'” (Fussilat 30-32).
The important message of the above verse and this hadith is also mentioned in the following verse: “Verily, [for] those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah [alone]’ and thereafter stand firm and steadfast, on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. They will be the inhabitants of Paradise, abiding therein [forever]. [This is their] recompense for what they used to do” (al-Ahqaaf 13-14).
One can see from this verse that the rewards for those who believe properly and then remain steadfast to that belief are many. They include:
- Having the support of the angels in both this life and the Hereafter;
- At the time of death, a harsh and difficult time, angels will come with glad tidings to relieve any distress;
- The person will be led to Paradise wherein he may have all that his soul desires;
- Such people will be in Paradise forever;
- Allah will be pleased with them and will shower them with His blessings.
One can understand from this how appropriate the Prophet’s advice was to Sufyaan. What he told him was sufficient to steer him to the path that will lead him and everyone who follows it to Paradise. It is the path of true belief and istiqaamah.
3.5 The Istiqaamah of the Heart and of the Tongue
The key to istiqaamah– being upright and steadfast along the Straight Path– is soundness of the heart. The heart must be firmly set upon tauheed. It must be filled with the fear of Allah, love for Him and awe of Him. If the heart is righteous, then the rest of the body will follow, since its limbs, organs and other parts are simply soldiers of what is in the heart.
lbn al-Qayyim points out that the heart will not achieve istiqaamah until two conditions are met: First, the person must love Allah more than any other person or thing that he loves. He says that this is very easy to claim but very difficult to put into practice. When a person is tried by Allah, the truth is revealed. Many times, it turns out that the person actually loves his desires, his parents, his wife, his leader, his shaikh and so on more than he loves Allah. When this occurs, istiqaamah will be unachievable as it is the way of Allah to test His slaves in this world. The second aspect is for the heart to have a great deal of respect for the commands and prohibitions of the shareeah.
This great deal of respect comes about by showing respect to the One who laid down those commands and prohibitions. The person must always keep in mind who laid down the laws of the shareeah. When this is deeply rooted in his heart, he will then show the proper respect for those laws. If he is, however, neglectful of who the Lawgiver is, it becomes easier for his heart to stray.
After the heart, there is one thing that is particularly important for a believer to guard over and make sure that it does not stray from what is right. This is the tongue. The statements of one’s tongue can be very damaging and can lead a person away from the proper istiqaamah. Many times, a person may not realize the damage that he has done to himself by his own statements. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made this point clear when he said, “A person makes a statement that is pleasing to Allah although he did not give it much concern. [Due to it] Allah raises his rank. And a person makes a statement that is displeasing to Allah although he did not give it much concern. [Due to it], he is flung into the Hell-fire.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)
In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever guarantees for me what is between his jawbones and what is between his legs [that is, whoever can guarantee that his tongue and private parts will not be involved in forbidden acts], then I guarantee for him Paradise.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)
The seriousness of the actions of the tongue may be why this hadith continues with the Prophet (peace be upon him) warning Sufyaan about the dangers of the tongue. Again, the portion of the narration not found in Sahih Muslim states, [Sufyan then said,] “O Messenger of Allah, what is the thing that you fear most for me?” He [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] took hold of his own tongue and said, “This.” Indeed, in another hadith, from Musnad Ahmad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “The faith of a person will not be straight and sound until his heart is made straight and sound. And his heart will not be straight and sound until his tongue is made straight and sound.”
3.6 The “Challenge” of Istiqaamah
Istiqaamah is not an easy thing to achieve. Al-Nawawi noted that ibn Abbas stated that the verse quoted above from Surah Hood, “Stand firm and steadfast as you have been ordered,” was the hardest and most difficult verse of the Quran on the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to develop a few gray hairs at a fairly young age. When asked about that, he responded, “I have been made gray by [ Surah] Hood and its sister [ Surahs]. ”
Concerning istiqaamah, Fakhr al-Deen al-Raazi stated, Istiqaamah is a very difficult matter since it encompasses: (a) beliefs, as one must be free of likening Allah to any of His creatures or of denying any of His attributes; (b) deeds, as one must keep from changing or distorting the deeds in any way; and ( c ) behavior, as one must avoid the path of exaggeration
as well as that of lack of action. Similarly, al-Ghazzaali stated, “Being steadfast along the path in this world is as difficult as being steadfast on the path that is over the Hell-fire. Both of them are finer than a strand of hair and sharper than a sword.”
The proper istiqaamah will only come about when imaan is firmly rooted in the heart. As Siddiqi wrote, To keep steadfastness in Tauhid is not an ordinary thing. It means that the concept of oneness of God has taken its root firmly in the minds of men and now no interest, however alluring, no pressure, however heavy, can deviate man from the right path. It is a test of man’s faith in the Lord and is a clear proof of the fact that it is not under the influence of a whim or wayward emotion that man accepts Tauhid as the guiding principle of his life, but he has affirmed it after a careful deliberation and fully realizing the heavy responsibilities that this affirmation entails.
Complete or perfect istiqaamah– which implies complete devotion to tauheed without any shortcomings– may be impossible to achieve. By the mercy of Allah, such “perfection” is not what is required of human beings. Allah has said in the Quran, “Say: I am but a human being like yourselves. But it has been inspired to me that your God is one God. So take the Straight Path to Him (fastaqeemoo lahu) and ask for His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists” (Fussilat 6). Ibn Rajah points out that in this verse is a sign that everyone will be deficient in his istiqaamah or his taking of the Straight Path to Allah. This is why, immediately after giving that command, Allah has ordered that His forgiveness be sought.
His forgiveness is to be sought with respect to one’s shortcoming in istiqaamah. A hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) makes this point clearer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “O people, you are not able to, or you will not do, all that you are ordered to do. But, instead, try to be upright and have glad tidings.” In another hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated, “Be straight on the path or be close to it.”
In this hadith, in essence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was saying, “Hit the mark or be close to the mark.” What the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant by this statement is that a Muslim must be in one of two situations for every belief, statement and deed: The first state is where the belief, statement or deed is correct and along the Straight Path. This is what is meant by “hitting the mark”. It is like a person who has taken aim at something and has actually hit his target. The second state is where the person intends to do what is right and correct but falls a little short. In this state, it must have been the case that the person intended and wanted to hit the target but he simply missed due to his own inability. This is what is meant by, “getting close to the mark”. However, at no time would a Muslim intentionally not hit the mark or not aim at the mark. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned these two cases and these two only, and they are the only acceptable cases.
Hence, what is required upon the person is either to be fully following, adhering and sticking to the Straight Path or to be doing his best to adhere to that Straight Path, although he may fall short of that Straight Path. Since a person is bound to fall short of the Straight Path on occasion, this further implies that a person’s deeds can hardly be sufficient to earn him entrance into Paradise. Indeed, it is only by the mercy of Allah that a person will be granted entrance into Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated in the remainder of the hadith just quoted from al-Bukhari and Muslim, “No one’s deeds shall enter him into Paradise.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He answered, “No, not even me, unless Allah covers me with grace and mercy. Therefore, hit the mark or be close to the mark.”
3.7 The Requirements of Jstiqaamah
According to ibn al-Qayyim, proper istiqaamah does not come about unless one has met the following six conditions:
(l) Performing the required deeds.
(2) Exerting oneself to perform those deeds.
(3) Restricting oneself to what is lawful while performing those deeds.
(4) Acting on the basis of knowledge.
(5) Singling out Allah alone with respect to one’s intention; in other words, one must have purity or ikhlaas in one’s action.
(6) Performing the deeds in the manner that they have been ordered; in other words, one must perform the deeds in accordance with the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Ibn al-Qayyim states that if any of these requirements are missing, one is either totally or partially lacking in istiqaamah. What conditions (2) and (3) imply is that a person must make sure that his actions are within the proper bounds. He must neither be too lackadaisical, not performing the proper amount and quality of a deed, not should he go to the opposite extreme of overzealousness or exaggeration. The person must consider the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the supreme example. He must realize that there is no good in going beyond the sunnah and there is great harm in falling short of the sunnah. This is a very important point. If one is ignorant of this point, he has opened the door for Satan to mislead him.
It is stated that Satan smells the heart of the believer and then tries him. One of the early scholars stated that for every deed, Satan has two forms of evil incitement. Either he will encourage him to be lazy or he will encourage him to go beyond the limits. Satan does not care which approach is effective. This is because if he is successful in either approach, he has gained a victory, as he has misled the person from the sunnah.
If Satan finds a person very keen on following the sunnah, he will encourage him to go beyond what is considered a proper following of the sunnah. He will do things that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself actually did not do while, all along, he will think that what he is doing is simply more of something good. He says to himself, “This is a good deed and an act of obedience. Therefore, more of it or a stricter approach to it must be an even better deed and also an act of obedience.” By this means, Satan has been able to mislead many. This is what has led to many of the innovations in acts of worship, especially dhikr or words of remembrance of Allah. One goes beyond what the Prophet (peace be upon him) established and says some words, for example, one thousand times or until he becomes completely engrossed in those words, thinking that he is becoming one with Allah through such meditation and chanting.
Instead, the person should ask himself, “If the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not go to this extreme and he is the excellent example, isn’t this is a sign that this extreme actually is not something good but, instead, must be something harmful?” This is why the early scholars stated that not performing as many deeds but performing what is found in the sunnah is better than overexerting oneself in deeds that are innovations and not found in the sunnah. This aspect has been aptly summarized by the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said to a group of people who felt that the Prophet’s practice was not sufficient for them,
“Every deed has its period of high emotion and zealousness. And every such feeling has its time of cooling down. That latter time is either toward the sunnah or toward innovation. If the person’s time of this nature is toward the sunnah, he is rightly guided. And if his time of this nature is toward other than that, he is destroyed.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “Stay away from exaggeration [and overzealousness] in the religion. Verily, exaggeration in the religion only destroyed those before you. ” On the other hand, if Satan finds a person to be lackadaisical, lazy or weak-willed, he will try to lead him to the opposite extreme. He will show him every excuse and permission from the shareeah, so the person will not perform many of the deeds that he is supposed to perform. He may abandon the prayers on the basis that not praying is not tantamount to disbelief. A woman may not wear the hijaab claiming that it is only recommended or that modesty is what is required and not some specific dress. Indeed, a person may even take interest claiming that it is difficult to avoid and, therefore, the shareeah must allow it.
3.8 The Means to Istiqaamah
There are many forces and pressures upon a person that attempt to drive him away from the path of istiqaamah. Satan and his allies will do their utmost to make believers stray from the Straight Path. Therefore, before concluding the discussion of this hadith concerning istiqaamah, some of the ways and means that help a person remain along the Straight Path should be mentioned. Briefly stated, the following, Allah willing, are very beneficial to keep a person along the Straight Path:
(1) Turning to the Quran, reading it attentively and benefiting from its teachings: Reading the Quran strengthens a person’s imaan, reminds him of Allah and of the Hereafter. It reminds him of his real purpose in life and the fleeting nature of this world. All of these aspects are very important in helping a person stay along the Straight Path. They will make the person realize that there is nothing in this world that is so desirable or necessary that one should risk straying from the Straight Path. Furthermore, reading the Quran will show the person what the Straight Path actually is so that he may avoid swerving by avoiding innovations, heresies and incorrect beliefs or practices.
(2) Continually checking oneself and reviewing one’s deeds: Allah has said in the Quran, “O believers! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is AllAware of what you do” (al-Hashr 18). It has also been reported that Umar ibn al-Khattaab stated, “Reckon yourself before you are reckoned and weigh yourself before you are weighed.“
(3) Striving to improve oneself: Everyone should keep in mind that his deeds are not sufficient for the reward of Paradise in the Hereafter. In addition to performing the proper deeds, the person must strive after Allah’s mercy and grace. If this idea is firm in a person’s mind, he will not be content with the deeds that he is performing. Instead, he will always seek to do even better, especially better in quality and with respect to sincere intention.
(4) Sincerely supplicating to Allah: For example, when the person says, “Guide us to the Straight Path,” in every rakah of his prayers, he should mean that sincerely. He should think about what he is saying and ask for it with full conviction and hope.
(5) Acquiring sound Islamic knowledge: This is one of the keys to avoiding innovations and straying from the Straight Path. It is only through sound Islamic knowledge that one can first recognize the Straight Path that he is trying to adhere to from all of the other paths.
(6) Studying and following the examples of the earlier prophets: Satan tried his best to make the prophets stray from their mission. Allah has shown their examples in the Quran and how they responded. This should make the heart of the believer firmer in belief and make it easier for him to adhere to the Straight Path. Allah has said, “And all that we relate to you of the news of the messengers is in order that We may make strong and firm your heart thereby. And in this has come to you the Truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder for the believers” (Hood 120).
(7) Sticking to the Islamic Community and associating with pious people: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “You must stick to the congregation for the wolf eats the sheep that is off by itself. “
(8) Thinking about the Hereafter with its pleasures and punishment and remembering death often: When one thinks about the Hereafter and remembers death, one puts this world in its prosper perspective. Again, the result of this should be that the person will realize that there is nothing here of importance in comparison to remaining steadfast and adhering to the Straight Path.
One should also be aware of the environment he is surrounded by and how its different components affect his ability to stay along the Straight Path. There are many different atmospheres that encourage a person and help him stay along the straight path. However, many times one is surrounded by- even bombarded by- influences that call him to stray from the Straight Path. Sometimes the person himself does not realize what all of these influences are and then he cannot understand why he is finding it so difficult to abide by the shareeah in his life.
In his work on istiqaamah, al-Daryuwaish highlighted the importance of the following different environmental influences in one’s life:
- One’s house and family,
- One’s school,
- The mosque,
- The society as a whole and, finally,
- The surrounding media in all its forms.
One’s workplace should also be added to those environments al Daryuwaish mentioned. Every Muslim should think about these influences in his particular life. He should try to find the positive influences and frequent them most often. He should identify the negative influences and do his best to remain away from them. In this way, he will be helping himself, by the will of Allah, fulfill this important condition of istiqaamah.
4. Other Points Related to This Hadith
- Those who follow innovations and heresies have failed in the obligation of istiqaamah. Istiqaamah implies being upright along the Straight Path. Those who follow innovations have chosen to swerve from that path to other ways. They may, thereby, be robbing themselves of the rewards and benefits of istiqaamah.
- Al-Ghazzaali stated that the importance and need for istiqaamah is so great that Allah has ordered His servants to recite Surah al-Fatiha in every rakah of their prayers. That Surah contains a supplication which is, in essence, a prayer for istiqaamah or continual guidance to the straight path.
- Since a person, in general, does not achieve full istiqaamah and since no one’s deeds are sufficient to enter one into Paradise, no one should be so full of himself and think himself to be something great. Instead, he should be humble toward Allah, recognize his shortcomings and ask Allah to forgive him.
- One can see from this hadith and many others that the Companions were very fond of attaining beneficial knowledge. Ibn Uthaimin states that if one studies their example one will find that they did not ignore any matter that they needed for their religion or worldly life except that they would seek such information. They also were not ones to go into long, theoretical discussions. They sought teachings that were clear and comprehensive that they could apply and live by in their lives
Summary of the Hadith: All of Islam is encompassed in two aspects: ( 1) the correct belief in Allah, and (2) remaining firm and steadfast in that correct belief until death.
Books of Muslims 