An important pillar of Islam is faith. Without faith, no good deed will be accepted by Allah. That is, a person without faith will burn in the fire of hell forever. Therefore, faith is a prerequisite for going to heaven.
The word Iman comes from 'Amnun'. Amnun means peace of mind and fearlessness of the soul, which is used in the sense of providing security and freedom from fear. The verb form of this Amnun is Iman. The literal meaning of Iman is sincere belief. Iman is the name of placing sincere faith in what the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has brought from Allah.
Iman is basically the combined name of believing in the heart, recognizing in the mouth, and implementing in action, including the root and branches. However, from the perspective of Sharia, it is important to pay attention to five things - establishing strong faith in the heart, acting by reading the Kalima on the mouth, purity of intention, acting through the tongue i.e. reciting the Quran, remembrance and admonition etc., acting through the limbs i.e. bowing and prostration, Hajj, fasting etc. To be a believer or Muslim, one must have faith in seven things; which is called Iman-e-Mufassal in Arabic. Iman-e-Mufassal means detailed - faith. Iman-e-Mufassal means in Bengali - 'I have believed - Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day (the Hereafter), the good and bad of destiny are from Allah, and the resurrection after death.'
The main subjects of faith are three. Namely – Tawheed, Risalat and Akhirat. Iman Mufassal includes all three. Tawheed includes three – Allah, angels and predestination. Risalat includes two – Books and Messengers. The Akhirat includes two – The Last Day and Resurrection after death.
There are numerous verses in the Quran about faith. In verse 62 of Surah An-Nur, Allah Almighty says: “The believers are those who have increased in faith in Allah and His Messenger.” In verse 79 of Surah Al-Imran, Allah Almighty says: “So believe in Allah and the Messenger. If you believe and fear Allah, then for you is a great reward.”
There are numerous hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about the importance and dignity of faith. Narrated by Hazrat Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him). He said, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Whoever has an atom's weight of faith in his heart will not enter Hell." (Tirmidhi-1998). Another narration states that, "No matter what his deeds are, Allah will admit him to Paradise." (Bukhari-3180 and Muslim 150)
Muslims experience growth and decline in their faith. The level of Paradise is determined based on the increase and decrease in faith and piety. Believers set the ultimate goal and purpose of their lives to attain the pleasure of Allah. Some characteristics and diversity can be observed in the lives of believers. As their faith and guidance increase, humility and humility increase. One believer is superior to another believer on the basis of piety. By following the complete religion, the status of a believer in Paradise increases. As a result of believing in Allah, a feeling of peace is observed in the hearts of believing servants. Faith gradually leaves the hearts of people due to sins from the level of a believer. Thus, if faith is no longer there, hell is inevitable for him.
Along with faith, one should pay attention to a few other things. One should not associate partners with Allah under any circumstances. One should not violate human rights. One should always remain debt-free. One should try their best to fulfill the obligations and duties. One should keep one's dealings and transactions with people in order. If one keeps one's faith in order along with following these, one can expect to attain Paradise.
