Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
well I’ve finally fallen for a girl…she’s religious, beautiful, and everything in between…unfortunately, when I asked her to marry me, she rejected me! her only reason for doing so was that I wasn’t “religious enough”…she wants to marry someone who is religious like her…
Walaikum assalam,
I feel for you, Sidi
Q: I was trying to become more religious even before she came along, but I feel as though there is an obstacle on my heart that is preventing me from doing so…I can literally feel it in my chest…I don’t know what it is…so, once again, I need to ask you a few things:
1) how do I increase my faith in God? right now, I do my prayers and all that good stuff…but it seems kind of superficial to me…I try to concentrate but I just don’t feel anything inside sometimes…
Faith (iman) increases by the means Allah has provided: constantly repenting from all one’s sins and errors, turning to Allah outwardly and inwardly through worship and remembrance, keeping good company, avoiding bad company and all things that distance one from Allah, and seeking the means to travel the way of the Next Life.
The very matter’ of the spiritual way revolves around two matters: increasing one’s faith and piety (taqwa), because these are the two essential characteristics of those who have gained unto the pleasure of Allah, as He said,
“Verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve. Those who believe and keep their duty (to Allah). Theirs are good tidings in the life of the world and in the Hereafter – There is no changing the Words of Allah – that is the Supreme Triumph.” [Qur’an, 10.62-64]
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani