Iman is not static. It goes up and down like a wave, depending on circumstances. As Muslims who want to be closer to Allah, we may chastise ourselves when our iman is low and wonder why we are feeling this way. We may at times find ourselves dropping our guards and sinning (see hadith below). What is important to remember is that the ebbs and flows of iman are completely natural and happen to every believer. What is important is to turn back to Allah in repentance and to seek His continuous guidance.

The following hadith gives us hope and reminds us that we will, at times, find ourselves committing sins.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you did not sin, Allah would replace you with people who would sin, and they would seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would forgive them.” Source: Sahih Muslim 2749

“How can I take advantage of both states of Iman?”

The key is to know how to modify our behaviour when our iman is high or low, how to live with the challenges of fluctuating iman, and how to ensure that our iman is on an upwards trajectory.

When our iman is high, we should essentially try to “ride the wave” and enjoy the “sweetness of iman” that Allah gives us. This period of “iman high” is for us to exert ourselves, improve our base levels, and evaluate our lives overall in terms of our relationship with Allah. In such moments, we should engage in acts of worship to bring spiritual joy and uplift. We can also remember the dua of the prophet اللهمَّ حبِّبْ إلينا الإيمانَ وزيِّنْه في قلوبِنا, (O Allah make iman beloved to us). We should also remember not to become complacent in this phase and remember that our iman is a gift from Allah.

At times, we may become complacent with our iman, so Allah sends a trial our way to shape us and to ensure that we continue to strive, struggle, and work hard. This test may come in the form of a decrease in our iman, feeling disheartened or apathetic, and lethargic. During this time, we should try our best to maintain our usual standards, despite not feeling it. Remember that we do not worship Allah in order to experience the sweetness and enjoyment; these are added blessings or gifts or 'side effects'. We worship Allah and strive and struggle even though our nafs is telling us to stay wrapped in our comfortable beds, to spend an extra hour watching Netflix, or to eat that tasty breakfast instead of making a voluntary fast. This striving and struggling – jihad an Nafs – or الصبر على الطاعات / assabr ‘la attaa’aat (being persistently patient in doing good), as Imam Nawawi calls it, will mean receiving extra rewards because of the challenge. This will enable us to increase our iman and get through the iman low.

One thing we can do to increase our iman is to seek out the signs (Ayaat) of Allah to increase our iman. As Allah says,” when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord” (Quran 8:2). We can read certain passages of the Quran to incline our hearts to the words of Allah and gravitate towards Him. We can also look to other signs, such as in the following verse, “Do they not see the birds made to fly through the air in the sky? Nothing holds them up except God. There truly are signs in this for those who believe”. (Quran 16:79)

“What are the factors that increase our iman?”

Given that Iman is like a pendulum, going back and forth, we should ask ourselves the crucial question. What are the factors that increase our iman? The Quran repeatedly highlights that it is revelation that increases iman. When we allow our senses to properly absorb the Quran – its recitation, its meaning, and its reflection – it leads to a heightened sense of faith. In this month, as we look forward to embracing Ramadan, let us attune our hearts, our lifestyle, and environment to receive this spiritual uplift that we are so desperately in need of by immersing ourselves

Read more on this theme by clicking the following Reflection