Tariqak ila Taqwiyat Imanak
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- al-Maktab al-Taʿāwunī li-l-Daʿwah wa-Tawʿiyat al-Jāliyāt bi-l-Rabwah
Tariqak ila Taqwiyat Imanak (Your Path to Strengthening Your Faith) is an Islamic treatise on creed and spiritual development written by Asma bint Rashid al-Ruwaishid, dedicated to explaining the Sunni concept of faith (iman), its fluctuations, and the practical means to nurture and fortify it.
Concept and Reality of Faith
The work defines faith as conviction in the heart, speech of the tongue, and physical action of the limbs, affirming that it increases through acts of obedience and decreases through sins. Al-Ruwaishid contrasts this orthodox definition with the ideology of Murji'ism (irja'), criticizing the notion that faith is confined merely to internal conviction detached from outward religious practice, and quoting early authorities such as al-Shafi'i and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri to demonstrate that deeds are an essential component of faith.
The book outlines the divine support and virtues promised to believers in this life and the Hereafter, and cites Ibn al-Qayyim's three-fold division of hearts according to their state of faith:
- A heart devoid of faith, overtaken completely by satanic whisperings.
- A heart illuminated by faith but clouded by base desires and worldly inclinations, locked in fluctuating spiritual conflict.
- A heart filled and safeguarded by faith, from which demonic whisperings are repelled and burned.
Manifestations of Weakness and Strength in Faith
The author enumerates several signs that indicate a decline in an individual's faith, including:
- Committing sins while belittling them and persisting in their practice.
- Sluggishness, procrastination, and neglect in performing religious obligations.
- Excessive rivalry for worldly gains and attachment to material possessions.
- Neglect of the remembrance of God (dhikr) and Quranic recitation.
- Abandoning self-examination (muhasabat al-nafs).
- Hardness of the heart, manifested in a lack of emotional responsiveness to admonitions and Quranic verses.
- The appearance of blameworthy traits such as arrogance, envy, vanity, betrayal, and backbiting.
Conversely, the book identifies key outward and inward marks of robust faith: swift submission to the rulings of divine law, avoidance of major and minor polytheism (shirk), active resistance against satanic doubts and whisperings, loving righteous believers for God's sake, disavowal of hostility toward God's religion (al-wala' wa-l-bara'), cultivation of good moral character, and steadfastness in the face of contemporary trials and temptations.
Means of Strengthening Faith
The core practical section of the book groups the methods of increasing faith into three overarching categories:
- Acquiring Beneficial Knowledge: Cultivating knowledge derived from the Quran and the Sunnah, with particular focus on reflecting on the verses of the Quran, understanding God's Beautiful Names and Attributes, and studying the biographies of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the early Muslim generations (al-Salaf).
- Contemplating Cosmic Signs: Meditating on God's creation—such as the heavens, earth, natural phenomena, and the fleeting nature of human existence—to awaken spiritual awareness and awe.
- Diligence in Righteous Deeds: Engaging continually in inward acts of the heart (such as sincerity, reliance, hope, and love), verbal acts of the tongue (such as dhikr, supplication, and commanding good), and physical worship of the limbs (including prayer, regular charity, chastity, and upholding trusts).
The author concludes by emphasizing companionship with righteous mentors, regular attendance at gatherings of religious learning, spiritual self-discipline (mujahadat al-nafs), and repentance.
Publication
The work was published in a single volume by the Cooperative Office for Islamic Propagation and Guidance in al-Rabwah (al-Maktab al-Ta'awuni li-l-Da'wah wa-Taw'iyat al-Jaliyat bi-l-Rabwah).
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