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Chapter 1
The believer is alert
Islam requires of the Muslim, first and foremost, that he be a true and sincere believer in Allah 'The Exalted, closely connected to Him, constantly remembering Him and putting his trust in Him, while making the effort to help himself. The Muslim should feel in the depths of his soul that he is in constant need of the help and support of Allah, no matter how much he may think he can do for himself.
The true and sincere Muslim is alert and open-minded to the magnificence of Allah's creation. He knows that it is Almighty Allah Who is in control of the affairs of the universe and of mankind. He recognizes the signs of His unlimited power in every aspect of creation, and so his faith in Allah increases, he remembers Him constantly and puts his trust in Him:
( Behold In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of Night and Day - there are indeed Signs for men of understanding - men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the [wonders of] creation in the heavens and the earth, {with the thought}: 'Our Rabb! Not for naught have You created [all] this! Gory to You! Give us salvation from the Penalty of the Fire.') (Qur'an 3:190-191)
Obedient to the commands of his Rabb
It comes as no surprise, then, that the sincere Muslim is humbly obedient to Allah in all matters. He never transgresses the limits, and he follows Allah's commands and guidance even when they are contrary to his own desires. The test of the Muslim's faith lies in this following of the commands of Allah and His Messenger (s) in all matters, great and small, with no hesitation or reservation:
´None of you {truly} believes until his inclination is in accordance with what I have brought.'1
Note: 1. Al-Nawawi's Forty hadith, hadith No. 41 (p. 124).
( But no, by the Rabb, they can have no {real} Faith, until they make you Judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction.) (Qur'an 4:65)
It is the matter of absolute submission and complete obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Without both of these, there is no faith and no Islam. Therefore the sincere Muslim does not deviate from the guidance of Allah or ignore the commands of His Messenger, whether these concern him as an individual or those over whom he has authority and for whom he is responsible (i.e., the members of his family).
He has a sense of responsibility for those under his authority
If any member of the Muslim's family is neglectful or failing in his or her duties towards Allah and His Messenger, then he is responsible:
´Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock (i.e., those over whom you have authority). (Bukhari and Muslim)
The sense of responsibility that the sincere Muslim feels when a member of his family is failing in some important regard disturbs him greatly. He cannot bear it, so he will hasten to deal with its causes despite the consequences. The only one who can ignore such a responsibility and keep quiet about it is the man whose faith is weak and whose manhood is lacking.
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