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He accepts the will and decree of Allah
The sincere Muslim is always content to accept the will and decree of Allah, remembering the hadith:
´How amazing is the affair of the Muslim His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him. (Bukhari)
The sincere Muslim is convinced that belief in the will and decree of Allah is one of the pillars of faith. Whatever befalls him in life cannot have been avoided, because Allah has decreed it. His acceptance of the divine will and decree will earn him a great reward from Allah, Who will count him as one of the successful, obedient believers.
This is why the hadith says that the Muslim's affairs are all good. If he goes through a time of ease, he will give much thanks to his generous Rabb for His bounty, and if he goes through a time of hardship he will bear it with patience and fortitude, following the commands of his Rabb and accepting His will and decree. Whatever the case, it is truly good for him.
The one who turns to Allah in repentance
The Muslim may find himself becoming neglectful and slipping from the Straight Path, so that he may commit a sin which does not befit him as a humble and vigilant believer, but he will soon remember his Rabb, turn away from his error and seek forgiveness for his failings:
( Those who fear Allah, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance when lo They see {aright} ) (Qur'an 7: 201)
The heart filled with love and fear of Allah will not be overcome by negligence. It is those who ignore Allah's commands and guidance who will be led astray. The heart of the sincere Muslim is ever eager to repent and seek forgiveness, and rejoices in obedience, guidance and the pleasure of Allah.
His main concern is the pleasure of his Rabb
The sincere Muslim seeks to earn the pleasure of Allah in everything that he does. He is not concerned with seeking the approval of others, and indeed he may incur the wrath and hatred of people in the course of his efforts to win divine favour, as the Prophet (s) 'Blessings and Peace be upon him', said:
´Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah at the risk of displeasing the people, Allah will take care of him and protect him from them. But whoever seeks the pleasure of the people at the risk of angering Allah, Allah will abandon him to the care of the people.' 2
Note: 2. Reported by al-Tirmidhi, al-Qada'i and Ibn 'Asakir. Its isnad is hasan.
Consequently, he measures Allah's deeds against his desire to attain the pleasure of Allah, and will retain or discard any practise accordingly. Thus the Muslim will have appropriate standards, and the Straight Path will be clearly signposted for him. He will avoid falling into ridiculous contradictions whereby he obeys Allah in one matter and disobeys Him in another, or he regards something as halal one year and haram the next. There is no room for contradictions as long as the standards are correct and the principles are sound.
One often notices people who pray devotedly in the mosque, then when one sees them in the marketplace, they are dealing with rib (usury or interest), or if one sees them in the home, the street, the school or the neighbourhood, it is apparent that they are not applying the laws of Allah to their own selves, their wives, their children or any of those under their care. These people are afflicted by a severe misunderstanding of the reality of Islam, this holistic religion that in all affairs directs the Muslim towards a greater purpose, namely the pleasure of Allah, may He be glorified. This greater purpose leads the Muslim to measure Allah's deeds against the standards laid down by Allah. So these people would appear to be "semi-Muslims": they are Muslims in name only. This split personality is one of the greatest dangers that Muslims are currently facing.
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