Faiths ( Aqaids )

1. belief that is not based on proof: Faiths (Aqaids)

2. Concept • Dictionary Meaning • Literal Meaning • In Fiq • Bertrand Russell noted, • "Where there is evidence, no one speaks of 'faith' • We do not speak of faith that two and two are four or that the earth is round • We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence.

3. Cont… • Psychological Trust • A certain kind of affective psychological state—namely, a state of feeling confident and trusting • Faith as knowledge • faith as knowledge of specific truths, revealed by God. • Faith As Reason • Faith as Belief • If faith is not ‘a firm and certain knowledge’ of theistic truths, faith may be a certain kind of belief. • Faith As Trust • believingin God, rather than as believing that God exists

4. Faith as hope • faith as involving belief beyond the evidence • faith with hoping that the claims of faith are true • Faith as a virtue • Faith is traditionally regarded as one of the ‘theological’ virtues • If a virtue is a ‘disposition of character which promotes responsiveness to one or more basic goods

5. Fideism and logical Positivism • Fideism • It states that faith is needed to determine some philosophical and religious truths, and it questions the ability of reason to arrive at all truth • true belief can only arise from faith, because reason and physical evidence cannot lead to truth. • logical Positivism • Which denies the validity of any beliefs held by faith;

6. Some Questions • Can there be faith without adherence to any theistic tradition ? • ‘faith is an outcome of the inborn propensity to self-conservation and self-betterment which is a part of human nature • Do all of our beliefs rest ultimately on beliefs accepted by faith ? • Is faith merely the virtue by which we hold to our reasoned ideas ?

7. Important Faiths • In Allah-Tauheed • In Rasools-Risalat • Akharat

8. “ Faith in Allah ” • Allah exists and nobody has created Him. • He alone is the Lord of the whole Universe. • He alone is the Master and He alone is authorized to make any modifications in the universe according to His will. • He alone is to be exclusively worshipped and He has no associates. • SurahIkhlas _AyatUlKersi

9. Statistics • La e la ha illa 12 • Allah 2696 • Elah 125 • Elaho (plural of Elah) 36 • Socraties, Plato, Aristitle, Xenofin all were monotheist

10. The Effects of Tawheed on Human Life • A believer in this Kalima can never be narrow-minded. • He believes in a God who is Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Master of the East and the West and Sustainer of the entire universe. After this belief he does not regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. • He looks upon everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord whom he himself belongs to. His sympathy, love, and service do not remain confined to any particular sphere or group. His vision is enlarged, his intellectual horizon widens. • How can this width of vision and breadth of mind be achieved by an atheist, a polytheist, or one who believes in a deity supposed to possess limited and defective powers like a man?

11. Cont.. • This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self-esteem. • The believer knows that Allah alone is the possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit or harm a person, or provide for his need, or give and take away life, or wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him indifferent to, and independent and fearless of, all powers other than those of God.

12. Cont… • This belief makes man virtuous and upright. • If a man has the conviction that theirs is no other means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul and righteousness of behavior. • As to the atheists, they do not believe that there is any Being having power over them, to whom they would be responsible for their good or bad action; therefore they consider themselves altogether independent to act in whatever way they like in this world. Their own fancies become their gods and they live like slaves of their wishes and desires.  

13. Cont… • This belief produces in man a very strong degree of determination, patient perseverance, and trust in God. • When he makes up his mind and devotes his resources to fulfill the Divine Commands in order to secure God’s pleasure, he is sure he has the support and backing of the Lord of the universe, this certainty makes him firm and strong like a mountain, and no amount of difficulties, impediments, and hostile opposition can make him give up his resolution. Shirk, Kufr, and atheism have no such effect.  

14. Cont… • The believer does not become despondent and broken-hearted under any circumstances. • A man has firm faith in God who is the Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, whose grace and bounty have no limit and whose powers are infinite. This faith imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation, fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope • Mushirks, kafirs, and atheists have small hearts; they depends upon limited powers; therefore in hours of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and, frequently, they commit suicide

15. Symptoms of weak faith • Falling into sin and committing haraam deeds • Feeling that one’s heart is hard and rough • Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or even worse in hardness…” [al-Baqarah 2:74]. • Not doing acts of worship properly • meaning of what he is saying, and Allaah “does not accept the du’aa’ of one whose heart is heedless of Him.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 3479; al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 594).

16. Cont… • Laziness and carelessness in performing acts of worship • (interpretation of the meaning): “… and when they stand up for prayer, they stand up with laziness…” [al-Nisa’ 4:142]. • Stinginess and miserliness • (interpretation of the meaning): “… and [they] gave them [the muhaajiroon] preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that…” [al-Hashr 59:9]. • “meanness and faith never exist together in the heart of the believer.” (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, al-Mujtaba, 6/13; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2678). • Excessive arguing and disputing • “No people will go astray after having beingguided except that they become argumentative.” (Reported by Ahmad in al-Musnad, 5/252; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5633).

17. Deism • That reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion • God never intervenes in human affairs or suspends the natural laws of the universe,reject supernatural events such as prophecy and miracles • Assert that a god (or "the Supreme Architect") does not alter the universe by intervening in it ( known as the clockwork universe theory, in which a god designs and builds the universe, but steps aside to let it run on its own)

18. Classical Deism • A human's relationship with God was impersonal: • God created the world and set it in motion but does not actively intervene in individual human affairs but rather through Divine Providence, that God will give humanity reason and compassion but this applies to all and not individual intervention

19. A Modern Deism • Deism is the recognition of a universal creative force greater than that demonstrated by mankind • supported by personal observation of laws and designs in nature and the universe • perpetuated and validated by the innate ability of human reason coupled with the rejection of claims made by individuals and organized religions of having received special divine revelation

20. Contemporary deist opinions on prayer • That God has created the universe perfectly, so no amount of supplication, request, or begging can change the fundamental nature of the universe • That God is not an entity that can be contacted by human beings through petitions for relief; rather, God can only be experienced through the nature of the universe • Some do not believe in divine intervention, but still find value in prayer as a form of meditation, self-cleansing, and spiritual renewal. Such prayers are often appreciative (that is, "Thank you for") rather than supplicative (that is, "Please God grant me ")