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Episode 2: Why is "The Journey into Certainty" important for the believer? - Dr. Eyad Qunaibi

November 9, 2019

In the appendix you will find the link to the text of this episode in Arabic and German

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuCadqWV9Na5gw6SmMQ2OScjIrWm?e=Mj7rcO

The link to the German audio synchronization of this episode

https://soundcloud.com/bruder-hattab/warum-ist-die-reise-in-die

Why is „the journey into certainty“ important also for the believer?

Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you My brothers, in our lecture series to build certainty, we begin with the proofs of the existence of Allah the Exalted. The Muslim viewer will probably say: Well, I believe in the existence of Allah, so these words do not concern me. In truth, even the believer who has a deep belief in the existence of Allah needs these consequences. Why? I will mention six important benefits of this, which we can call: 1. Deepening the roots 2. Positive thinking about Allah 3. Building motivation 4. Steadfastness and reassurance 5. Becoming aware of the blessing 6. Reviving the pride of life

Episode Two: Why "The Journey of Certainty" is Important for the Believer?

Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings. In our series on building certainty, we will begin by establishing the existence of God the Almighty; this is the foundation upon which everything else is built. A Muslim follower might say, "I believe in the existence of God, so this talk is not for me," but in reality, even the one who believes in God with deep faith needs these episodes.

I will mention six important benefits for deepening certainty, which can be titled:

Deepening the Roots.
Having Good Opinions of God.
Forming Motivation.
Steadfastness and Strengthening.
Recognizing Blessings.
Reviving Dignity.

Benefit One: Deepening the Roots

Certainty has degrees, not just one level. Some may ask, "Is certainty not a firm conviction without any doubt?" Yes, but this conviction itself varies. When you believe in the existence of God with firm conviction, you have escaped the pull of doubts and hesitation, but people then differ in "soaring."

Consider the trees in the garden; they are all living trees standing on their trunks, but they are not the same. You will find a tree standing on roots close to the surface of the earth, easy to uproot, and another with deep roots that are difficult to uproot, and a third even deeper that cannot be uprooted at all; it may be cut down or killed, but it will not be uprooted.

Similarly, certainty in the souls; some Muslims may have a living certainty, but there is a great difference in their steadfastness when faced with trials, and a difference in their fruits; some benefit only themselves, while others bear fruit for people who seek shade under it. Therefore, the one with certainty needs to water the tree of his certainty with contemplation, which our Lord has encouraged us to do, saying: "And they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth."

God the Almighty says: "And Allah increases in guidance those who have been guided." And when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said: "But [I did it] that my heart would be at ease," Ibn Ashur in its interpretation said: "So that my knowledge may be confirmed and established, and I may move from the process of thought and reflection to the simplicity of necessity with the certainty of witnessing... revelation that does not require repeated argumentation and refutation of doubts." So Ibrahim, peace be upon him, wanted to solidify the foundation to enjoy the coolness of certainty.

Benefit Two: Having Good Opinions of God

Our approach to discussing the evidence of God's existence will not be dry, but rather, the intention is to deepen the love for God and the certainty of His justice, wisdom, and mercy. The more you look at the evidence of God's existence and the soundness of His religion, the more you will be certain of His mercy, exalted be He, that He has established all these signs, and you will say to yourself: "How merciful you are, O Lord, to your servants!"

You will increase in certainty of God's justice when He punishes those who disbelieve in Him after all these clear evidences, and you will know that people have no argument against God. There are Muslims who have an issue with the matter of punishing the disbeliever, and this may cause the servant to have a bad opinion of God's mercy and justice. Therefore, the certainty that we seek is twofold:

Certainty of the existence of God.
Certainty that the evidence of His existence is sufficient, conclusive, and binding, establishing the argument against creation.

Benefit Three: Forming Motivation

The more you solidify the matter of certainty, the more you will set out with zeal and vitality on the path to Paradise, and your energies will burst forth in the service of God's religion and steadfastness in His command. The more certainty is watered, the more activity is renewed and lethargy fades. Therefore, the first description of the pious in Surah Al-Baqarah was: "Those who believe in the unseen." This is the driving force behind everything.

Benefit Four: Steadfastness and Strengthening

We are in an era of trials that have stripped people of their faith. It is the duty of the Muslim to fortify himself and plant the roots of his certainty in the earth to stand firm against the storms and strengthen those around him.

Consider the words of Ibn Taymiyyah, may God have mercy on him:

"Most people, when they embrace Islam after disbelief or are born into Islam and adhere to its laws... they are Muslims with a general faith, but the entry of the reality of faith into their hearts is achieved gradually if God grants them that, otherwise, many people do not reach certainty or jihad, and if they are shaken, they will shake."

Even if you are satisfied with your certainty, what about your children and family in this era of intellectual warfare? We often hear about the influence of doubts on the youth. God the Almighty says: "And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and were certain of Our signs." By rising to higher levels of certainty, you qualify to be among the leaders whom God supports with, and you answer doubts with steadfastness and knowledge instead of stuttering or nervousness.

Benefit Five: Recognize the Blessing of God Upon You

When you see the great difference between the believer and the denier, you will deeply sense the meaning of the verses: "And not equal are the blind and the seeing, nor are the darknesses and the light." You will understand the consequences of denying God and how He causes his companion to plummet into a vast abyss, which will increase your attachment to your religion.

Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, said: "The bonds of Islam are only severed one by one when there arises in Islam one who does not know the days of ignorance." These people do not perceive the greatness of the blessing, and the distance between truth and falsehood may shrink for them, causing them to fall into the valleys of doubt.

Benefit Six: Reviving Dignity

With contemplation of the evidence, you feel dignity and harmony with yourself as you display the rituals of your religion, because you realize that you are on the clear truth. You will not need to adjust your appearance or hide your identity for others to accept you, and you will not feel like a stranger even if you walk against the current; because you feel that you are "the original." Your inner voice says: "People, do you not see what I see? Do you not see this sun at midday?"

For all these reasons, these episodes will not only be beneficial for the hesitant, but for every Muslim to deepen their roots and revive their dignity.

In the next episode, we will begin with you, God willing, with the natural evidence of His existence, exalted be He. Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings.