(59) Sufiyan bin Abdullah
Saqfi has related to us that, once, he asked the Prophet, “O Apostle
of God! Tell me an all-encompassing thing about Islam so that, after
you, I may not have to ask from anyone in this regard.” The Prophet
replied, “Say, I believe in God, and remain true to it.”
-Muslim
Commentary.-It is enough for a man to make himself the faithful bondsman
of God by affirming faith in Him as the Lord and Creator of the Worlds,
and, then, to make the conscientious fulfillment of the duties stemming
from it his characteristic behaviour and way of life.
This Tradition is included among the “all-embracing sayings.”
The sacred Prophet has summed up the fundamental meaning and purpose
of Islam in a few words. Faith in God and constancy and steadfastness
in it constitutes the pith and essence of Islam. The significance of
faith in God has already been explained in the commentary of the Tradition
placed at the head of the present compilation while steadfastness means
to pursue faithfully and unchangingly the Straight Path and to preserve
in it at all times. Strict observance of the Divine injunctions, positive
as well as negative, is, so to speak, the name of constancy in Faith.
Some of the leading Sufi-saints have remarked that “steadfastness
is better than a thousand supernatural deeds.” Once a person has
learnt the lesson of steadfastness, he has learnt everything. After
it, there is left nothing for him to aspire for. At various places in
the Quran, felicity has been associated with faith in God and steadfastness.
Take the following verse, for instance.
Lo! Those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and afterward are upright, the
angels descend on them saying : Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings
of the Paradise which ye are promised. (xli : 30)
Seeing that the Traditions of the Prophet were based upon Quranic teachings
it can be said that the reply to Sufiyan bin Abdullah Saqfi was in the
light of the verses like the one reproduced above.
(60) It is related by Tamin Dari that the Apostle of God, once, said:
“Faith is the name of loyalty and earnestness.” He was asked,
“Loyalty and earnestness towards whom?” The Prophet replied,
“Towards God, towards His Book, towards His Apostle, towards the
leaders of Muslims, and towards the Muslims as a whole.”
-Muslim
Commentary.-This Tradition, too, is included among the “all-embracing
sayings.” According to Imam Naudi, it is comprehensive of all
the objectives of Faith and to act upon it is to fulfil its aim and
purpose altogether.
No aspect or department of Faith has been left out in the above Tradition.
It declares that Islam consists of loyalty to God, to His Book, to His
Apostles, to the leaders of Muslims and to the entire Muslim Millet,
and this is what Faith is,without a trace of doubt.
Loyalty to God means that He should be believed in ; the knowledge and
awareness of Him should be acquired as much as possible : He should
be loved to the utmost ; worship and obeisance should be rendered to
Him : no one should be associated with Him ; and, He should be feared
as the true Lord and Sovereign. In brief, the obligations of servility
ought to be observed to the full in respect of Him and His commands
carried out faithfully.
Loyalty to the Book of God implies that it should be accepted as the
Divine Word; due regard should be paid to its glory and greatness ;
its knowledge should be acquired and spread ; and, its teachings should
be observed dutifully in practice.
Likewise, loyalty to the Prophet signifies that faith should be affirmed
in his Apostleship ; he should be held in respect and reverence ; warm
affection should be felt for him, and for his precepts and practices
and, salvation should be believed to lie in following him with all one’s
heart.
Further, loyalty to the rulers and leaders of the Muslims denotes that
co-operation should be extended to them in the discharge of their responsibilities
; they should be held in proper esteem, and if they seemed to err, sincere
efforts should be made to correct them ; good counsel should not be
held back from them ; and, they should be obeyed as far as it is permissible
in Islam.
And, lastly, loyalty to the Muslim Millet means that attitude towards
the Muslims, as a whole, should be one of sympathy and goodwill ; their
gain should be considered to be one’s own gain and their loss
to be one’s own loss ; and, every possible help and service should
be accorded to them ungrudgingly.
From the above it will be clear how this Tradition is inclusive of every
branch of Faith and why to act upon it sincerely is to fulfil all the
obligations of Islam.