Faith: From Submission to Perfection
Faith is a living concept within religion; it is the utmost knowing of the truth that must be realized by the heart and further declared by the mouth. In Sufism, this confession of faith, which is also known as “Shahada”, is the first step toward becoming a Sufi and submissive to the will of the creator. Shahada is the doorway to the Divine and the starting point of total submission. In Sufism, faith is a genuine reality within the heart that guides people from submission to sincere faith and ultimately to complete perfection.
Faith is an inner knowing of the truth that resonates deeply within the heart and consists of different stages. Depending on individual’s level of obedience, devotion, and understanding of the divine, people can travel further within the realm of faith. A complete faith is a faith that has fully entered one’s heart. According to the Qur’an, “Say, "You have not believed; but say, 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered into your hearts” (49:14). In Sufism, people are not considered as true believers if the faith has not entered into their hearts. The goal of believers is therefore to experience this faith within the heart and become true believers.
There are different levels of faith. The first level of faith is submission (Islam); in this state, believers declare the truthfulness of oneness of God and the actuality of Mohammad’s prophet-hood. Total surrendered is the key characteristic of this state, and Sufis endeavor to willingly submit their will to that of their Lord and consequently respond to His call: “O you who believe! Enter into submission, wholeheartedly, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; he is to you an outright enemy” (Qur’an 2:208). In this state, people will to believe and have a strong longing to pursue their Lord. They acknowledge God as the compassionate and the merciful. They believe in the messengers and the message that came down with them, the angels, and the Day of Judgment. The faith, however, is not complete in this stage, and without allowing the faith to grow, some may end up losing confidence in God as the creator while facing various worldly problems. Others, on the other hand, can develop a deeper understanding of God through sincere devotion and remembrance and therefore move one step further into the realm of faith. This is indeed a difficult task that requires sincerity and patience: “And seek help through patience and prayer. But it is difficult, except for the devout” (Qur’an 2:45). Only those who devout themselves to the remembrance of God are capable of taking the next step and entering the next level of faith.
Iman is the next stage of faith. In this second level of faith, believers acquire a deeper understanding of God, His attributes and love. This is the state of actual faith (Iman), where believers become more diligent about upholding the teachings of their faith. In this state, people do not simply believe that God exist; they come to realize that He is capable of doing all he says in His book, and he is indeed the rewarder of good deeds. Faith in this state is more than a simple recognition of the truth, or a sincere declaration of it, faith becomes more tangible and heart-knowing. In order to be fully God-conscious, however, people need to move yet one step further in faith.
The third and highest level of faith in Sufism is the level of perfection (Ihsan). In this state, believers worship God as if they see Him; they pray to Him knowing He is watching them. They become God-conscious and capable of seeing Him in everything and everywhere. They think, speak, and behave according to God’s word and will, seeking to please Him. It is in this high state of faith that believers become the friends of God: “[their] allies are God, and His Messenger, and those who believe—those who pray regularly, and give charity, and bow down” (Qur’an 5:55). Faith in this level is perfected since people say or do everything for the sake of God. This is the state in which people obtain righteousness—a very high state since “God is with the righteous” (2:194). The goal of believers is to perfect their faith by reaching this final level.
While through submission, believers enter into the realm of faith, it is through intellectual knowledge that they will obtain wisdom and further conviction within the heart: “those endowed with knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, and so believe in it, and their hearts soften to it” (Qur’an 22:54). A complete faith grows out of true understanding and knowledge of God and His message. Sufism does not require believers to have faith without reasoning or to blindly follow its path. Over and over in the Qur’an, people are asked why they do not think and ponder upon God’s numerous signs all around them: “Are the blind and the seeing alike? Do you not think?"(Qur’an 6:50). Faith without assurance of the heart is not a complete faith, and people’s faith could keep on growing or getting smaller depending on how much they are using intellectual knowledge to obtain wisdom in the heart.
Faith begins by submitting to the truth of God and obeying His commands and divine instructions. It starts with uttering the truth (Shahada) with the mouth and believing it with the heart (Iman). To obtain the heart-level faith, believers have the responsibility to use their intellectual knowledge and reasoning to obtain wisdom and seek the means of approaching the Divine. Through worshiping, praying, and remembering God, believers can reach the final state of faith and move from simple submission to sincere faith and eventually to total perfection. Indeed, this is the spiritual goal of all believers in the Sufi path.