Al-Iman:

 Dear brother, the following hadith narrated by Umar ibn al- Khatab is one of the most well-known noble ahadith passed down to us:

((Umar bin al-Khatab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Once we were sitting in the company of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when there appeared a man dressed in immaculate white, with extraordinarily black hair. No signs of fatigue of journey appeared on him and he was known to none of us. He sat down facing the Prophet, with his knees against the Prophet's knees and his palms on his thighs and said: O Muhammad! Tell me about Islam. He replied: Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to observe salat (prayers) and saum (fast) in Ramadan, pay zakat, perform hajj (pilgrimage) to the House, provided you have the means to do so. He replied: You have spoken the truth. We were surprised to hear that the one who asked the question confirmed the correctness of the answer. He then enquired: Tell me about iman. He said: It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and predestination –in its good and bad consequences. He said: You have spoken the truth. He then enquired: Tell me about ihsan. He said: It is to worship Allah as if you were seeing Him; and even though you do not see Him, He sees you. He enquired again: Inform me about the Hour. He replied: The one who is asked has no more knowledge thereof than the one who asks. The man said: Inform me about some of its signs. He said: They are -that a bondswoman will give birth to her own master, and that you will find barefooted, naked, poor shepherds competing with one another in the construction of high rise buildings. Then he departed. The Messenger of Allah kept silent for a while, and then said to me: O Umar! Do you know who the questioner was? I replied: Allah and His Messenger know better. The Prophet said: It was (Angel) Jibril; he came to you to teach you your Deen.))

[Muslim]

 In our last lecture we tackled the part of this hadith referring to ihsan, and I find it suitable to carry on with this particular hadith, considered to be one of the fundamentals of Islam.
 Today's part refers to iman (faith).

Fear and submissiveness:

 Dear brother, the importance of this lecture lies in the description of iman given by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
 We all believe that we are believers, and I hope we are; still, the reality of iman and the attributes of the believer are clearly described by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
 The real challenge that we all face is to see how far our character conforms to these attributes. If it does, congratulations! If not, then we should renew our faith and find salvation in conforming it to them.
 Interpreters of this hadith have linked to it certain deductions on the attributes of iman drawn from other ahadith.
 That is why our last lecture was about ihsan, this one is about iman, and our Sunday lecture will be, if Allah wills, about Islam, and the believer should encompass the three of them.
Firstly, the fear felt by the heart at the mention of Allah (wajal) is included within iman. Allah Most High says:

((The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are reauthord unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); ))

[Al-Anfal, 2]

 Does the heart tremble? Does it fear? Does it dread? Does it invoke? "Wajal" means to fear, and generally it might mean to be disturbed. You might say: I was shaken up by the news and sometimes you might even suffer from sleeplessness because of its weighing on your mind.
 Iman penetrates deep in your heart when it trembles out of fear, hope and longing. Hence, one should inquire: Does my heart get affected?
Wajal and khashu’ (fear and submissiveness) take place when we remember Allah, and that is part of iman.
 Khashu’ is to be tranquil, and if your heart is submissive, so will be your body. Therefore, whoever listens to the recitation of the Qur'an, to the words of exhortation and wisdom, the words of guidance and evidence; whoever looks at the signs in the Universe and the miracles in the Creation and doesn’t feel tremor, fear, longing, and hope in their hearts; whoever does not get gooseflesh because of all that, then such people need to renew their faith and try to find the barrier which separates them from this level.

Among the signs of iman is its increase and decrease:

 Furthermore, iman increases with the passage of time, as Allah the Almighty says:

((We narrate unto you (O Muhammad) their story with truth: Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance.))

[Al-Kahf, 13]

 Iman should increase with time, and according to the 'aqidah of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama' iman increases and decreases. Thus, when you believe in Allah and listen to His reauthord ayaat, and hear of the manifestations of Allah’s Laws, and observe an act which proves the miraculous nature of Allah’s Words, and witness His Justice expressly taking place and see Allah’s bounties bestowed upon his believers –your iman increases. Thus, one of its features is that it may go up and down. A believer might experience forty different grades of iman in one day, swinging between fear, dread, longing, and hope, whereas a hypocrite retains the same grade for forty years.
 Another sign of iman is to resort to putting trust in Allah the Almighty, Who says:

((and put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.))

[Al-Ma’idah’, 23]

 In fact, it is out of Allah the Almighty's profound wisdom that plife is strewn with perils. One can’t tell where the danger lies –it may come from sickness, travel, virus, contagious illness, dilemma, problem, or a powerful man. Actually, you are not safe unless you resort to Allah’s Protection and put all your trust in Him, as intelligence or power cannot make man danger-proof. How can one protect oneself from cell-disorder? Those diagnosed with cancer used to be healthy, so why has the disease developed? In fact, they have no idea why.

Putting trust in Allah is one of the believers' characteristics:

 Every human being is under the threat of hazards starting with his health, and extending to his household, work, sustenance, society; and sometimes he might be framed while being absolutely innocent, as was the case of the wolf made guilty of Prophet Yusuf's blood.
 Unless you put your trust in Allah, while being obedient to Him, you can’t protect yourself from all possible harm. Hence, trusting Allah is one of the believer’s characteristics. Allah Most High says:

((So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.))

[Aal-Imran, 139]

"And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed."

[Al-Ma’idah’, 23]

 Take causes into consideration because it is a must in our Deen, but it needs to be followed by the trust in the Lord of all lords.
 Dear brother, innumerous hazards threaten mankind all over the world. One might be on a flight, and next thing one knows is that the plane is crashing and all the passengers get killed, and the rescue people are looking for the black box to investigate its recordings in order to establish the causes behind the accident. We are at the mercy of hazardous forces ranging from road accidents to high blood pressure, ailments of the body, occupational diseases, overpowering people, and stressful society.
 There is no way around putting our trust in Allah and obeying Him, but, word to the wise, putting your trust in Allah is invalid if accompanied by wrongdoing.
 You cannot disobey Allah and put your trust in Him at the same time. Yet, if you obey Him, then you can put your trust in Him. Better still, trusting Him is indisputable in this case, as you sense being under His umbrella as long as you obey Him.

Fearing Allah privately and publicly:

 Dear brother, the following are some characteristics with respect to iman, one of which is to fear Allah in public and in private; and as you fear Him at home, you should do likewise in front of your friends or while travelling.

((Allah will not take into consideration any of the deeds of those whose piousness doesn’t keep them away from disobeying Allah in private.))

[Tabarani and Ibn Abi Dunia]

((Two rak’as (of prayer performed) by a pious person are far better than a thousand rak’as by someone who mingles (good deeds with evil ones).))

[Abu Naeem, on the authority of Anas]

 Another characteristics of iman is to accept Allah as one's Lord, Islam as one's Deen, and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as Allah's Messenger.
 The true believer is proud of his being part of Muhammad's ummah, whereas the one with weaker faith is fond of corrupted nations, although advanced in terms of technology and lifestyle, turning a blind eye to their negative side, immorality, perversion, and deterioration. To make matters worse, such people may even long to be one of their citizens, so unlike the believer who submits to Allah as his Lord, Islam as his Deen, and Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as his Prophet and Allah's Messenger.
 One of the characteristics of a true believer is to prefer agony –being burnt or cut into pieces– to going back to kufr (disbelief).
 A remarkable companion, and I think he was Khubaib bin Adi, was captured by the Quraish and held prisoner. He was asked by Abu Sufyan: "Wouldn't you like Muhammad to be here instead of you, so that you could be with your family and in good health?"

 He replied: "I swear by Allah, I would refuse to be with my family and children, and enjoy all the bounties of this world, while Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was to be afflicted with (as much as) a prick of a thorn."
 I am certain that a true believer is never on the verge, as he won’t disobey on being slightly overpowered; won’t abandon salah on being exposed to some pressure; and won’t eat riba on being nagged by his family. On the contrary, I am certain that the believer can be described by the following words of the Prophet (directed to a relative of his), may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

((O my uncle, by Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left one in return for my giving up this cause, I would not give it up until Allah has made Truth victorious, or I have died in His service.))

Faith should be deeply rooted.

 Hence, people who only live for this world would describe the dedication to the Deen of a son of theirs as a transitory revolution, saying he will soon return to his senses. If only they knew the reality of faith, they would rather give it up, as his faith will be constantly growing. When man goes deep into the path of iman, he is granted more firmness in the Deen, more satisfaction, and the odds of his backing out diminish.

Other signs which denote iman:

 Feeling closeness to Allah is one of the signs of iman, as the believer senses that Allah is near and this is the very reason behind his invocation in private because we do not call upon someone deaf or absent but we do on the One who is All-Hearing and All-Seeing.
 Thus, one of faith’s signs is to invoke in the heart without even moving the lips.
 Another one is to love the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, more than anyone else.

((The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Umar: How are things, O Umar? Umar ibn al-Khatab told the Prophet: Things are in such a way that I love Allah and His Messenger more than my family, children, and wealth, except for my soul which is between my two sides. The Prophet replied: None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than his own soul. Umar said: By the One Who has sent down the Book on you, I love you more than my soul which is between my two sides. The Prophet said: Umar, now you have it!" ))

[Bukhari]

 Another sign of faith is to love and hate only for the sake of Allah, namely, to love someone only in Allah’s Cause, and if you have to hate someone, to do so just for the sake of Allah. More than that, you should love the believer without expecting anything from him in return. On the other hand, if you were to hate someone, you should do that in the Cause of Allah even if this person showered you with boons.
 Most people nowadays love the person from whom they can benefit, whether a believer or not, and they hate the one who has nothing to offer them.
 A man said to the Caliph who ruled after Umar bin Abdulaziz: I was given a piece of land by your grandfather, whereas Umar, may Allah bless his soul, took it away from me. So the Caliph wondered why the man invoked blessings upon the soul of the man who had evicted him from his land and failed to do so as regards the man who had given him that land.
 It happened because it was said unconsciously, this being the proof that the man loved Umar for the sake of Allah, in spite of his having taken the land away from him.
 Thus, the believer should be seeking the Cause of Allah in all the circumstances of his life.
 All acts of worship, whether those of the body or such as giving sadaqah, should be performed in a pleasing manner by the believer.
 Some people, for example, pay zakat unwillingly, so unlike the believers, who do it readily, no matter how big the amount (and in some cases that might be millions).
 Hence, it is out of faith to perform all acts of worship in a manner that pleases. It goes without saying that the believer feels great joy while performing good acts, and this is the real wealth one can possess, as abundance or poverty of a believer is defined by the good deeds he performs.

Ahadith about the characteristics of iman:

 Dear brother, our Master Musa, peace upon him, says in the Qur'an:

((So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to shade, and said: "My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!"))

[Al-Qasas, 24]

 "I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!"
 Sometimes I supplicate: O Allah! In the same way as some people are satisfied with this worldly life, make us satisfied with Your acceptance.
 Unlike those who are satisfied with a luxurious house with a garden, a perfect wife or their brilliant offspring, the believer is satisfied with nothing else but Allah’s acceptance, and he who achieves that will feel as if he owned the whole world with all the wealth it contains. He will feel delight on performing good deeds and grieve and feel like a broken-hearted orphan on slipping into wrongdoing either by (saying) a word which doesn’t please Allah, or by committing a sin which keeps him away from Him.

((Verily, whoever rejoices at their good deeds and is saddened by their bad deeds is a true believer.))

[Tabarani]

 Yet another sign of faith is to support other believers, grieve at their afflictions, help them in their hour of need, and defend them when necessary. The following ahadith confirm this attitude.
 It has been narrated in the two Books of Sahih Ahadith (authenticated ahadith):

((Abu Musa Al Ashari said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked who the best among Muslims was. He said: A true Muslim is he from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.))

[Agreed upon]

 The meaning of this hadith is specific. It may be thought that only Muslims should be safe from a believer’s tongue and hand, to the exclusion of non-Muslims. However, such is not the case. The meaning of this hadith is that every Muslim who wrongs sh3er will be giving a bad name to the entire Muslim world.

The believer fears Allah when the Qur'an is reauthord:

 Iman is mentioned in the Qur'an as follows:

((The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are reauthord unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);))

[Al-Anfal, 2]

 A believer fears Allah and his faith increases whenever he listens to the Qur'an being reauthord. Allah Most High says:

((And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.))

[Al-Ma’idah’, 23]

(( It is only Shaytan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his Auliya' [supporters and friends (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad)], so fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers.))

[Aal-Imran, 175]

 The believer puts his trust in Allah, fears and dreads Him, feeling that his faith increases with time.

((Abu Saeed Al Khidri reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Abu Saeed, whoever is satisfied with Allah as his Lord, with Islam as his Deen and with Muhammad as his Messenger is necessarily entitled to enter Paradise.))

[Muslim]

 Please note that all the characteristics of faith mentioned by me here are derived from the Qur'an and the authenticated ahadith.

The believer is submissive to Allah's and the Prophet's judgments

 There are people who are proud in the extreme of their "green card", which is a stage before attaining citizenship of the United States; and it is not uncommon for someone who has it to travel every now and then to confirm his residence in the USA, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process, until their dream, the USA citizenship, comes true. The believer, by contrast, is proud of and content with the greatness of his Deen and this ummah.
 I know a man who is in the habit of drooling over westerners, passing over all their blunders, crimes and corruption. On the other hand, when he talks about Muslims, he only mentions their lack of civilization, their backwardness, their chaos and savageness, and his seeing no good in them.

((Every soul will be gathered with those it was fond of (in the worldly life); so whoever was fond of disbelievers, will be with them, and none of his deeds will be of any help to him.))

[Al Suyooti]

((Whoever mingles with the mushrikeen (those who associate partners with Allah) will be breaching the Covenant.))

[Ibn Al Munzer]

 The believer should be proud of being part of Muhammad's ummah and of his Deen. Needless to say that he should also believe beyond doubt that his dignity is derived from being a follower of Muhammad's, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
 The believer should accept with content the judgment which is derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah when he has a disagreement with a fellow Muslim and their case goes to court. Allah Most High says:

((But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.))

[An-Nisa’, 65]

 Unlike the believers, who accept Islamic judgment, some might resort to the secular law when they are not content with the judgment derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, merely because the Islamic judgment does not suit their own interest.

((Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: There are three qualities which will make whoever has them taste the sweetness of iman: to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else; to love a servant (of Allah) only for (the sake of) Allah; and to abhor returning to disbelief after having been saved from it by Allah as one would abhor being thrown into the fire.))

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

You can’t love the Prophet unless you know him:

 As I pointed out a while ago every characteristics mentioned in this lecture is derived from the text of the Qur'an and from the authenticated ahadith:

((None of you will truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son and all of mankind.))

[Ahmad, on the authority of Anas bin Malek]

 Ahmad narrates on the authority of one of the companions:

((Abu Razin al-'Uqayli asked the Prophet what iman was. He said: To witness that there is no god but Allah alone without any partner and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger; to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone and anything else, to prefer being burnt to associating sh3er with Allah, and to love people without any kinship [to you] only for the sake of Allah. If you are like that, then the love of iman has already entered your heart as love of water has entered [the heart of] the thirsty person on a scorching hot day. I asked the Messenger of Allah: How could I know whether I was a mumin?" He answered: Any of my ummah, or he said 'this ummah', who does a good deed knowing that it is a good deed and that Allah will recompense him for it with (something even) better, or who does a bad action knowing that it is a bad action and so seeks forgiveness of Allah for it, knowing that only Allah can forgive it, is a mumin (believer)."))

[Ahmad, on the authority of Abu Razin al-'Uqayli]

 The question to be asked is: How can we make Allah and His Prophet dearer to us than everyone else?
 Unless you know the Prophet’s attributes, perfection, and personality, you won’t be able to love Him or prefer him to everyone else.
 If one were asked what he knew about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he would probably answer that he is the Prophet of this ummah, sent by Allah to be His Messenger. Period.
 Well, the true believer might go on for hours talking about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, without getting bored while tears well from his eyes. Therefore, knowing the Prophet is a must in order to love him. Allah Most High says:

(( Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger (Muhammad) so they deny him?))

[Al-Mu’minun, 69]

 As regards the above, it is important to acquire comprehension of the biography of the Prophet as well as the judgments derived from it. It goes without saying that the knowledge of his attributes, of his Sunna and noble conduct is also of utmost importance.
 Also, whenever the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is mentioned, we should ask Allah’s blessing and peace upon him, of which he is so worthy.

Measuring up to the Prophet’s acts is a sign of the believer:

 Nowadays, all great Islamic words are void of their sense, like when someone asks a person taking part in a fight to invoke blessings on the Prophet, when he should know that this angry person won’t mean a word of this invocation in the state he is in; and the same goes for anyone who bears witness (saying la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul-Allah) whenever he is angry, as these words mean nothing to him any more, their sense having been lost (to him).

(("To witness that there is no god but Allah Alone without any partner and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger; to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone or anything else…))

[Ahmad, on the authority of Abu Razin al-'Uqayli]

 According to scholars, you should have someone in your life to look up to. Each one of us plays three characters: the first is the one he is, the second is the one he wishes to be, and the third is the one he hates to be.
 What is the character that you wish to be?
 A merchant might look up to another successful merchant and wish to be like him, having all the wealth and connections he has, and all the respect he has acquired in this field.
A teacher might look up to a professor who is outstanding in his field.
 However, the true believer looks up to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in terms of acquiring his personality, following in his footsteps, and trying to reach his standard.
 Trust me brother, the believer measures every act of his up to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whether in a moment of anger, in his relation with his wife and children, or in his expenditure, and that is due to the fact that he looks up to the Prophet and hopes to imitate him, and this is another characteristics of the believer.
 It is a great loss to look up to someone who isn’t good enough. That is why you should be careful in choosing the model you follow, and the best choice, beyond any doubt, is the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

When clay and gold become equal, you are a true believer:

 The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

((… prefer being burnt to associating sh3er with Allah…))

[Ahmad, on the authority Abu Razin al-'Uqayli]

 I know someone who won 500 thousand Syrian pounds in the lottery. I must say he didn’t actually buy the lottery ticket; it had been given to him as a gift, and when he heard of his win, he tore it up out of fear of Allah which to him was worth much more than this money.
 You are not, in this respect, a true believer unless gold and clay are equal in your eyes.
 We are still tackling the previous hadith:

((… and that you love people without any kinship [to you] only for the sake of Allah. If you are like that, then the love of iman has already entered your heart as love of water has entered [the heart of] the thirsty person on a scorching hot day. I asked, the Messenger of Allah how I could know whether I was a mumin (believer). He answered: Any of my ummah, or he said 'this ummah' who does a good deed knowing that it is a good deed and that Allah will recompense him for it with (something even) better, or who does a bad action knowing that it is a bad action and so seeks forgiveness of Allah for it, knowing that only Allah can forgive it, is a mumin (believer)."))

[Ahmad, on the authority of Abu Razin al-'Uqayli]

 You are a believer when you perform a good deed and you are sure that you will be rewarded by Allah in return, or when you commit a bad deed and then repent, fear, dread and suffer, knowing that Allah will hold you accountable for it.

((Narrated Ibn Umar that Umar said, may Allah be pleased with both of them: The Prophet addressed us once saying: Be good to my companions, then those who come after them, then those who come after them; then the time will come when lying will have spread all over to the extent that a man might swear before being asked to; so whoever seeks a place in Paradise, let him stick with a group of Muslims, as Shaytan accompanies a single person and keeps away from two; and be aware that whenever a man is alone with a woman, Shaytan makes a third, and whoever rejoices over his good deed and grieves over his bad deed is a true believer.))

[Ahmad]

 These are the criteria set up by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

True believers are characterized by three features:

 Umar ibn al-Khatab, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

((…And whoever rejoices over his good deed and grieves over his bad deed is a true believer.))

[Ahmad]

 Feeling pain at having committed wrongdoing or incurred in any way in Allah's displeasure is a good indication of being a true believer.
 It is a rule of thumb that when you consider yourself to be a boring person, for example, in fact you are not; unlike the one who takes the contrary stand and assumes that he is amusing.
Hence, your fear at your wrongdoing is a sign that you are a true believer.

 A man heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: The true faith is when you wrong or overpower someone, you resort to fasting and donating money, and when you perform a good deed, you feel satisfied.

 The believer follows his bad deed with a good one in order to erase it, and that good deed varies between fasting, giving sadaqah, spending on the poor, apologizing, or praying.
Believers in this life bear three characteristics as described by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

((Abu Saeed Al Khudri reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Believers in this life are characterized by three features: Thy believe in Allah and His Messenger, and afterward never doubt but strive with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah; people entrust them with their wealth and lives; and they abandon any self-interest as soon as they sense it.))

[Ahmad]

 By Allah dear brother, the disappearance of the whole world is insignificant in the eyes of the believer as compared with earning an illicit dirham. That is why, believers have been granted a blessing which most of people lack –it is the feeling of security they transmit.
 When you hire a pious painter to have your house painted, you feel safe that he won’t cheat on the paint or change it or make long distant phone calls while you are out, and that is because he abides by the Law of Islam. However, you are in constant tension when you deal with an unbeliever, constantly on the alert, fearing that he will cheat you, deceive you or lie to you. Hence, when you deal with an unbeliever you are forever battling with him, feeling tense and uncomfortable.

((… And those who abandon any self-interest as soon as they sense it.))

[Ahmad]

Iman and noble conduct go together:

 A brother (and I cannot recall his name) sent me a note asking: Somebody received twenty million Syrian pounds as a trust from a man who died soon afterwards. No one knew about this fact, so naturally this man could have easily kept this money yet he gave it back to the family of the deceased. Can he be considered a true believer, as described in the hadith?

((… And those who abandon any self-interest as soon as they sense it.))

[Ahmad]

((Amr Ibn Abasa said: I asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: O Messenger of Allah! Who follows you on this matter? –to which he said: The free and the slave. Then I asked: What is Islam about? He said: Good words and sharing food. Then I asked: What is iman about? He said: It is about patience and generosity. So I said: Who is the best among Muslims? He said: The one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe from. I said: What is the best of faith? He said: The noble conduct.))

[Muslim]

 It was interpreted by Hasan Al Basri as follows: Patience is staying away from haram, and generosity is performing obligatory acts of worship. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was also asked:

((What is the best of faith? He said: The noble conduct.))

[Muslim]

 He whose faith is better than yours will have better conduct than yours because iman and conduct go together.

((Abdullah ibn Mu’awiyyah al-Ghadiri reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Whoever performs the following three acts will have savored the taste of iman: He who worships Allah Alone, and [believes] that there is no god but Him; he who good-heartedly offers the zakah on his property from which he has benefited year after year; and he who does not offer a sheep that is old, mangy or sick; or a ewe which produces only a small amount of milk. You should offer an average one. Verily, Allah asks you to offer neither the best nor the worst.))

[Abu Dawud]

 Hence, you are not allowed to accuse of stinginess a believer who duly pays his zakat, and you will be held accountable for that by Allah if you do, because the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

((He who pays the zakat due on him is free of stinginess.))

[Ibn Mardawih]

((He who carries his stuff himself is free of arrogance.))

[Baihaqi]

((He who remembers Allah a lot is free of hypocrisy.))

[Baihaqi]

 What can one do in order to act wisely? The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

((The best in faith is to know that Allah is with you wherever you might be.))

[Tabarani]

((Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Haya (modesty) is a part of faith.))

[Agreed upon]

 Modesty is different from embarrassment as the latter is disparaging whereas the former is desired and considered as one of the requirements of faith:

((Indeed haya (modesty) and iman (faith) are companions. When one of them departs, the other leaves as well.))

[Al Hakem]

((Nu`man bin Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with sleeplessness and fever.))

[Agreed upon]

 Dear brother, we have seen here a collection of ayaat and ahadith on iman, and the believer who reads them must measure up to the standard they set up and praise Allah when he reaches it, and strive hard when he does not; and do his best to perfect his faith.