Iman ≠ Feelings

Explore why emotions aren't the true measure of faith, and how sincere actions and Islamic principles deepen your connection with Allah.

Someone recently asked, “How can I raise my Iman (faith)? I used to have so much tranquility while praying and got so much serenity from it; now, it’s hard for me to maintain focus for long at all. I feel like my Iman is so low.” This is not the first time I have heard similar statements like this either. A young woman recently told me in a counseling session, “I have so many sins and have slipped so far that I don’t feel guilty anymore. I feel like I’m not even Muslim.” I was perplexed because, from my vantage point, all of this was a clear indicator that, in addition to feeling guilty, she loved God! Of course, sinning is a sign of a lack of awareness of Allah and a lack of self-control, but you do not schedule an appointment with an Imam and ask for help while crying your eyes out otherwise. She (like the rest of us) must make behavioral changes to improve, and likely social ones as well, but she is definitely still Muslim.¹

Who taught us that our feelings are a barometer for our level of Iman? I fervently believe that is a false assumption, as feelings are subjective and, thus, incapable of being used justly. This paper will elaborate on why, InshaAllah (God-willing).

“Faith is not by wishful thinking, nor by outward appearance, but it is that which settles in the heart and is proven by actions.” –Hasan Al-Basri (d. 110/728)²

Defining Iman

Iman has two meanings, technical and general, depending on how you use it. When used technically (in conjunction with other terminologies), Iman refers to the internal dimension of Islam (as defined for us in the famous Hadith Jibreel).³ When used generally (independent of other terminologies), it means “faith.” 

This distinction is important because when we refer to our Iman, it is almost always in the general sense of the word, and (albeit the foundation) our faith is inseparable from our actions and spiritual connection with Allah. “Allah has promised those who believe and do good ˹His˺ forgiveness and a great reward,”⁴ not those who believe without actions. Likewise, He told the Prophet ﷺ, “It has already been revealed to you—and to those ˹prophets˺ before you—that if you associate others ˹with Allah˺, your deeds will certainly be void and you will truly be one of the losers.”⁵

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You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah. –Quran (3:92)

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Feelings’ Problem

Feelings are essential to our human makeup, enabling us to recognize what we enjoy and are an immediate warning for what we do not. However, because they are an emotional state or reaction,⁶ how we feel is not necessarily based on any sense of morality. “Perhaps you dislike something good for you and like something bad for you.”⁷ Worse, today, in the Age of Feelings,⁸ morality is often defined by the subjectivity of our feelings. That means we need a source of objectivity, which for us as Muslims must be the Shariah (Islamic law). More importantly, we must understand how to interoperate with our feelings in light of the Shariah. Negative feelings associated with something obligatory, or positive feelings associated with something impermissible, in Islam are not necessarily wrong or even a priority. But, what is are the actions we chose to follow up those feelings. 

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“˹It is to˺ have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if only you knew.” –Quran (61:11)

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Underpinnings

To no fault of our own, the West’s zeitgeist almost intuitively orients us to hold capitalistic expectations that rational self-interest that can lead to economic prosperity.⁹ This has seeped into and influenced our religious views by what German sociologist, Max Weber, calls “The Protestant Ethic.” He said,

The religious valuation of restless, continuous, systematic work in a worldly calling, as the highest means to asceticism, and at the same time the surest and most evident proof of rebirth and genuine faith, must have been the most powerful conceivable lever for the expansion of that attitude toward life which we have here called the spirit of capitalism.¹⁰

This perspective is almost in direct counterdistinction to our Islamic perspective. For starters, Allah needs absolutely nothing from anything of His creation.¹¹ Moreover, Allah gives us a proposition (i.e., a transaction or spiritual exchange) in the Quran that is qualitative and not quantitative. Allah asks us to believe and to strive to do our best and, in exchange, we will be rewarded in the next life without any guarantee of material or immaterial ease.¹² Our work in this life is in aspiration of the absolute and existential goal for Muslims, Allah’s pleasure.¹³

"Without suffering, you cannot reach the state of blessedness." –Rumi¹⁴

Struggle

When we love someone, we love to see them happy. We even go out of our way, gladly inconveniencing ourselves for our beloved’s sake. Allah is exalted upon all examples, but our relationship with Allah is no different. A sign of a live heart, filled with Iman, is that obeying (and disobeying) Allah conjures an emotional response for us. But that emotional response is not the goal, rather pious actions. Allah told the Prophet ﷺ in the Quran, “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”¹⁵ Sincerely loving Allah (true faith) is rooted in sacrifice.

Our divine mandate is to worship Allah. Our lives are the spiritual vehicle through which we work with and against ourselves to be righteous. We sacrifice our desires and embrace life’s difficulties, seeking His pleasure; furthermore, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials,"¹⁶ providing opportunities for us to earn it. This is seen in the fact that he tested prophets the most severely.¹⁷ So, if the Prophet ﷺ experienced profound difficulty (physically¹⁸ and emotionally¹⁹), feelings are just part of our journey’s struggle and cannot be a barometer of the level of Iman. 

“If you want to know your standing with Him, look at the state He has put you in now.” –Ibn Ata’illah al-Sakandari (d. 709/1309)²⁰

Spiritual Indicator

Then, the question is, what do we make of our feelings? 

Feelings are essential indicators of our spiritual state, influencing our intentions, actions, and connection with Allah. As we do not have direct control over what appears, the feelings themselves are not good or bad, blessings or curses, but we do have control over how we respond. Before that, we need to first assess where they come from and then, second, assess to what depth they feel.

Some feelings, like happiness and sadness, are more general surface-based. The reason why we feel them could be a myriad of reasons that may not have anything to do with the actions we are doing or experiences we are having. For example, if after a long day of work I am exhausted and frustrated that I still need to pray Salat Al-Isha or Witr, that is not actually because I dislike prayer but because I am tired. To push through that frustration (perhaps even anger) is a sign of piety and a means for increased reward with Allah. Conversely, if I feel good after drinking alcohol (God forbid), that is objectively a sin and displeasing to Allah. What our primary focus here should be is our intention, as this is what the Prophet ﷺ emphasized.²¹

Other times, our feelings are more profound, like gratitude and jealousy. These, too could be due to a myriad of reasons, but they should be given additional attention and analysis because the root has potentially spiritual implications. Instead of being fleeting emotions, these more profound feelings indicate how we actually feel and that requires addressing. First, are we rationally justified in our feelings? Then, what can be done to affect those feelings positively?

In either case, positive or negative, we must acknowledge that, in addition to the initial onset of feelings are beyond our control, even the best of creation (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) experienced difficulties. Also, whenever he ﷺ “was given a choice between two matters, he would (always) choose the easier as long as it was not sinful to do so.”²² Therefore, we should always seek to remedy any challenges and difficulties we have, emotionally or otherwise, while striving to do our best to remain mindful of Allah and persevere righteously. 

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“By the ˹passage of˺ time! Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance.”  –Quran 103.

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Conclusion

While feelings play a significant role in our human experience, they should not be mistaken for the true measure of our Iman. Faith is grounded in sincere actions, adherence to Islamic principles, and a deep connection with Allah, rather than the fluctuating emotions we may experience. It's crucial to rely on our adherence to the Shariah as an objective guide for spiritual growth, rather than letting subjective feelings dictate our perception. By focusing on our actions and striving to earn Allah's pleasure, we can maintain a strong Iman, regardless of our emotional state. Feelings can offer insights into our spiritual condition, but they should never be the sole indicator of our faith.

1. Imam Al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) said, “We reject that a mistaken interpretation (of theology) necessitates apostasy. Instead, what is affirmed is absolute protection for anyone who says ‘La ilaha illaAllah’ (there is no god but Allah), and it is not removed unless it is negated.” In other words, even if we are mistaken in how we understand Allah or the Prophet ﷺ we are still Muslim and would only cease being Muslim is via denying the Shahadatayn (two testimonies of faith). May Allah protect us all, Ameen! See Al-Ghazali, AbuHamid. Al-Iqtisad fil-Ittiqad. Jeddah, KSA: Dar Al-Minhaj, 2012. 306.

2. Hoover, Richard W. The Lives of the Saints. New York: Academic Press, 1992. 134.

3.  Angel Jibreel enquired: "Tell me about Iman." He ﷺ said: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day and that you believe in preordainment (destiny), its bad and good consequences." See Riyad As-Salihin 60.

4. Quran 5:9.

5. Quran 39:65.

6. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “feeling,” accessed August 21, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeling.

7. Quran 2:216.

8. George, Robert P. “The Age of Feeling”. The Wheatley Institution. July 18, 2016.

9. Jahan, Sarwat and Ahmed Saber Mahmud. “What is Capitalism.” International Monetary Fund. Accessed August 22, 2024 via https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/Series/Back-to-Basics/Capitalism.

10. Weber, Max. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Translated by Talcott Parsons. London: Routledge, 2001. 116.

11. Quran 3:97.

12. Quran 61:10-13.

13. “Allah has promised the believers, both men and women, Gardens under which rivers flow, to stay there forever, and splendid homes in the Gardens of Eternity, and—above all—the pleasure of Allah.” See Quran 9:72.

14. Rumi, Jalal al-Din. The Mathnawi of Jalalu’ddin Rumi. Translated and edited by Reynold A. Nicholson. 8 vols. London: Luzac & Co., 1925-1940. Vol. 4, 2003.

15. Quran 3:31.

16. Sahih al-Bukhari 5645.

17. Sunnah at-Tirmidhi 2398.

18. “Zayd ibn Thabit reported: I was sitting to the side of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, one day as the revelation came to him. The Prophet was overcome with calm, and his thigh fell upon my thigh as the calm overtook him. By Allah, I have never found anything heavier than the thigh of the Messenger of Allah, and then he was released from it.” See Musnad Imam Ahmed 21664.

19. Allah said about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, “Now, perhaps you ˹O Prophet˺ will grieve yourself to death over their denial if they ˹continue to˺ disbelieve in this message.” See Quran 18:6.

20. Ibn Ata’illah al-Sakandari. The Hikam: A Collection of Wisdom. Translated by The Matheson Trust. The Matheson Trust, 2009.

21. He (SAW) said, ““The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.” See Sahih al-Bukhari 1.

22. Riyad as-Salihin 640