Who is the Strong Believer?

A believer is defined as the one who totally submits to the will of God and whose heart is full of God's love

Abu Hurayrah reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

"A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, while there is good in both.

Guard over that which benefits you, seek Allah's Assistance, and don't lend yourself to things devoid of benefit, and if something befalls you, then don't say 'If I only would have done such and such,' rather say 'Allah ordained this and He does what He wills' for verily the phrase 'If I would have' makes way for the work of the Devil." (Muslim)

In the above mentioned hadith, Prophet Muhammad gave the eloquent summary of the strong believer's characteristics; he provides the main valuable steps to become one. The believer is described in several verses in the Quran and in many hadiths. The main description of the believer appears in the following verse:

{The Bedouins say, ‘We believe’. Say: ‘You do not believe; but rather say: “We have submitted”; for faith has not yet entered into your hearts’} (Al-Hujurat 49: 14)

A person is not considered a believer until faith enters into his heart.

According to the Quran and Sunnah the believer is defined as the one who totally submits to the will of God and whose heart is full of God's love; the one who always remembers God and feels tranquility and relief when remembering God. Also a very important sign of the believer as shown in Prophet Muhammad’s hadith is his behavior and connection to others: "A person is not a (true) believer until he loves for others what he loves for himself." (Al-Bukhari & Muslim)

A strong believer considers seeking God's assistance as the main part of worship; he always depends on God in everything and every step

Central to the main hadith, Prophet Muhammad started with: "A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer", meaning strong and weak in the level of faith and his attitude to carry out what God ordered him to do, but both types of believers are loved by God.

Then he continues to detail the conditions of the strong believer: "Guard over that which benefits you". A strong believer is avid for all what brings benefit to his life and mainly to the hereafter; he is the one who cautiously uses his time for what benefits him in this life and the next and shuns all things devoid of benefit. He knows that every second and every minute matters a lot, and that every day which passes won't come back, so he endeavors for all what benefits him. He guards his tongue from uttering bad words, lying and backbiting; he avoids forbidden places and acts; lowers his gaze; hypocrisy has no room in his heart…

A strong believer considers seeking God's assistance as the main part of worship; he always depends on God in everything and every step; he always refers his good deeds to God and deems his bad deeds to himself and Satan. Every act and deed he performs, he intends it for the sake of God only.

The Prophet taught us to always be optimistic, bright, with a positive mind and most importantly not to give up when striving to fulfill the rights of God. He once changed the name of a man who was called Hazan (sadness) to be named Sahl (easiness) as the hadith shows: "What is your name?" He said: "My name is Hazan." The Prophet said: "But you are Sahl." (Al-Bukhari). He changed the name that denotes sadness and pessimism to a positive and cheerful name. So the believer should be strong in his faith, health and mind.

Finally, a believer should be strong when facing calamities, hardships and matters that take place unwillingly in his private life. If for example a woman got married to a man, and after a year or two problems start to befall her matrimonial life, she says for example: “if I didn’t get married”, “if I continued my studies”, “if I had chosen to marry another man”… Here the Prophet ordered not to use such expressions because they open the gates to Satan’s whispers.

Instead the Prophet urged Muslims to keep forbearance and patience with the trials of destiny, as illustrated in another hadith: "How strange is the matter of a believer, there is good in all his affairs, and this is only for the believer. If something good happens to him and he is grateful, then this is good for him, and if a calamity befalls him and he is patient, then this is also good for him.” (Muslim)

Also the Quran, in many places, highlights verses of patience and submission to the will of God. For example God said addressing Prophet Muhammad: {And submit patiently to the judgment of your Lord, for surely you fare before Our eyes}(At-Tur 52: 48)

All in all, the strong believer as avowed in the above mentioned hadith is the one who guards over that which benefits him, who seeks God's aid, who doesn't lend himself to affairs devoid of benefit and believes firmly that what happens is from God's divine will.