Answer

Maen Khalifa

10 June, 2024

Salam Dear Abdurrahman,

Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.

May Allah grant you the highest level of Paradise for being so keen in following His commands and keeping away from His sins.

I initially would like to start with the following hadith with emphasis on the bolded statement:

Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and he delivered to us a sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my house and began to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon he said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah’s Messenger (way peace be upon him) and said to him: Allah’s Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said show respite.

And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr said: I have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum. – (Muslim)

We are born naturally to commit sins, so what you are asking for is almost impossible since the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“If you did not commit sin, Allah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sins and ask Him to forgive them, so He would forgive them” –(Muslim)

This hadith implies that we are sinful by nature and Allah expects us to sin but seek His forgiveness, and if we think that we did not sin then we still need to ask for Allah’s forgiveness anyway.  Even the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seek Allah’s forgiveness at least seventy times daily:

Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah’s Messenger saying.” By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” – (Al-Bukhari)

The level of faith you are talking about is explained in the following Qudsi hadith:

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah – may His Majesty be exalted! – said:

“Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works (nawafil) so that I shall love him.

When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.” – (Al-Bukhari)

In summary, to reach your desired level of faith, you need to remember Allah a lot by praying the five daily prayers in congregation, performing all the supererogatory prayers, praying the night prayer when possible, reading all supplications of the night and day, and for every occasion; also fasting Mondays and Thursdays and the three days in the middle of the lunar month as much as possible; give charity as often as you can and pay your yearly share of alms (zakat).  If you did not perform the hajj then do so as soon as you can, if you have the means.

Also ask Allah’s forgiveness often and send salutations on His Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him).  This is at the spiritual level; indeed remembering Allah keeps us away from evil and wrong doing.

At home, you must become the best husband if you are married or when you do get married, the best father if you have children or when you do have children, the best brother if you have brothers or sisters, and the best son.  At work, you must become the ideal employee.

You must fulfill everyone’s rights to perfection without taking away your own rights; since your body has a right over you as the following hadith explains:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked a companion: “(Is it true) that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?” The companion replied that the report was indeed true. The Prophet then said: “Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave (it) at other times. Stand up for prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you.” – (Al-Bukhari)

At the same time, you must adopt a moderate course:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. . .Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise).” – (Al-Bukhari)

And most importantly, be moderate in your religious deeds since we only enter Paradise by Allah’s mercy:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise (i.e., no one enters Paradise only through his good deeds).” The Prophet’s companions asked: “Not even you?” The Prophet replied: “Not even myself, unless God bestows His favor and mercy on me. So be moderate in your religious deeds and do what is within your ability. None of you should wish for death, for if he is a doer of good, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to Allah.” – (Al-Bukhari)

The bottom line is to enter the Paradise, and we must strive for the highest level of Paradise (Al-Firdoos) so ask Allah consistently to grant you that level.  Even our intentions could place us in Paradise without even going the deed itself; such as the person seeking martyrdom is granted that position even if he dies in his bed.

Note also that the nawafil that is mentioned in the above Qudsi hadith, are not constricted to mean only prayers but it rather extends to mean every virtuous deed; this includes helping others when you are able to do so, and it must be done at the time when people are in desperate need for help, since someone might delay a person to the extent that his need could not be fulfilled satisfactorily, therefore defeating the purpose.

This reminds me of the story of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who was making I’tikaf (spiritual retreat) in the Masjid, when one person came asking for help, so Ibn Abbas left the Masjid to help him; when he returned the other companions blamed him for breaking his I’tikaf, so he said that he heard Allah’s messenger (peace be upon him) say: “Allah helps His servant as long as the servant is busy helping his brother”

Also the following hadith explains further:

“Whosoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever alleviates [the lot of] a needy person, Allah will alleviate [his lot] in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the next. Allah will aid a slave [of His] so long as the slave aids his brother.

Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, but tranquility and peace descends upon them, mercy envelopes them, the angels surround them, and Allah makes mention of them amongst those who are with Him. And whosoever is slowed down by his actions will not be hastened forward by his lineage.” – (Muslim)

Finally brother, you will need to strive to follow Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was the most perfect human being.  Yes, it is almost impossible as I mentioned at the beginning; however, it does not hurt to try without burdening yourself, and remember to do few good deeds but consistently better than too many erratically, and be moderate, just the way our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) was.

May Allah help us to remember Him much and obey His commands that we may become His hearing, His sight, His hand, and His foot; and when we supplicate, He will surely grant us whatever we desire.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Salam and please keep in touch.