What Must We Do First to Become a Believer?

What Must We Do First to Become a Believer?

1. Zayed: Habib, what is the first thing we need to do if we want to become a believer?

2. Habib: Zayed, if you want to become a true believer, there are two things you need to give special attention to.

First: You must believe.

Second: You must do good deeds.

For example, Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, says in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 3:

«“Those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided for them.”»

This verse can be understood in four parts:

First: Those who believe in the unseen.

Second: They establish prayer.

Third: From what We have provided for them.

Fourth: They spend from it.

First, let us look at the first part:

«“Those who believe in the unseen.”»

The very first thing Allah tells you here is to believe in the unseen.

So what is the first aspect of this unseen?

We find the answer in the verse immediately before this one. In Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 2, Allah says:

«“This is the Book about which there is no doubt.”»

These two statements are connected to the unseen.

In simple terms, every statement in the Quran is part of the unseen that we are being asked to believe in.

So first, you have to have faith in two things:

First: This is the Book that has been revealed by Allah.

Second: There is absolutely no doubt in it.

You must have faith in these two things first. This is the first condition of becoming a believer.

And Zayed, have you noticed something else? Look at how beautifully Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, connects one verse with another and maintains such consistency between them.

Did you understand this point?

3. Zayed: Alhamdulillah. Habib, this truly is an extraordinary Book. Anyone who does not come to this Book will never understand its greatness. And I believe that whoever does not come to this Book is truly unfortunate.

4. Habib: Alhamdulillah. JazakAllahu Khairan.

The second condition:

To become a believer, you must put the commands of Allah into practice.

In the same verse we are discussing—verse 3—Allah then speaks about establishing prayer.

Zayed, there is a great deal to discuss about the subject of Salah. If Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, wills, we will discuss this topic in detail another time, InshaAllah.

For now, I will explain it briefly.

The basic meaning of Salah is connected with doing good and putting good actions into practice.

The word “Salah” is used in the Quran in different forms. In simple terms, we need to understand it as putting each of Allah's individual commands into practice. Carrying out those commands is referred to as establishing Salah.

In our society, however, the word “Salah” is commonly understood as “Namaz.” But the word “Namaz” itself is not used anywhere in the Quran.

Here, Salah has a broader meaning, while the commonly understood meaning of “Namaz” refers specifically to the ritual prayer.

Anyway, this is a very important subject, and I will discuss it with you in detail later, InshaAllah.

For now, let us continue with our discussion. What do you say?

5. Zayed: Yes, Habib, that's fine. We can discuss the subject of Salah in more detail later, InshaAllah.

6. Habib: Then, here Allah says to “establish Salah.”

Now let us come to the third part, where Allah speaks about provision.

This provision comes to people from Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. It is distributed according to what each person receives through their efforts and circumstances.

Allah gives more to some and less to others. This is a matter that belongs to Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.

Now let us come to the fourth part:

Allah commands us:

«“Spend from what We have provided for you.”»

There is something important we need to remember here: Rizq does not mean food alone.

Rizq includes wealth and financial resources. Rizq also includes food and other provisions.

Do you understand?

And when Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, tells us how to use and spend the provision He has given us, putting that command into practice is part of establishing Salah—in other words, doing good deeds.

Let me say this again: there is a much broader discussion about Salah.

So I do not want you to think that Salah simply means giving away wealth or food as charity. Do you understand?

7. Zayed: Yes, I understand. You already told me that Salah has a much broader meaning, and you said that you would discuss it with me in more detail later, InshaAllah.

8. Habib: JazakAllahu Khairan.

Now, let us look at what we need to do in order to have true faith.

First: We must believe.

Second: We must put Allah's commands into practice. In other words, we must allow our actions to reflect the commands that Allah has given us.

So, Zayed, do you understand now? What are the main things we need to do if we want to become believers? If anything is unclear, tell me.

9. Zayed: Alhamdulillah, Habib, I understand it very well.

There is one more thing that amazes me: how beautifully Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, has maintained such consistency and connection throughout every verse and every surah of the Quran. SubhanAllah!

10. Habib: That is one of the beauties of the Quran.

Let me explain one thing in an even simpler way.

Faith is something you accept sincerely in your heart. You cannot physically see faith. It is something you carry deep within your heart.

But the outward expression of that faith comes through putting Allah's commands into practice.

Let me give you a couple of examples.

Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, commands us to spend from what we have for parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, and travelers.

When you actually spend your wealth to help them, your faith is being expressed through your actions. You are putting Allah's command into practice. Is that clear?

In simple terms, whenever Allah gives us a command, our response should be:

«“We hear and we obey.”»

For example, at the end of Surah An-Nur, verse 51, Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, says:

«“We hear and we obey. And it is they who will be successful.”»

So, Zayed, do you now understand what we need to do to become believers?

11. Zayed: Yes, Habib. Alhamdulillah, I understand.

To become a believer, we must fulfill two essential conditions.

First: We must have faith.

Second: We must turn Allah's commands into practical actions and do good deeds accordingly.

12. Habib: MashaAllah. JazakAllahu Khairan, Zayed. Thank you for understanding.

So, whoever sincerely accepts and follows these two things will be a believer—a Mu'min.

If someone truly wants to become a believer, then these two conditions must be fulfilled, InshaAllah.

By doing so, they can become a true believer, a Mu'min, InshaAllah.

Alright, Zayed. Let us end here for today, InshaAllah. We will meet again another time to discuss another important topic, InshaAllah.

13. Zayed: Alright, Habib. JazakAllahu Khairan. This was an important discussion. May Allah bless you and may Allah shower His peace upon you.

14. Habib: JazakAllahu Khairan.

May Allah have mercy upon you and shower His peace upon you.

May Allah grant you the ability to come closer to the Quran and understand it.

May Allah grant you the ability to read the translation of the Quran and live your life according to it, and to guide your family to live by it as well.

Above all, may Allah accept you as a Mu'min—a true believer.

Ameen.