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In the sermon of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) describing the God-fearing, it is stated: "فمن علامة أحدهم أنك ترى له قوة في دين". "Among the signs of any one of them is that you see in him strength in religion."
The term "the strong believer" appears in the hadith of both schools, either verbatim or in meaning. The following hadith, attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), has become widespread on people's tongues: "المؤمن القويّ خير وأحبّ إلى الله من المؤمن الضعيف" "The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer."
However, it is not found in our sources; rather, it appears in the sources of the School of the Caliphs. Nonetheless, its content is sound, for naturally the strong believer is better than the weak believer.
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Before anything else, we must know what is meant by the strong believer; we will then set out some of the manifestations and instances of the believer's strength:
🔻 First: What Is Meant by the Strong Believer?
The strong believer does not mean one who is physically strong or muscular; indeed, the narrations negate this meaning, as will become clear. We can derive from the narrations of the infallible Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's Household) that the strong believer is one who is strong in his faith and religious commitment, as it is narrated that Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said:
"إنّ قوّة المؤمن في قلبه، ألا ترون أنكم تجدونه ضعيف البدن نحيف الجسم وهو يقوم الليل ويصوم النّهار؟!"
"The strength of the believer is in his heart. Do you not see that you find him weak of body and thin of frame, yet he stands in prayer through the night and fasts by day?!"
Since the seat of faith and religious commitment is the heart, he (peace be upon him) said: "إنّ قوّة المؤمن في قلبه" "The strength of the believer is in his heart."
He (peace be upon him) then negated what people might mistakenly imagine, namely that the believer's strength means bodily strength, clarifying this with a beautiful example that illustrates one of the manifestations of the believer's strength.
What supports this meaning - that is, that the strength intended is strength in religion - is the following:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is reported to have said: "إن اللَّه عزَّ وجلَّ ليبغض المؤمن الضعيف الذي لا دين له". "Truly Allah, Mighty and Majestic, detests the weak believer who has no religion."
It can be inferred from this hadith that the strong believer is the one who possesses religion.
Likewise, what is stated in the sermon of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) describing the God-fearing: "فمن علامة أحدهم أنك ترى له قوة في دين". "Among the signs of any one of them is that you see in him strength in religion."
And Imam al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: "المؤمن له قوة في دين…". "The believer has strength in religion…"
🔻 Second: Manifestations and Instances of the Believer's Strength
We have learned that the strong believer means one who is strong in his religious commitment. "Strength in religion" is a broad heading, with countless manifestations, expressions and instances in the believer's life; we will mention only some of them:
1- Strong in Obeying Allah and Adhering to the Rulings of His Religion:
Allah the Exalted says: ﴿فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا﴾. "So be mindful of Allah as much as you are able, and listen and obey."
The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: "إذا قَوِيتَ فاقوَ على طاعةِ اللهِ سبحانه، وإذا ضَعُفتَ فاضعَف عن معاصي الله". "When you are strong, be strong in obeying Allah, Glorified is He; and when you are weak, be weak in committing acts of disobedience to Allah."
Imam al-Riḍā (peace be upon him) said: "لا دينَ لمن لا وَرَعَ له". "There is no religion for one who has no waraʿ (scrupulous piety)."
2- Strong in Calling to Allah the Exalted, Enjoining What Is Right and Forbidding What Is Wrong:
The example of the Prophet of Allah Noah (peace be upon him), who called to Allah for 950 years despite the few who responded.
Allah the Exalted says: ﴿ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾. "Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the way that is best."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "مَنْ أمَرَ بالمعروفِ ونَهى عن المنكرِ فهو خليفةُ اللهِ في الأرضِ وخليفةُ رسولِهِ". "Whoever enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong is the vicegerent of Allah on earth and the vicegerent of His Messenger."
He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) also said: "إنّ اللَّه عزَّ وجلَّ ليُبغِضُ المؤمن الضعيف الذي لا دين له" "Truly Allah, Mighty and Majestic, detests the weak believer who has no religion."
It was said to him: And who is the believer who has no religion? He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "الذي لا ينهى عن المنكر". "The one who does not forbid what is wrong."
3- Strong in Speaking the Truth:
Allah the Exalted says: ﴿وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ﴾. "And they enjoin one another to truth and enjoin one another to patience."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "أتقَى النَّاسِ مَنْ قال الحقَّ فيما له وعليه". "The most God-fearing of people is the one who speaks the truth, whether it is in his favour or against him."
He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) also said: "ألا إنّ أفضل الجهاد كلمة حقٍّ عند سلطان جائر". "Indeed, the best jihad is a word of truth before a tyrannical ruler."
In this context, Imam al-Kāẓim (peace be upon him) is reported to have taken a bold stance with Hārūn al-ʿAbbāsī, confronting him with the truth without fear.
4- Strong in Confronting the Enemies of Religion:
Allah the Exalted says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾. "O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be stern with them."
Allah the Exalted also says: ﴿وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ الْخَيْلِ تُرْهِبُونَ بِهِ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ وَعَدُوَّكُمْ﴾. "And prepare against them whatever you are able of force and of tethered steeds, by which you may strike fear into the enemy of Allah and your enemy."
This applies in circumstances of confrontation and resistance; in circumstances of calling to Allah and dialogue, however, the stance is as Allah the Exalted says: ﴿ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾. "Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the way that is best."
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