The Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Imaan wears out in the heart of any one of you just as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the Imaan in your hearts” (Mustadrak al-Haakim)
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: “Keep on renewing your Imaan.
The Sahaabah (Companion) of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) enquired: “O Messenger of Allah! How should we renew our Imaan?”
The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) replied: “Recite لاَ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ very often,” was the reply.
The Imaan is not always as strong as we want it to be as it often fluctuates according to life circumstances.
The true Muslims have great hope in Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). They do not let the Shaitaan (Satan) cause them to despair of the vast mercy of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) which He has guaranteed for His believing slaves. Sometimes Shaitaan insinuates Wasaawis (bad whispers) in some Muslims that you will die following something other than the commands Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). Sometimes Shaitaan suggests deviant ideas by means of which Shaitaan wants to tempt the slaves of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and lead them away from their religion. Sometimes Shaitaan comes to a righteous slave and whispers to him that his good deeds are of no avail, or that he is doing them not for the sake of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) but to show off to people, so that they will think he is good.
All of these are the usual ways with which the Shaitaan tries to trick the slaves of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), especially those who show signs of being righteous. So the true Muslims should quite often seek refuge with Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) from Shaitaan’s dirty tricks.
Muslims need to increase their hope and trust in Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) Who forgives all sins, and who accepts the slave who seeks His protection and refuge, for He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving and the Most Loving.
They should increase their good A’maal (Deeds), such as reciting Quraan, giving Sadaqah (Charity), Zikr (Remembrance) of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), upholding the ties of kinship, etc. The weakness which you feel also happens to others, for it is something natural. How many people were examples followed by others and had a great deal of drive and ambition, then they lost their drive and ambition for a long time, then it came back to them by the grace of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa).
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:
إِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ شِرَّةً وَلِكُلِّ شِرَّةٍ فَتْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُهَا سَدَّدَ وَقَارَبَ فَارْجُوهُ وَإِنْ أُشِيرَ إِلَيْهِ بِالْأَصَابِعِ فَلَا تَعُدُّوهُ
“Verily, everything has a zeal and every zeal has a limit. Whoever does so properly and moderately, he will have hope for success. Whoever earns fingers of accusation, he will not be deemed worthy.” (At-Tirmizi)
Think about this Hadeeth, and relate it to your own situation and the situation of others: you will see a clear similarity. This Hadeeth clearly states that man goes through a stage of incomparable eagerness and great focus and ambition, then suddenly he becomes weak and loses that focus and eagerness and ambition. When he reaches this stage, he must strive even harder to do Fardh (Obligatory) duties and avoid Haraam (impermissible) things. If he does that, then there is the hope that he will succeed and progress, but if he falls into Haraam things and stops performing Fardh things, he will be lost and doomed.
There are several causes for weakening Imaan such as deficiencies in the good A’maal or the whispers and temptations from the Shaitaan. Regardless of the cause, it is of great importance for all of us to keep a check on our Imaan and if we feel it is faltering in any way then we should take measures to restore it. It is the responsibility of true Muslim to know which things decrease the Imaan and how to avoid them and those that increase the Imaan and how to embrace them. It is something that can only be fixed and improved by themselves and not by someone else, so they need to understand and make full effort to cure this problem. Remember in the Aakhirah (Hereafter) they would personally be responsible for their mistakes and no one else to be blamed. They need to strive hard for their Aakhirah and increasing their Imaan.
Few signs of weak Imaan are:
• Committing sins and not feeling any guilt.
• Having a hard heart and no desire to recite the Quraan.
• Feeling too lazy to do Fardh A’maal, e.g. Salaah.
• Neglecting the Sunnah.
• Not feeling anything when hearing Words of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), e.g. when Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) warns of His punishments and His promise of glad tidings.
• Finding difficulty in Zikr (Remembrance) of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa).
• Not feeling bad when things are done against the Shari’ah.
• Extreme desire for status and wealth.
• Being mean and miserly, i.e. not wanting to part with wealth.
• Feeling pleased when things are not better for others.
• Not avoiding Makrooh (Islamically undesirable) things.
• Making fun of people especially simple ones.
• Not feeling concerned about the miserable situation of Muslim Ummah.
• Not feeling the responsibility to do something for Islam and Muslims.
• Unable to observe Islamic teachings during pleasure and grief.
• Argue just for the sake of arguing to let someone down without any proof.
• Becoming engrossed in worldly things, i.e. material wealth.
• Adopting self-centered and selfish attitude.
So a true Muslim must turn to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) a great deal, seeking His forgiveness and begging Him to make him steadfast until death. May Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) forgive our sins, strengthen our Imaan and make things easier for us. Aameen!