Keeping strong Islamic belief boils down to our relationships. What type of relationships do we have with Allah, family, the Muslim community and our society? Breaking down these connections will help tell volumes about our state of Iman (belief).

When it comes to our connection with The Creator, let us not forget that Allah in His oneness put into the heart of each human being an original breath, a natural longing (fitra) for Him. That way, it is easy for us to find our way to Him, The Most-Merciful and All-Forgiving. In this sense, Muslim spirituality is the work which the consciousness of the believer does on the self in order to be liberated from all forms of worship of things other than the Him (Subhna wata’ala) and to find the way to this original breath and its purity.

Immediately after the recognition of Allah, which is the fundamental vertical dimension in Islam, human relations come into importance. Allah made the strong affirmation of His oneness tightly linked as an essential condition with respect for parents and good behavior toward them. The Quran and hadith connect the reality of tawhid with respect for parents and good family ties in numerous places.

The next social sphere is our relationship with the Muslim community. For Muslims, the daily practice of their religion gives birth naturally to a deep sense of being members of one community (ummah). This is a dimension that is inherent in the Islamic faith and way of life, which in turn are strengthened, guided and shaped by this communal feeling: “Certainly the Believers are brothers.” (Quran 49:10)

By saying the shahada, all Muslims are individually invested with the common responsibility of bearing witness to Islam’s message before the whole of mankind. “So we have made you one community justly balanced, so that you might be witnesses before humankind.” (Quran 2:143)
As the verse indicates, the greatness of the Muslim community (ummah) must be understood in the fact that it is “justly balanced.” This means that Muslims must bear witness to the faith before all humankind by defending and spreading justice as well as the values connected with honesty, generosity, brotherhood and love.

Understanding how we improve our relationships with Allah, family, the Muslim community and mankind is crucial to our success. That’s why ILM Academy is using this topic for its second annual conference. The school is hosting the event on March 10 with various speakers in 5 completely separate tracks - for adults, college students, high schoolers, middle schoolers and kids 3-9 years old. For more, see: https://ilm-academy.com/ilmcon18

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