How Certain is our Belief? Below is an excerpt from The Sealed Nectar - the Seerah of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW, highlighting the reasons for the steadfastness of the Companions RA of the Prophet SAW in the face of relentless persecution and torture : 'Unwavering Belief in the truth of the Hereafter - This was the corner-stone that strengthened their sense of responsibility. There was a deep certainty established through the light of their religion that one day they would have to rise on the Day of Resurrection and account for all worldly deeds, small or big. They were sure that their future in the other world would depend wholly on their acts in their provisional life on earth, either to everlasting Garden (Paradise) or perpetual chastisement in Hell. Their whole life was divided between hope for Allâh's mercy and fear of His punishment.' This got me thinking .... الٓمّٓ(1) ذٰلِكَ الْكِتٰبُ لَا رَیْبَ فِیْهِ ۚۛهُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِیْنَ(2) الَّذِیْنَ یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْغَیْبِ وَ یُقِیْمُوْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقْنٰهُمْ یُنْفِقُوْنَ(3) وَ الَّذِیْنَ یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِمَاۤ اُنْزِلَ اِلَیْكَ وَ مَاۤ اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَۚ وَ بِالْاٰخِرَةِ هُمْ یُوْقِنُوْنَ(4) اُولٰٓىٕكَ عَلٰى هُدًى مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمْۗ وَ اُولٰٓىٕكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ(5) The opening aayaat of Surah al Baqarah, claiming that the Qur'an is The Book of guidance for those conscious of Allah. And this group of people has certain attributes - the first of those being belief in the Unseen, and the last one being certainty (in faith) of the Hereafter. The Ghayb or Unseen refers to all those things that we have not perceived ourselves through our senses - like Allah SWT Himself, His Blessed Attributes, His Angels, Yawmul Qiyamah, Jannah, Jahannam, and also the events in history which we didn't witness directly, meaning the Prophets. So, basically all the pillars of Imaan, that form the foundation of Belief for us Muslims. So by this definition - yes, as Muslims, we do believe in Ghayb. Now, what is striking here is that Allah SWT mentions the Hereafter once again, and this time with the word Yaqeen or Certainty. So, the question we need to ask ourselves is whether we are also completely certain about the Hereafter. As in, are we as certain of it as we are about waking up tomorrow morning and going about our day as usual? Are we completely sure that it is going to happen like that get-together next weekend? Are we absolutely convinced we are going to have an after-life like we are about that vacation we have planned months in advance? Maybe not. Allah SWT says in Surah at-Takaathur. اَلْهٰىكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ(1) حَتّٰى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ(2) كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ(3) ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ(4) كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ عِلْمَ الْیَقِیْنِ(5) لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِیْمَ(6) ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَیْنَ الْیَقِیْنِ(7) ثُمَّ لَتُسْــٴَـلُنَّ یَوْمَىٕذٍ عَنِ النَّعِیْمِ(8) Allah reveals that this world and its constant rat race deludes us. And that had we had Ilm ul Yaqeen i.e. Knowledge of Certainty about the Hereafter, we would have acted differently - which is so true. How different would our lives, our deeds, our dealings with others be if we have complete conviction that there is an after-life. Would we then care at all about this world?! Allah SWT further says that everyone will surely see the Hellfire, and then we will be convinced with Ayn ul Yaqeen i.e. Eye of Certainty. Allahu Akbar, but what good would that be! Our role models, our Prophet Muhammad SAW and his Companions RA, had this kind of unwavering belief in the Hereafter. Infact, they didn't even stop at Ayn ul Yaqeen, but went further ahead to achieve the ultimate level of conviction - Haqq ul Yaqeen i.e. the Truth of Certainty - they believed in it like they had experienced it already. Subhan Allah. What else could motivate them to go through what they went through! And it is this same level of Yaqeen that is on display right now in Gaza. When we discuss Gaza on our dinner tables and in our WhatsApp groups, the most common observation about them is that 'their Imaan is at a different level'. Yes, it sure is - at a level you and I could only hope to achieve in this life. And so, while the rest of the world is busy going about their deluded and distracted lives, Gaza is preparing for its Hereafter in which it has full conviction and unwavering faith, much like our Sahaba RA. And just like their predecessors, their reward is also waiting for them with their Lord. وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِۦٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلصِّدِّيقُونَۖ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءُ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ لَهُمۡ أَجۡرُهُمۡ وَنُورُهُمۡۖ ˹As for˺ those who believe in Allah and His messengers, it is they who are ˹truly˺ the people of truth. And the martyrs, with their Lord, will have their reward and their light. (Al Hadid:19)