In the Holy Quraan the commandments of the Jihaad are given to those who possess the Imaan, because the foundation of the Jihaad depends solely on Imaan and such a great deed can only be accomplished properly by the true believers only. The Jihaad itself is a significant mean of enhancement and completion of one’s Imaan and it is an incontrovertible proof of the firm beliefs of the Mu’min. The Imaan means that solid & strong faith which is embedded in the deepest recess of the believer’s heart. This rock solid faith manifests fully in every deed of its beholder, may it be the ‘Ibadaat, the Mu’aamilaat, or the Mu’aashirat, not the weak and feeble Imaan, that appears intermittently and partially in one’s heart. Not the Imaan, that intermingles with doubts. Not the Imaan that does not reform its beholder’s moral, ethical, social and religious behaviour.

Imaan is a precious gift, that manifests itself through every word, every deed and every act of its possessor. Mu’min's thoughts, perceptions, feelings, behaviour, aims and objectives, acts and deeds springs from the fountain of the Imaan.

The Mu’min does not proclaim the Oneness of Allah Ta`ala, by his words alone, but this belief becomes an inseparable part of his whole being. Thus he does not bow and subjugate to any other physical or psychological entity except his Creator, Allah Ta`ala. This Imaan instils in him the abhorrence of all the practices of the Mushrikeen. His heart and soul becomes the centre of love, devotion, surrender and the glorification for Allah Ta`ala alone. The faithful grasp the truth of the insignificance of this temporary world. With this true faith, his life, his death and his every act and deed becomes subservient to Allah’s commandments only. He believes that only Allah Ta`ala has the power to remove the difficulties and the obstacles in his path.

Belief in the life Hereafter removes all the diseases from the hearts of the Mu’min. It cleans the soul, of greed, selfishness, and other undesirable animalistic diseases. It transforms his life and every moment becomes precious, as the Mu’min realises, that his short span of life in this temporary abode is an opportunity for the preparation of the life Hereafter. If he misses this opportunity then eternal regrets awaits him. Therefore the Mu’min does not engage in the pursuit of the acts of self-gratification such as engaging in pleasures or acquiring worldly possessions.

The Imaan in the Risaalat transfer all his love, affection, and reverence to the holy persona of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam only. And the persona of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam act as the centre of gravity for all his existence. Every word and deed of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam contains within it the guarantee of success and well being of his temporal and eternal life.

.Allah’s Last and Final Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam has granted us, a practical guidance of conduct for our each and every deed and conduct. Thus for the Mu’min, there isn’t any need to look elsewhere for the conduct of his life. The holy person of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam provides the Mu’min, with practical guidance in every sphere of his life, from family matters to the affairs of the state and the government.

The past provides us the evidence and history is the witness, that the followers of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam obtained success and greatness by following the Revered Sunnah of RasoolulLah SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam and as a result of these pious deeds, their lives were adorned with great achievements both in this world and the Hereafter.

From the pages of history we also learn how those nomads, whose live’s epicentre was herding the camels only, had conquered the then so called civilised and cultured world, by following the holy persona of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam and made the then great civilisations to admit the hollowness of their artificial culture and the impoverished state of the fabrics of their society.

The Imaan of the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam is a blueprint and an example for us. The Mujahideen ought to make every conceivable effort, to emulate the Imaan of the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum and when the roots and the influences of their Imaan, resemble the Imaan of the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum, then their success and achievement would be as great as the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum and within a brief period, the specific and the general affects of the Jihaad would be felt every where in the world.

We submit to the Mujahideen in the following paragraphs the sketch of the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum complete Imaan as drawn in the most appealing and heart warming words by the great thinker of Islam, Hazrat Maulana Al Sayyad Abul Hasan Ali Al Nadwi RahimahulLahu-Ta`ala.

Please read again and again each and every word and try to absorb the flow of Imaan from these words into your heart and soul.

“Here under the guidance of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam , the honoured Sahabahs RadhialLahu-`anhum spiritual and Imaan enhancing training continued. The Holy Quraan was continuously warming and strengthening their hearts and by the Companionship of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam, they were gaining strength in Imaan. The power of curbing their animalistic desires was getting stronger. The genuine eagerness for their Creator’s blessings, the will to sacrifice themselves in the path of Allah Ta`ala, the undying Love of the Jannat, the eagerness for learning and the understanding of the Deen, and the control and accountability of themselves was reaching its peak.

They obeyed Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam in alertness and in fatigue. In whatever situation they were, they stood up in the Path of Allah.

In ten years they participated in twenty seven Jihad’s with Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam. On the commandments of Allah’s Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam they went to the battlefields more than one hundred times. Abandonment of worldly considerations became easy for them. They became well versed in enduring family problems.

The Verses of the Holy Quraan, brought to them countless new commandments of which they were previously unfamiliar with. Many commandments were revealed concerning themselves, their possessions and their families and their offspring. Abiding to these commandments was not an easy matter. But obedience to every Word of Allah Ta`ala and His Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam became part of their nature. Once the riddle of paganism and idolatry is solved, then all the riddles became solvable with ease. Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam endeavoured once only for their Imaan, since then any need for further continuous effort for Al Amr wa al Nahyi and with every new commandment any need for further effort became unnecessary. Once in the first battle between Islam and the Jahiliyyah was won, then the need for all other battles evaporated. They entered into the fold of Islam with their limbs, their bodies and their souls. Once the truth dawned upon them, there was no place for any further struggle with Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam. There was no mental or spiritual perplexity ever raised in their minds against Allah’s Last Rasool’s SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam judgements and decisions. They were the people who admitted in front of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam, their hidden short comings and they offered their bodies without the slightest hesitation for the appropriate punishment, if any inadvertent sinful act was committed by them.

When the commandments of the prohibition of Alcohol and toxicant drinks was relayed to them, while their hands were holding the alcohol-filled glasses. What happened then? Those hands became paralysed and could not move those glasses towards their mouths, the yearning of the mouth dried up, the utensils of the intoxicating beverages were smashed and the sewage of Madinat ul Munawwarah were flowing with alcohol.

Once the satanic influences or rather their own self-made influences were wiped out, then the demon of self importance was buried for ever. They would treat themselves exactly as they would treat others. They were the inhabitants of this world, yet at the same time they were the people of the Hereafter. Their preference was directed towards eternal achievements rather than any temporal considerations. They were not troubled by any calamity, nor were they showing off any Graciousness Allah Ta`ala had bestowed upon them. Nothing could divert them from their beliefs. In poverty they persevered. In richness they were content and grateful for their RUBB’s blessings. Business and commerce would not make them negligent. The transformation from temporal values to spiritual and eternal values was permanent. Whatever the world could throw at them, may it be the temptation of wealth or may it be the yearning for power, their devotion to their Creator and the teachings of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam remained rock solid. They were the bearers of Justice. They were not afraid of any one except Allah Ta`ala. Thus Allah Ta`ala had given the reign of his Earth to them, the whole world was laid before them subjugated. Allah Ta`ala had entrusted them the responsibility and the honour of protecting the world from evil and injustice and the preaching of the Deen, to the rest of the world. Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam made them his deputies and the torch bearers of Islam. And with peace and harmony and with total satisfaction and containment with the completion of the Risaalat passed away to meet the Creator.”

(The Effects of the Muslim’s Rise and Fall upon the World, pp. 99-100).

There are more than 70 branches of Imaan in the Revered Ahaadeeth of Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam. They were collected and compiled by Imam Baihaqi (RahimahulLahu) in his book of the Revered Ahadeeth Sh’ubul Imaan in detail.

We present to the Mujahideen a list of these Seventy Branches of Imaan in brief. So they could start acting upon each of them, which will enhance and strengthen their Imaan. Some of the 70 branches are those without which one cannot become a Muslim, while other branches relate to the completion of Imaan and the enhancement of Imaan.

One should read each of them separately and deliberate upon each of them individually, to ascertain which of the branches of faith is blossoming within himself and which of the branches has not taken root within himself.

1. Proclamation, and attestation of Laa Ilaha Il-lul-Lah “There is None to be Worshipped but Allah”.

2. Affirmation and attestation of all the Nabees and the Rasools.

3. Belief in all Angels.

4. Belief in all the Holy Scriptures revealed by Allah Ta`ala to His Nabees and Rasools.

5. Belief in the Taqdeer whether beneficial or harmful, is by the decree of Allah Ta`ala alone.

6. Belief in the Day of Judgement.

7. Belief in the life after death.

8. The Daily Five Salaat (prayers) are compulsory and obligatory.

9. Zakaat is compulsory and obligatory.

10. Fasting of the month of Ramadhan is compulsory and obligatory.

11. The Hajj is compulsory and obligatory.

12. The Jihaad in the path of Allah Ta`ala.

13. Rising from the grave Alive and accounting for one’s deeds in front of Allah Ta`ala (resurrection and the Judgement).

14. The Jannat is designated for the Mu’mineen and the Jahannam is designated for the Kafirs.

15. Love of Allah Ta`ala is Wajib .

16. Fear and apprehension of Allah Ta`ala is obligatory.

17. Always to be hopeful of Allah’s blessings.

18. Keeping trust and dependency upon Allah Ta`ala.

19. Love and affection for Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam is WAJIB.

20. Deference and total respect for Allah’s Last Rasool SallalLahu-`alayhi Wasallam is Wajib.

21. To value the Deen above everything else.

22. Learning the Deen (acquiring the teachings of Islam).

23. Propagation and preaching of the Teachings of Islam and spreading it among the populace.

24. Deference and Respect of the Holy Quraan.

25. Cleanliness and purification as stated in the teaching of Islam is necessary .

26. I’etikaf.

27. Protection and keeping guard of the frontiers of Islamic domains.

28. To stand fast during the battle against the enemy and not to abscond.

29. To hand over the 1/5 of the spoil of war to Muslim Authority.

30. To free slave.

31. To fulfil atonements.

32. To fulfil promises and agreements.

33. To be grateful to Allah Ta`ala.

34. To refrain from useless and demeaning conversations.

35. To hand back all the things deposited on trust.

36. Killing people without any right is forbidden.

37. To protect the private parts.

38. To avoid obtaining materials belonging to someone else by wrongful and improper means.

39. To consume Halaal food and drink only.

40. Silken clothes for men and utensils made of gold and silver are forbidden.

41. Games and amusements are contrary to the Revered Sharee’ah, they are Haraam.

42. Balance expenditure (avoiding wastefulness and miserliness).

43. To avoid Jealousy and hatred.

44. To protect the honour, dignity and chastity of others.

45. To perform all the deed exclusively for Allah Ta`ala alone and to refrain from Hypocrisy and pretences.

46. To be joyful upon virtuous deeds and to be sorrowful upon sinful acts.

47. To repent, to renounce, to adjure from sinful acts and deeds.

48. To offer Qurbani (Sacrifices) on the occasions of the ‘Eid ul Adha, the ‘Aqeeqah and the Sadaqaat.

49. To obey the commands of Ulil Amr.

50. To be part and parcel of the Ummah and to avoid being remaining aloof from the Ummah.

51. Justice and fairness to be practised in adjudication.

52. Amr Bil M’aroof wa Al nahyi ‘Anil Munkar.

53. To assist in the virtuous and pious deeds.

54. To be bashful and to refrain from being impudent and shameless.

55. To treat the parents properly, with respect, affection, and compliance.

56. To maintain links with the relatives, and not to abandon them.

57. To possess and maintain good manners and affability.

58. The owner/proprietor should treat their slaves/servants with due consideration.

59. The slaves/servants should treat their master/proprietor properly and with due consideration.

60. To fulfil responsibilities towards offspring.

61. To feel compassion, tenderness, and close link towards other Muslim brothers.

62. To return the Salaam.

63. To pay a visit to those who are unwell and ill.

64. To attend the Salaat ul Janazah of the Muslims.

65. To reply the prayer of those who sneeze.

66. To keep away from non-believers and evil doers.

67. To respect the neighbours.

68. To honour the guests.

69. To show discretion upon someone’s personal act of sin.

70. To persevere the hardship and difficulties

71. To practise Zuhud.

72. Ghairat.

73. To refrain from any useless and timewasting acts.

74. To be generous.

75. To be kind to the young and to be respectful to the elders.

76. To mediate between Muslims in dispute.

77. To choose for your Muslim brother the same thing which you would choose for yourself.

May Allah Ta`ala help us, in our firm belief in them and in fulfilling the above articles of Imaan. Aameen thumma Aameen.