It is the call of the times that a Muslim’s faith should be alive

Human history bears witness to the fact that power is not merely a matter of weapons, wealth, or numbers. True strength lies in the conviction firmly rooted in a person’s heart. In a Muslim’s life, this conviction is called faith (Iman). It was faith that granted power to the dwellers of the deserts, gave courage to the weak, and taught the oppressed how to live with dignity. Whenever Muslims held firmly to their faith, they rose with honor; and whenever faith was reduced to mere words, decline became their destiny.

Faith is not just a name or a slogan; it is a complete way of thinking and a way of life. Faith gives a person the certainty that life is not meaningless, that their Lord is watching, hearing, and that every action will be accounted for. This sense of accountability restrains a person from evil and inclines them toward goodness. Where faith is alive in the heart, fear of false powers and aimlessness cannot take root.

In the Qur’an, believers are repeatedly encouraged not to lose heart or grieve, because if they are true believers, supremacy is theirs. This is not merely spiritual consolation but a practical message. Faith creates within a person a self-confidence that gives them the courage to stand firm in difficult circumstances. On the battlefield of Badr, numbers and weapons were few, but faith was complete-and that became the cause of victory.

Unfortunately, today’s Muslim appears to be suffering from a weakness of that very faith. Faith has been confined to acts of worship, while lies, injustice, dishonesty, and despair have taken hold in practical life. We claim with our tongues that we believe in God, yet when making decisions we bow before the powerful and deprive the weak of their rights. This contradiction is the real reason for our decline.

Faith teaches patience, and patience is the strength that saves nations from breaking apart. Today, when Muslims are surrounded by economic, political, and social problems, despair is often the first reaction. Yet faith demands that no matter how severe the circumstances, one should not lose hope in God’s help. History shows that dawn comes only after the darkest night-but only those see the dawn who keep the lamp of faith lit during the night.

Faith does not connect a Muslim only to God, but also to humanity. A true believer is one from whose hands and tongue others remain safe. When faith is strong, society is built on justice, compassion, and brotherhood. The state of Madinah was a practical image of faith, where ruler and citizen were equal before the law. If today we speak of an Islamic system, we must first cultivate that same faith-based character.

For the younger generation, the importance of faith is even greater. Today’s youth, amid uncertainty, competition, and speed, often feel alone. Without the strength of faith, they fall into despair or stray onto wrong paths. Faith gives them the awareness that they are not alone-that their Lord is with them-and this awareness grants them the strength to remain steadfast on the lawful path.

It is also a bitter truth that we have turned faith into a slogan rather than a character. We preach faith to others but fail to fulfill its demands ourselves. The world judges us not by our words, but by our actions. If we truly want to make faith our strength, we must make honesty, justice, hard work, and truthfulness part of our lives.

A Muslim’s strength is neither their weapons, nor their numbers, nor their wealth-it is their faith. When faith is alive, even weak hands become strong; and when faith dies, even great powers turn to dust. The world is full of such examples.

Today, what is needed is that Muslims make faith a spirit rather than a ritual, so that they may once again become a message of goodness, justice, and hope for the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that “It is the call of the times that a Muslim’s faith should be alive” this is not merely a slogan, but an intellectual declaration.

When hunger, poverty, injustice, and deprivation become widespread in a society, it is not only stomachs that go empty-consciences are tested as well. A believer’s true identity is that despite poverty, oppression, and deprivation, their faith remains alive. They do not stop speaking the truth, they refuse to bow before oppression, and they do not let the lamp of hope be extinguished.

History testifies that when Muslims kept their faith alive, they changed the course of circumstances; and when faith weakened, wealth, power, and resources could not support them. Even today, the need is not to turn the cries of hardship and deprivation into complaints, but to transform them into awakening of faith, illumination of consciousness, and practical struggle-because only living faith can breathe life into lifeless conditions.