Words From Shaykh Al-Fawzān Regarding Steadfastness
﷽
Indeed Istiqāmah (steadfastness) is the middle course between harshness and excessiveness and between laxity and wastage. It is taking the middle course upon being firm regarding the command of Allāh, Exalted and Glorified be He. And again Istiqāmah means that a person remains firm upon the religion of Islām and does not deviate from it (not to) the right or left direction. (Allāh, the Most-High, said):
قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا
Who say: "Our Lord is Allāh (Alone)," and then they Istaqamu (i.e. they stand firm and are steadfast upon Islām) [1]
And the best and foremost of it (i.e. of Istiqāmah) is At-Tawḥīd (worshipping Allāh Alone and fleeing from Shirk), they are steadfast and stand firm upon Tawḥīd and do not commit Shirk (association of partners to Allāh in His rights) with anything, be it the major Shirk nor the minor Shirk.
"Those who say our Lord is Allāh (Alone) and then they stand firm...'', by fulfilling the obligatory acts of worship and leaving the impermissible and forbidden acts. And likewise, they fulfil the recommended acts and distance themselves from the disliked acts, they preserve and protect their religion.
And likewise, Istiqāmah means, continuity upon righteousness till death, they (those truly upon steadfastness) stand firm till death comes upon them. But as for one who is upright at one time and lax at another time, this one is not steadfast. So the one who remains firm upon obedience during the month of Ramaḍān then is (upon) contrary (to obedience) after Ramaḍān is not from those that are steadfast. The one who remains firm when he's with those upon firmness and then contrary when he's with the lost one this one isn't steadfast.
Indeed the steadfast one is one that is firm upon the religion of Allāh, is the one who is consistent upon obedience to Allāh throughout his life, as it came forth in the Athar (narration): "They are those that do not wander the wandering of the foxes". [2]
Truly the one standing firm upon the religion of Allāh preserves the obligations of Allāh and stays away from the prohibitions of Allāh. The one standing firm upon the religion of Allāh is truthful with his Muslim brothers in his dealings (with them), he does not cheat nor deceive nor lie or betray (them).
This is the (true) Mustaqīm (one standing firm upon the religion of Allāh) the Mighty and Majestic, he does not lax in anything of his religion and he does not become firm in certain conditions and in other times weakened, rather he is always and forever with Allāh, Exalted and Glorified be He (by remembering Him, having Taqwá [being cautious of Him, by engaging in all He has commanded and fleeing from all that He has prohibited], and by being steadfast upon worshipping Him as much as one is able to).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fear Allāh wherever you are, and follow the bad actions with the good acts, it will wipe it, and treat people with good manners" (Tirmidhī).
Source: Jumuʾah Khuṭbah,Titiled Al-Istiqāmah (Steadfastness) [9/ Shawwāl/ 1434]
Translated by AMMAN CIRCLE Editorials
Footnotes:
[1] - Sūrah Al-Fuṣṣilat:30
[2] - Mentioned by ʿUmar bn Al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه), Athar mentioned in Tafsīr Al-Baghawī, in the Imām’s commentary on Sūrah Al-Fuṣṣilat:30.
