Know that Allah has commanded all of His servants with istiqamah and He commanded the Messenger (ﷺ) specifically. Allah, the Most-High, said:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ ۗ وَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Say (O Muhammad): “I am only a human being like you. It is inspired in me that your God is only one God, therefore be steadfast upon the Straight Path to Him, and seek forgiveness of Him. And woe to the idol-worshippers.” [Fussilat: 6]
He said to His Prophet (ﷺ):
فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ
“So stand (O Muhammad) firm and straight as you are commanded – and those with you who turn in repentance unto Allah…” [Hūd: 112]
And He, the Most-High, promised the steadfast believers a great reward:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is only Allah,” and thereafter they stood firm and straight, on them shall be no fear [when their soul is being removed at the point of death], nor shall they grieve [for the loved ones they have left behind].”
أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“Those are the companions of Paradise, abiding eternally therein as reward for what they used to do.” [Al-Ahqāf: 13-14]
Allāh, the Most-High, also stated regarding the steadfast believers (al-mustaqeemeen):
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ
Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah alone,” and then they stand steadfast, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!
نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ
“We have been your friends in the life of this world and are so in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have all that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have all that which you ask for.” [Fussilat: 30-31]
Istiqamah is a comprehensive term: It is to stand before Allah in all truthfulness in the fulfilment of one’s covenant – and it is related to what is uttered upon the tongues, what is carried out upon the limbs and what is concealed in the heart of intentions and sincerity – and also one’s outward state. So it is a comprehensive term. For this reason, we have the beautiful hadeeth:
عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو وَقِيلَ: أَبِي عَمْرَةَ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: “قُلْت: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قُلْ لِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَوْلًا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا غَيْرَك؛ قَالَ: قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ
On the authority of Abu `Amr — and he is also called Abu `Amrah Sufyān bin Abdullah ath- Thaqafee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Tell me something about Islam which I can ask of no one except you.”
He (ﷺ) said: “Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast.” [Muslim, 38]
So istiqamah is to traverse upon the Sirat al-Mustaqeem, the Straight Path of guidance, without veering to the left or the right so that one does not go beyond the limits nor does he fall short: not being extreme and not being negligent. The Shaitān senses the heart of the servant and puts it to the test. So if he senses from it that it turns away from religion, or is lazy and lackadaisical when it comes to the obedience of Allāh, he encourages it further with laziness, ease and distance from the religion until the person disengages from the Religion – so he abandons the obligations and falls into the harām. The Shaitān will not stop until a person severs all his ties with the Religion leaving him utterly devastated and destroyed...[Source: /www.abukhadeejah.com]
Now listen to Shaykh Badee Uddin Shah (rahimahullah Ta'ala) address this very important matter.
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever invites to guidance will be rewarded like those who follow him in the guidance are rewarded, and that will not decrease the reward of those who have followed him." [Collected by Imām Muslim]
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