Faith Like A Tree

Imam Ibn Rajab Hanbali said:

الإيمان بمثل شجرة لها أصل وفروع وشعب فاسم الشجرة يشمل ذلك كله ,ولو زال شيء من شعبها وفروعها لم يزل عنها اسم الشجرة ,وإنما يقال: هي شجرة ناقصة أو غيرها أتم منها

‘𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲: 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 [𝗮𝘀𝗹] 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 [𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘂]. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 ‘𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲’ 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲.’

[‘Jami al-Ulum wal-Hikam’, 1/151].

He explained elsewhere that good deeds are the fruits of this tree… if a fruit tree does not produce fruit, that does not mean it is no longer a fruit tree. It is still a fruit tree, but it is deficient.

This is a metaphor for people who hold unto the main fundamentals of faith, like Tawheed and faith in Islam – but then fail to produce good deeds.

This faith will still safe them from eternal damnation, so never ever loose that.

Many Muslims now fight over the branches and leafs of the tree – while the roots of their tree are rotting and in great danger.

A believer without good deeds is not an ideal believer, just like a fruit tree that does not produce fruit is not an ideal fruit tree.

May God give us taufiq to perform good deeds, ameen