Supplication:

One of the characteristics of those who remain steadfast is that they resort to Allah and supplicate to Him to help them remain steadfast; Allah Says what means: “…Our Lord! Pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet...” [Quran 2: 250] Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet used to frequently supplicate saying:  “O Controller of the hearts! Make my heart steadfast upon Your religion.” [At-Tirmithi]

The mentioning and remembrance of Allah:

This is one of the most important means of steadfastness. Note the connection Allah makes in this verse which means: “O you who have believed! When you encounter a company [from the enemy forces], stand firm and remember Allah much that you may be successful.” [Quran 8: 45]

Remaining upon the straight path:

The only path to be upon is the path of the Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa’ah: those of the supported and rescued group of believers; these are the people whose beliefs are pure and methodology is sound  - those who adhere to the Sunnah of the Prophet and who hate the enemies of Allah. One should ask himself the following questions: Why did so many people in the past, as well as the present, divert and stray away from the straight path, unable to remain steadfast upon the path of Allah? Or, why did they waste most of their lives by not being upon it? One sees such people fluctuating between innovations, and from one misguidance to another … confused …. uncertain … disturbed.

Proper cultivation:

Being brought up upon strong belief and knowledge is an important means to remain steadfast. The belief component of cultivation gives life to the hearts; it gives them hope, fear and love towards Allah; whereas the knowledge component causes people to act according to the texts of the Quran and the authentic Sunnah, and shun the blind imitation of the masses. Additionally, being aware of the plots of the enemies of Islam, the ways of the deviant groups, understanding events, and not being isolated from national and international incidents helps one remain steadfast.

Gradual cultivation in steady and measured steps makes a person firmer upon faith. In order to realise the importance of this means of steadfastness, let us look back at the life of the Prophet and ask: What made people like Bilaal, Khabbaab, Mus’ab and others, may Allah be pleased with them, remain steadfast during the harsh trials and torture they endured? Would they have been able to remain steadfast if faith was not deeply rooted in their hearts, and if the Prophet had not properly nurtured them? Khabbaab, may Allah be pleased with him, was a slave whose owner would heat steel rods with fire until they became red hot and glowing, then, he would uncover Khabbaab’s back and place the rods on his body until his fat would extinguish the glow of the rods. What could have made him persevere through such torture? Another question to ask is: why did many of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, flee during the battle of Hunayn, while others remained steadfast with the Prophet ? The answer to both the questions is that those who remained steadfast were those who were correctly cultivated by the Prophet while in the second question, those who ran away were newcomers to Islam.

Being convinced of the path one is upon:

Undoubtedly, the more one is convinced and has trust in the path he is upon, the more steadfast he can be. The way to achieve this is by the following:

Calling towards Allah:

If one fails to move and exert efforts for the sake of Islam, his soul will feel as if it has become rotten. Sincere people feel they are being punished by Allah if they are unable to serve Islam by utilising their abilities and resources for His sake. If one does not busy himself in obedience and praiseworthy deeds, it will lead him to indulge in disobedience. Calling to the straight path blocks the road for Satan to divert and misguide a person; it increases one's faith and strengthens it, thus enabling him to become more steadfast.

Being around those who help one to remain steadfast:

The Prophet informed us about such people saying: “There are people who are initiators of goods and thwarters of evil.” Being around such people helps one remain steadfast; there are many incidents throughout history of how the existence and availability of righteous individuals helped many to remain steadfast; an example of this is the stance that Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, adopted during the trial of apostasy, where many people reneged on their faith following the death of the Prophet . This highlights the importance of brotherhood in Islam, and how it acts as a source for one to remain steadfast; righteous Muslims and examples are one's support during his journey towards Allah; they assist in one remaining steadfast; thus, one must be around such people and avoid being isolated, lest Satan attacks him whilst he is alone and away from any type of protection.

Being certain of Allah sending victory, and that the future belongs to Islam:

Whenever victory is delayed, one's need to remain steadfast increases, lest he slips from the straight path at this critical juncture. Allah Says what means: “And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast. And their words were not but that they said: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and firmly plant our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people.’” [Quran 3: 146-148]

On one occasion when the Prophet wished to re-assure his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, he informed them that the future belongs to Islam, saying: “I swear by Allah that He will bring this matter to its consummation, so much so that a rider will (be able to) travel from San`aa' to Hadhramawt, fearing none except Allah and the wolves for (the sake of) his sheep - but you are hasty people.” [Al-Bukhari] The Prophet said this during the most difficult of times, which reflects the importance of reminding the youth with these narrations, whilst cultivating them, in order for them to be optimistic.

Means of remaining steadfast – I

Means of remaining steadfast – III