Sakinah in Islam: How to Measure Your Inner Peace? – Episode 27

Summary

In this episode of the series, we talk about the profound gift of sakinah in Islam and how this divine tranquillity shapes our path of faith. Ayah 4 from Surah Al-Fath offers a beautiful starting point for this reflection, reminding us that true calm is a divine gift meant to strengthen our hearts.

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِيمَانًا مَّعَ إِيمَانِهِمْ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah SWT belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah SWT Knowing and Wise.
(Surah Fath 48:4)

1. Understanding Sakinah Levels and Their Impact on Faith

This divine tranquillity is not an absolute, all-or-nothing state. In other words, it exists in levels, much like its opposite: stress and anxiety. A person can possess a measure of sakinah while still experiencing some inner turmoil. The key distinction lies in what starts our actions. When we act from a place of calm, it leads to greater stability and a firmer grounding in monotheism. On the other hand, actions born from stress only amplify our anxiety.

This principle applies to communities just as it does to individuals. The higher our level of tranquillity, the closer we feel to the Almighty. We can picture a large ship in the ocean. Massive waves may not move it much, while a small boat is rocked heavily by even minor swells. A person with little depth in their sakinah is like that small boat, easily unsettled. If we find it difficult to make clear, corrective decisions during trials, it indicates our tranquillity lacks weight. If we can decide with ease and certainty despite difficulties, it shows we have reached a higher, more resilient level of divine calm.

2. Trusting Allah’s SWT Control Over All Causes and Effects

For the believer whose faith increases through this tranquillity, a deep recognition dawns. They see that Allah SWT determines all the ‘waves’ of life-every challenge and cause-and that these forces obey Him. This awareness roots itself in the divine declaration:

وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

And to Allah SWT belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah SWT Knowing and Wise.
(Surah Fath 48:4)

Because of this, nothing happens without His permission. This truth strengthens our remembrance of Allah SWT and deepens our certainty in His control over all affairs. We live in a world of apparent cause and effect. When Allah SWT enters the arena with His heavenly soldiers, we realise He holds ultimate power over all things. His unseen forces may completely override the expected causes we rely on. In this way, our trust shifts fully to the One who commands all armies. This reorientation of our reliance from worldly means to the Divine Source forms the core mechanism of divine tranquillity.

3. Measuring Faith Through Challenges to Tranquillity

So, the events that disrupt our inner peace can serve as a mirror for our faith. The trials that crash against our tranquillity are not just random hardships. They are indicators. These challenges should make us stronger and prepare us for greater future tests.

We can gauge our spiritual state. More faith invites more sakinah, and more tranquillity clarifies our vision. It allows us to see more clearly that all soldiers, all forces, belong only to Allah SWT. The disturbances we face do not intend to break us but to show us where we stand and to invite us to seek a deeper, more weighted calm from the Source of all peace.

This path of increasing faith through divinely sent tranquillity is a lifelong process. Each test offers a chance to build the spiritual mass of our hearts, making us like that steadfast ship, anchored by certainty and moving forward with a calm that comes only from knowing to whom all armies belong. Embracing the divine tranquillity leads to a heart that is truly, unshakably at rest.

May Allah SWT help us with our choices and guides us to the right path that leads to increased tranquility so that we may increase our faith.

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Divine Tranquility Sakinah Surah Al-Fath