Yaqin (Certainty) and Social Responsibility

Introduction

One fine morning, you wake up in bed, get ready, and set out for class. Whilst on the MRT, you scroll through your social media feed, and there are countless stories about severe humanitarian crises affecting many faraway, war-torn countries. It feels like your heart was squeezed with each scroll, with nothing much you think you could do from here besides sending prayers. On other days, while you walk through the streets in touristy areas, you would see people sitting by the streets, struggling to get by every day, surviving on donations from passers-by. 

Your heart feels unsettled again, and yet again you tell yourself that there is nothing much that you can do besides giving away some money. Back home, there were some nights when you heard the soft cries of your neighbour. You do not exactly know what she is going through, but again, your heart feels unsettled. This continues for some time to the point where you think that there is nothing much that you can do anyway, so why bother in the first place? Why bother taking concern about the current state of affairs of others when there is nothing you can do? Does anything that you are doing actually matter?

This is a mundane description of the everyday experience of witnessing many social injustices, transgressions, and hardships. One becomes desensitised and loses hope over time. However, I would propose that properly embodying the concept of yaqīn would remove such hopelessness and reorient us, strengthening our iman and trust in Allah. By acquiring yaqīn, we ultimately know that our purpose in life is to serve Allah, and that entails fulfilling our social responsibility to serve His creation. Worshipping Allah comes with having yaqin that the duty includes helping others. Once we have yaqīn, it becomes easier to carry out our duties.

What is Yaqin?

Yaqīn is usually translated as ‘certainty’ or ‘conviction’ in English, but its meaning goes deeper than that. One of the scholars of Islam, Imām al-Ghazālī, also known as the Ḥujjat al-Islām (Proof of Islam), wrote extensively about yaqīn in some of his works. In his work titled al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl (Deliverance from Error), Imām al-Ghazālī explained that ʿilm al‑yaqīn (knowledge of certainty) is knowledge that is so firm that doubt cannot even be imagined. This yaqin is defined as “sure and certain knowledge is that in which the thing known is made so manifest that no doubt clings to it, nor is it accompanied by the possibility of error and deception, nor can the mind even suppose such a possibility.” In practice, this means that the believer’s conviction is not merely intellectual assent or repeating formulas; it is a state in which the reality intuited or learned becomes self‑evident to the heart and mind.

Many scholars have also written extensively on the varying degrees of yaqīn, the concept of which was found in Sūra al-Takāthur in the Holy Qurʾān. One contemporary scholar of Islamic thought, Wan Mohd Nor Wan Daud, described the varying degrees of yaqin in his book, The Educational Philosophy and Practice of Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas, as ʿilm al‑yaqīn (the certainty by knowledge), ʿayn al‑yaqīn (certainty by sight), and ḥaqq al‑yaqīn (certainty by experience). To give a simple example to clarify this: a person who learned about the existence of a banana fruit and accepts its existence has certainty by knowledge. Upon seeing the fruit, he has certainty by sight. Upon tasting and eating the fruit, that is the truth of certainty.

The Prophet ﷺ also clarified the meaning of yaqīn in one of the hadith found in Shuʿab al-Īmān of Imām al-Bayhaqī, that yaqīn is actually īmān (certitude faith) in its entirety. While īmān is the certitude belief or faith that a Muslim has with regard to matters of the religion, such as belief in Allah, the Angels, the Revelations, the Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and the Decree of Allah, be they good or bad, yaqīn represents a totality of that īmān, in its highest form.

Yaqīn, then, refers to 100% certainty, an unshakeable, unmovable belief that leaves absolutely no room for doubt to seep in and cause imbalance in the īmān a person has. It is a source of inner stability that calms the heart in the face of many external troubles, anchors ethical choices amidst social difficulties, and supplies moral courage to act for the good of oneself and others.

To understand how we can strengthen our īmān in Allah and the essential teachings of Islam until we attain yaqīn, we must return to the three levels of yaqīn explained by Imām al-Ghazālī. One needs to devote their time to learning, and this requires not only a long time but also sincerity and perseverance. That is to achieve the level of ʿilm al‑yaqīn. Afterward, a portion of time should be devoted to reflecting on what was learned, observing how this knowledge affects oneself, and noting its effects and manifestations around oneself. This is the level of ʿayn al‑yaqīn. Thereafter, with this knowledge and reflection, one needs to carry out the acts of worship, the execution of divine commandments, and staying away from prohibitions, with full sincerity and certainty that ultimately, everything is done to attain Allah’s contentment. One would realize his proper place in this world with full humility, living and striving to embody the religion in his life as much as he is able, and as much as Allah allows him to. This is the level of ḥaqq al‑yaqīn. At this level, a person not only knows the religion; they begin to live it in their dealings with others, seeing every interaction as part of their journey to Allah.

Yaqin in Practice

How does this yaqīn, of having this totality of īmān in Allah, help a person in his daily activities, especially with regard to his social responsibilities to those other than him? How does this inner conviction translate into practice?

When a person possesses proper yaqīn, his worldview gets realigned. The way he sees the world and experiences reality is reoriented, making him more conscious of Allah at every step. He knows for sure to whom He is worshipping. He is more cognisant of the commandments that come from Allah. He becomes more aware of how being a good Muslim requires him to be concerned for those around him. He is more certain than ever that there is a need to carry out the various acts of social responsibility to make the world a better place for everyone.

The people suffering from war and famine in faraway countries, the homeless man on the streets, or the neighbour crying at night—many situations like these may not be directly related to him. Yet, having īmān in Allah means he knows he is living on a shared earth with everyone else and has a duty to fulfill his social responsibilities. It is easy to look away. It requires immense effort to break free from the bystander effect and step in to help. It is perfectly human to question the state of matters, assessing our own abilities (or lack thereof) to even carry out a small act of social responsibility.

However, this does not mean that we completely let go of our efforts from the get-go. We do not give up at the first step. Having yaqīn as the main driver in carrying out our social responsibilities reorients our worldview by reaffirming the Power and Exaltedness of Allah, taking the focus away from our own abilities and placing it on Allah Himself, who is over all things, capable. We are certain that we have limitations, but because of our yaqīn in Allah, we still make the effort to alleviate the social conditions of others. 

Yaqin in Reflection

As the world currently stands today, there are plenty of things that pierce our delicate hearts and emotions. Beyond the few situational examples mentioned above, there are plenty of other social injustices that we are witnessing around us, and across the globe, faced by many groups of marginalized peoples and communities. There have been studies and extensive academic research on these communities, many of which are composed of women and children. These social injustices seem to pile up with no visible end in sight.

It is entirely valid for us to feel as if there is nothing much that we can do. It seems bleak, especially if we focus entirely on ourselves and our inability to do much more. However, yaqīn should not make us focus on ourselves; the object of focus, attention, and devotion here is to Allah alone. By having that yaqīn in Allah, we know that we would still need to carry out our social responsibilities in every way that we are able to, according to our own capacities. With full conviction, we also know and realize that it is Allah who grants us the capacity to feel for others, and it is Allah who grants us the tools and capacity to help others in need. Therefore, to do right by Allah is to carry out what Allah intended for us to do. 

Yaqīn, in practice, is to know that ultimately, it is Allah who will manifest the results of us carrying out our social responsibilities, in a time that He chooses and in a manner that He is pleased with. It allows the believer to act with hope, patience, and trust, knowing that Allah sees every effort and benefits from it in ways a believer may not immediately see. This is what keeps the believer going, even when the newsfeed is heavy and the world seems unchanging.

Bibliography

At-Takathur. (n.d.). Quran.Com. Retrieved 27 May 2026, from https://quran.com/at-takathur 

Justin, P. (2025). Ibn Mas’ud on Conviction: Patience half of faith, certainty all of faith. Daily Hadith Online. https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2015/03/07/sabr-iman-yaqin/ 

McCarthy, R. J. (Trans.). (1980). Freedom and fulfillment: An annotated translation of Al-Ghazālī’s al-Munqidh min al-Dalāl and other relevant works of al-Ghazālī. Twayne Publishers.

Wan Mohd Nor, W. D. (1998). The educational philosophy and practice of Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas: An exposition of the original concept of islamization. International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization.