Difference between believing in Allah and glorifying Him:

There is a big difference between believing in Allah and glorifying Him. Iblis (the devil) for example believes in Allah:

[Iblis (Satan)] said: “By Your Might”. (38: 82)

He also said:

You created me. (38:76)

He said:

[Iblis (Satan)] said: “My Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are resurrected.” (38: 60)

Therefore, believing in Allah is one thing and glorifying Him is another. Glorifying Allah makes you obey Him, draw closer to Him, fear Him and love Him. Thus, believing in Allah through meaningless traditional belief and glorifying Him are two different things.

Actually, the main reason behind Muslims’ bad situation, weakness and defeat is their belief in Allah without glorifying Him.

In other words, people on earth believe in Allah even those who are skillfully crushing other nations, erasing other cultures, looting people’s treasures and killing other societies. Better yet, it is written on their currency “In God we trust”. Therefore, it is very easy to say, “I believe”, but glorifying Allah is the only thing which pushes you to obey Him.

Man’s success lies in glorifying Allah

That Day shall you be brought to Judgment, not a secret of you will be hidden* Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: “Take, read my Record!* “Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!”* So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing* In a lofty Paradise* The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand* Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past!* But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, will say: “I wish that I had not been given my Record!* “And that I had never known, how my Account is?* “I wish, would that it had been my end (death)!* “My wealth has not availed me* “My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me!”* (It will be said): “Seize him and fetter him* Then throw him in the blazing Fire* “Then fasten him with a chain whereof the length is seventy cubits!”* Verily, He used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great. (69:18-33)

How can one honor Allah, Allah’s Symbols, His Sacred House, knowledgeable people, the noble companions and the Prophets and the Messengers of Allah, peace be upon them? Success is not achieved by saying “I believe in Allah”, for Iblis (the devil) himself believes in Him, so success is achieved by glorifying Allah. To clarify this point, pay attention to the following verse:

O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. (33:41)

Bear in mind that the focus is not on remembering Allah, but it is on remembering Allah with much remembrance, because even the hypocrite remembers Allah. Allah the Almighty says:

…and they do not remember Allah but little. (4:142)

Glorifying Allah through His Ayat is one of the paths to reach Him:

Whenever we say “faith” we mean that one should believe in Allah The Great. Accordingly, one of the paths towards reaching Allah is glorifying Him through his Ayat:

Then in what statement after this (the Qur’an) will they believe? (77:50)

They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand. (39:67)

Believing in Allah the Great entails reflecting on the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Allah says in a sacred hadith:

O son of Adam, seek Me and you will find Me. If you find Me, you have found everything. If you have lost Me, you have lost everything, for I am most worthy of your love than anything. (Tafseer Ibn Kathir)

A scholar said: “O Lord, what has the one who found you missed? What has the one who missed you found?”

Another scholar said: “If Allah is with you, no one can defeat you, but if Allah is against you, can anyone support you?”

Reflecting on Allah’s creations is a mean of glorifying Allah:

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding* Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire. (3:190-191)

We should glorify everything Allah has glorified:

Dear brothers, Allah the Almighty says:

Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad PBUH) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful. But if they turn away, say (O Muhammad PBUH): “Allah is sufficient for me. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshiped but He), in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.” (9:128-129)

 The Prophet PBUH said Glorifying Allah:

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, be for me a support. (At-Tabarani, on the authority of Ibn Mas’ud)

Dear brothers, the following is one of the Prophetic supplications:

O Allah! I seek refuge in You against the declining of Your Favors… (Muslim and Abu Dawud, on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Umar)

We enjoy the senses such as hearing, the sight, and the taste, and we enjoy having reason, good health and the ability to move.

We seek refuge in Allah from being deprived of our health or wealth suddenly, or our hearing or sight:

…and enjoyment of our hearing, and our seeing, and our strength as long as You keep us alive, and make it the inheritor of us. (At-Tirmidhi)

Excerpted from http://nabulsi.com/en/