Responsive Name: Esteemed Philasopher Dr.Mousavi
Date of Answer: 11 Jan 2017
We thank you for your question.
We first have to learn what faith itself means. Faith means to trust and accept religion. All that comes from the Messenger (PBUH) is called faith. Confirming the existence of the Quran, the angels and messengers is called faith. A Muslim has faith in the Oneness of God, prophethood, Wilayat, Ismat and Quran. Faith means “confessing by tongue and acting by body.” However, this is the common meaning of faith, which is accepting God, the Messenger, the Infallible Imams, the Quran, resurrection, questioning in the grave and the Nakirain (the two angels that question the dead in the grave). These are the standard states.
However, if we look beyond, we will see that the relations between two people are from faith. In other words, if people do not have faith in each other, they will not be connected. The relation between teacher and student, employee and employer, commander and follower, a husband and wife who move forward together in life, a sister and brother who are connected to each other with affection, the class, school, teacher and student, university, books and the manner of teaching all originate from faith. In other words, if faith is taken away from mankind, relations between people will be meaningless. Even when you go to the mosque for praying in congregation, the Imam (the one who leads prayers) and Ma’mun (the person who follows the Imam in prayers) are connected through faith. In other words, if faith does not exist, you will not act in such a manner.
Sometimes this faith is 1 to 2 degrees or 10 degrees. For example, there are five degrees of faith between two friends. There are seven degrees of faith between the demanding and the demanded. There are eight degrees of faith between enthusiasm and the encourager and finally ten degrees of faith between the lover and the beloved which is the highest degree. In other words, when the lover hears the name of the beloved, his body, soul, eyes, heart, blood, structure, existence, quiddity, being, essence, survival and system trembles entirely whether he desires or not. The relation between a Mu’min (believer) with God is similar to that of a lover and the beloved. When a true lover hears the name of his beloved, he instantly surrenders his entire existence to his beloved. When this happens, the heart, blood, soul, quiddity and essence start trembling.
Therefore, in response to your question that, “From what age does faith play a significant role in life?” we found out that the role of faith is beyond age and should accompany a person at all times.
In order to clarify the level of importance and greatness of faith, we shall give an example of a contemporary sociologist named Karl.
Letters were written from twenty-seven countries to Karl asking him, “What is the root of mental problems of people according to your opinion?”
He thought for a long time and printed his researches which were as follows:
“What I researched about is that I did not find any reason for mental problems or illnesses except not having faith in God.”
For instance, a person previously had a special position and many people respected him, but he no more has a position and no one respects him. If such a person believes in God, he will say, “My dear God! Tu'utī Al-Mulka Man Tashā'u Wa Tanzi`u Al-Mulka Mimman Tashā'u Wa Tu`izzu Man Tashā'u Wa Tudhillu Man Tashā'u ۖBiyadika Al-Khayru ۖ 'Innaka `Alá Kulli Shay'in Qadīrun” This kind of person is happy whether or not he has money and says, “I have only one God and He is enough for me. Did I have anything with me when I born?” All of these are the result of this material word. Therefore, faith in God always keeps humans steadfast.
Thus, Karl wrote in reply: “However much I thought, I could not find any reason for mental illnesses except not having faith in God.”
Now that you have understood the importance and value of the subject of believing in God, you should know that although humans inherently have faith, the role of parents from the beginning of childhood is very important.
When humans reach puberty, they benefit from the belief which was injected into them in their childhood. For example, if a girl who has finished nine years of age according to the lunar calendar and entered the tenth year performs a sinful act, she is guilty. Before the age of nine, her parents should nurture her, because if a father has masculinity, he will take care of his innocent girl from the age of three until she reaches her full mental power. If a mother is disciplined, she will take care of her daughter under her wings and protect her until her daughter can defend herself.
Once I studied about the basis of social science and understood when a girl who is not saturated with motherly love reaches nine years of age, any man who smiles at her will cause her to lose her Infallibility. All corrupt people of the society have appeared in this way. In fact, the dignity of women and maidens should be more delicate than the ticking of clocks. Therefore, the role of the environment and parents, especially the mother is very important in strengthening children’s future faith in God.