Faith in its proper and sincere experience is the ultimate gift in this life. One needs to make the efforts to learn its correct definition in the Quran and Sunnah (Traditions of Prophet Mohammed) and to apply both internal and external expressions related to preserving and growing the faith.
No philosophical discussion, scientific definition, historical event can define the experience and movement of faith. Each one of us experiences faith in a different way and in different circumstances, but ultimately it has the same purpose, how to please our Creator and enjoy, therefore, the peace and happiness that we seek desperately.
A close example is the love that two people can share. It is about the kind of emotion and attachment that drives one person to forget himself or herself to please the beloved, or to truly be happy for the blessings that the beloved is favored with. It is not only about passion or desire. When we transpose this to our relation with our Creator, the dimension changes form earthly to heavenly and from temporary to eternal.
Because there is nothing in this life that can compare or match the Love of Allah and rewards that await His servant when that servant struggles by His Grace to please Him.
http://path2islam.com/eng/index.php/articles/1947-love-is-an-expression-of-faith?tmpl=component&print=1#sigProId21c2cdb5b9