4. An-Nisaa

All acts of religion, whether in the nature of prayer (salat) and alms-giving (zakat) or the propagation of God’s word or the struggle for God’s cause, have the ultimate purpose of remembering God. Their aim is to create a man who lives with the thought of God at every moment and under all situations; who fears God in moments of apprehension and longs for Him in moments of hope; who relies solely on God; whose attention is diverted towards God. If he achieves something, he believes it to be from God and if he suffers deprivation, he takes it as being God’s command. The whole of his inner existence should be lost in the majesty and grace of God. This orientation is such an important matter that, even in such critical times as war, one is directed to say one’s prayer in some form or the other so that, even though face to face with death, one may be reminded of what is of real value, to be carried along with one to the Hereafter.

Though Muslims rely entirely on God, they have been instructed to be ready with the necessary means of defence against their enemies. This is so because help from God reaches the recipient through tangible means. If the Muslims did not prepare for their defence, it would be like not taking hold of the receptacle through which God’s help could reach them. The difficulties faced by the Muslims in this world are a part of God’s scheme to create such conditions of trial as will enable Him to judge who remains steadfast and who is a reckless victimiser of his fellow men. During the struggle between truth and untruth, sometimes the believers are defeated and harmed. This causes pessimism among some of them. But in such adversities, God’s providence lies hidden; they occur so that man’s repentance will be the greater and, in turning to God, he will make himself more deserving of His benevolence.

Though Muslims rely entirely on God, they have been instructed to be ready with the necessary means of defence against their enemies. This is so because help from God reaches the recipient through tangible means. If the Muslims did not prepare for their defence, it would be like not taking hold of the receptacle through which God’s help could reach them. The difficulties faced by the Muslims in this world are a part of God’s scheme to create such conditions of trial as will enable Him to judge who remains steadfast and who is a reckless victimiser of his fellow men. During the struggle between truth and untruth, sometimes the believers are defeated and harmed. This causes pessimism among some of them. But in such adversities, God’s providence lies hidden; they occur so that man’s repentance will be the greater and, in turning to God, he will make himself more deserving of His benevolence.

Living along with others is a need felt by every human being. It is this need that creates the nation or the community. A man has his strength enhanced a thousand times by association with his own community. However, something which initially came into existence as a human need for social cohesion, gradually takes on the status of a social religion. The community or the nation becomes a goal in itself. This leads to the mentality, ‘My community right or wrong. It is my community, whether based on truth or falsehood.’ Thus people consider their own circle as important and that of others as unimportant. It is considered that a man belonging to their own circle, even if he is in the wrong, must be supported, while another associated with a different group or community, though right and justified, receives no support. A group with this mentality can be said to have taken communal expediencies and group bias as the criteria by which to judge right and wrong. On the contrary one should regard God’s command as the standard by which to make judgements. If someone errs, he must be checked without prejudice or favouritism. If someone stands for truth, he must be supported—even though associated with another group. Even in a situation where two persons are involved, one from one’s own group and the other from some other group, matters must be looked into on the basis of truth and untruth, ignoring all other considerations. One should always associate oneself with the truth.

Living along with others is a need felt by every human being. It is this need that creates the nation or the community. A man has his strength enhanced a thousand times by association with his own community. However, something which initially came into existence as a human need for social cohesion, gradually takes on the status of a social religion. The community or the nation becomes a goal in itself. This leads to the mentality, ‘My community right or wrong. It is my community, whether based on truth or falsehood.’ Thus people consider their own circle as important and that of others as unimportant. It is considered that a man belonging to their own circle, even if he is in the wrong, must be supported, while another associated with a different group or community, though right and justified, receives no support. A group with this mentality can be said to have taken communal expediencies and group bias as the criteria by which to judge right and wrong. On the contrary one should regard God’s command as the standard by which to make judgements. If someone errs, he must be checked without prejudice or favouritism. If someone stands for truth, he must be supported—even though associated with another group. Even in a situation where two persons are involved, one from one’s own group and the other from some other group, matters must be looked into on the basis of truth and untruth, ignoring all other considerations. One should always associate oneself with the truth.

Abandoning the truth is like abandoning oneself. A man is dishonest to himself before he is dishonest to someone else. This is so because, in the hearts and minds of every human being, God has implanted a conscience as His representative. Whenever any individual intends to go against the truth, he is stopped by this invisible representative of God. He has first to suppress and ignore this inner voice, and only then is it possible for him to leave the path of justice for that of injustice. All too often he lends support to some erring person due to importance having been attached to him. Social relations and expediencies lead him to turn a blind eye to the other’s misdeeds and, therefore, knowing full well that the other is not on the right path, he becomes his supporter. Refusal to distance himself from a person known to be following the path of untruth happens at the cost of distancing himself from God. When one supports untruth to seek the esteem of another human being in this world, one loses God’s company in the Hereafter.

Abandoning the truth is like abandoning oneself. A man is dishonest to himself before he is dishonest to someone else. This is so because, in the hearts and minds of every human being, God has implanted a conscience as His representative. Whenever any individual intends to go against the truth, he is stopped by this invisible representative of God. He has first to suppress and ignore this inner voice, and only then is it possible for him to leave the path of justice for that of injustice. All too often he lends support to some erring person due to importance having been attached to him. Social relations and expediencies lead him to turn a blind eye to the other’s misdeeds and, therefore, knowing full well that the other is not on the right path, he becomes his supporter. Refusal to distance himself from a person known to be following the path of untruth happens at the cost of distancing himself from God. When one supports untruth to seek the esteem of another human being in this world, one loses God’s company in the Hereafter.

This world is a place of trial. Everyone may commit mistakes here, both with regard to God as well as to His servants. When someone errs, the right course is that he should sincerely repent and seek the guidance of God, beg for His forgiveness and pray to be assisted to perform only virtuous deeds in future. One who seeks God’s shelter so sincerely, will certainly receive it from Him. By the grace of God, his religious sensibility will be sharpened and he will be enabled to live more prudently in this world. On the other hand, a person may do some wrong, but does not care to admit it; he rather attempts to justify himself. He then gathers his supporters and fights with those who simply intended to inform him of his mistake. Such arrogant, un-repentant individuals and their supporters are the worst criminals in the eyes of God. Their eloquence, used to hide their wrongs, will become meaningless, and the host of supporters, who propped up their arrogance, will be of no avail in the Hereafter.

This world is a place of trial. Everyone may commit mistakes here, both with regard to God as well as to His servants. When someone errs, the right course is that he should sincerely repent and seek the guidance of God, beg for His forgiveness and pray to be assisted to perform only virtuous deeds in future. One who seeks God’s shelter so sincerely, will certainly receive it from Him. By the grace of God, his religious sensibility will be sharpened and he will be enabled to live more prudently in this world. On the other hand, a person may do some wrong, but does not care to admit it; he rather attempts to justify himself. He then gathers his supporters and fights with those who simply intended to inform him of his mistake. Such arrogant, un-repentant individuals and their supporters are the worst criminals in the eyes of God. Their eloquence, used to hide their wrongs, will become meaningless, and the host of supporters, who propped up their arrogance, will be of no avail in the Hereafter.