الموضوع: ANSWERS FROM THE QUR'AN For Newcomers to Islam

CONTENTS Foreword Introduction


Answer to the "If religion is between Allah and His servant, why do we communicate religious moral values to other people?"


Answer to the "Religion is only a part of life. So, why do people need to live by the Qur'an's values in all aspects of life?"


Answer to the "Does the Qur'an, which was revealed in seventh-century Arabia, address today's needs?"


Answer to the "I already have a sound heart"


Answer to the "I am still young. I will become religious when I am old."


Answer to the "What do you expect from me after I embrace the Qur'an's morality?"

Answer to those who ask "Why do Muslims show great love for and interest in those people
with whom they have only recently become acquainted?"


Answer to the "Might some of the negative news spread about believers be true?"


Answer to the "If the Qur'an's morality promises such a good and perfect structure,
then why does it have so many enemies?"
Answer to "Is everyone other than you wrong?"
Answer to the "Do believers always have to be together, or can they live by the religion on their
own?"


Answer to the question: "Is there any class discrimination in Islam? Are people defined
according their wealth, status, and beauty? Do believers convey the message only to a particular section of society?"
Answer to the question: "Is possessing power, wealth and grandeur incompatible with the essence of Islam?"
Answer to the question: "Do new Muslims have to abandon their former pleasures and activities?"
Answer to those who ask "Once people embrace faith, can they still befriend the people with whom they used to associate?"
Answer to those who say "I want to live as a Muslim, but I am worried about my family's and my circle's reactions."
"Am I responsible for my previous actions after I start to live by Islam?"
Answer to the "I want to live by the religion,but I cannot find the internal strength to do so." Conclusion: Being able to say: "We hear and obey."
Appendix: The deception of evolution
Every time they come to you with an argument, We bring you the truth and
the best of explanations. (Surat al-Furqan, 33)

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http://www.smashwords.com/books/down...-the-quran.pdf

Answer to the "If religion is between Allah and His servant, why do we communicate religious moral values to other people?"
In the Qur'an, Allah commands Muslims to enjoin the good and remind people of the truth. Those believers who are aware of an
unbeliever's vulnerability or of a new believer who does not practice religious


morality correctly, feel responsible and therefore warn that person. All conscientious believers are told to
give such warnings and admonitions with compassion and kind words. The Qur'an refers to this as "enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong." Allah's Messenger (pbuh), called attention to the same issue by saying: "By Him in Whose hands my soul lies, you should enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, otherwise He (Allah) will descend punishment upon you, and then you will ask Him but your supplications will never be answered.” (Tirmidhi)
Similar to other acts of worship (e.g., prayer, fasting, or giving alms) specified in the Qur'an, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is a religious obligation for every Muslim, and fulfilling it is one
of the believers' basic attributes, for:
The male and female believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, perform prayer and pay alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 71)
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 114)
Those who repent, those who worship, those who praise, those who fast, those who bow, those
who prostrate, those who command the right, those who forbid the wrong, and those who preserve the limits of Allah: give good news to the believers. (Surat at-Tawba, 112)
In another verse, Allah informs us that attaining salvation is associated with enjoining good and forbidding evil:
Let there be a community among you who call to the good, enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success. (Surah Al 'Imran, 104)
No Muslim is entirely irreproachable, for all Muslims can sin or make mistakes. Making mistakes out of ignorance, forgetfulness, or giving in to one's lower-self is a means to attain perfected faith and spiritual
maturity. However, what distinguishes believers from unbelievers in this matter is that once believers recognize their mistakes, they abandon them and adopt what is right. This is revealed in the Qur'an, as
follows:
Those who, when they act indecently or wrong themselves, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their bad actions [and who can forgive bad actions except Allah?] and do not knowingly persist in what they
were doing. (Surah Al 'Imran, 135)
Therefore, it is incumbent upon Muslims to advise other Muslims to abandon their mistakes or wrong actions. When a believer's rationale or attitude reveals any degree of incompatibility with the Qur'an, other believers must remind him or her of the truth immediately. This is a very important service that one believer can offer another.
As this explanation suggests, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is one of the major acts of worship in Islam. This way Muslims will purify themselves of all their mistakes, attain the perfection of faith described in the Qur'an, and thereby will hope to draw nearer to Allah. For this reason, Allah praises the compassionate believers who duly fulfill this act of worship in the following terms:
You are the best nation ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 110)
Among those We have created is a community who guides by the Truth and acts justly according to it. (Surat al-A'raf, 181)
The scope of enjoining good and forbidding evil is quite broad, for communicating Islam's message to people who are far from the Qur'anic morality, summoning them to live by the values of true religion, and
describing the Qur'an's values are essential acts of worship. Inviting people to the true path has been one of the major responsibilities of all Prophets and their followers. As the Qur'an tells us, the Prophets devoted
their lives to carrying out this act of worship by inviting people to the truth and never yielding to any difficulty. The Qur'an quotes Prophet Nuh (Noah) (pbuh), as follows:
He said: "My Lord, I have called my people night and day, but my calling has only made them more evasive. Indeed, every time I called them to Your forgiveness, they put their fingers in their ears, wrapped themselves up in their clothes, and were overweeningly arrogant. Then I called them openly. Then I addressed them publicly and addressed them privately." (Surah Nuh, 5-9)
As stated in the Qur'an, there is no compulsion or oppression in religion, for faith is a matter of conscience that is left to people's preference after they have been provided with all of the relevant evidence and explanations. Those who convey this information have done their duty, and in no way will be held accountable if the people reject faith. Many verses relate this fact, among them the following:
We are only responsible for clear transmission. (Surah Ya Sin, 17)
So remind them! You are only a reminder. You are not in control of them. (Surat al-Ghashiyya,
21-22)


Our Prophet (pbuh) has said that there is no compulsion in Islam and that religion is well wishing.
“It is narrated on the authority of Tamim ad-Dari that the Messenger of Allah (may Sall Allahu alaihi
wa Aalihi wa Sallim) observed: Al-Din is a name of sincerity and well wishing.” (Sahih Muslim, The Book of Faith (Kitab Al-Iman) Chapter 24, Book 1, No.0098)
Calling people to Islam and conveying the Qur'an's message do not interfere with humanity's bond with Allah. On the contrary, conveying the message is a religious obligation that makes it possible for all
people to become informed of Islam's values and observe Allah's orders and prohibitions.

Answer to the "Religion is only a part of life. So, why do people need to live by the Qur'an's values in all aspects of life?"


Religious morality is not just one part of life; rather, it encompasses and regulates all aspects of it and offers well-being and goodness to its every moment. Naturally, with the word "religion", what is referred to is
Islam, the true religion.


Muslims spend 24 hours a day in a manner that will be pleasing to Allah. When rising in the morning, eating, working, going to school, engaging in business or shopping, they abide by the moral values of the Qur'an commanded by Allah and strictly avoid any behavior which will not be pleasing to Him. The moral values of Islam cover not just part of life, but all of it, and even beyond.
Advocating an un-Islamic suggestion means accepting some parts of the Qur'an and disregarding the rest. Rejecting some part of the Qur'an, however, means rejecting the entire book, for:
Do you, then, believe in one part of the Book and reject the other? What repayment will there be for any of you who do that, except disgrace in the world? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will
be driven off to the harshest of punishments. Allah is not unaware of what you do. Those are the people who trade the Hereafter for this world. The punishment will not be lightened for them. They will not
be helped. (Surat al-Baqara, 85-86)
The religious morality described in the Qur'an has no room for any doubts or unfounded concerns, given that it relies on having faith in Allah, which is displayed through each believer's unconditional
submission to Him and scrupulous observance of His commands and prohibitions. This unique attribute is
related in many verses, some of which are given below:
The believers are only those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and then have had no doubt, and have struggled with their wealth and their selves in the Way of Allah. They are the ones
who are true to their word. (Surat al-Hujurat, 15)
Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-A'nam, 162)
… There are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah, the performance of prayers, and the payment of alms;
fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Surat an-Nur, 36-37)
As these verses make clear, Muslims truly devote themselves to Allah by making it their sole goal to earn Allah's good pleasure at every instant of life, by seeking the goodness in everything that happens, and
pondering about the Hereafter. The Qur'an refers to these Muslims, as follows:
Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191)
We purified their sincerity through sincere remembrance of the Abode. (Surah Sâd, 46)
People who have no faith may not be able to understand such a noble morality, submission to Allah and deep faith. According to their materialistic and false point of view, since death is a disappearance once
and for all, one needs to make the most of this life. For those people who nurture such a distorted outlook,
every moment that does not bring them pleasure is a loss.
On the other hand, some people who claim to have faith but has not comprehended what deep faith is, may also claim falsely that religion covers only a minor part of life. According to the false point of view
of these people, it is not possible for a person to seek the approval of Allah in every minute of his life. These
people spread their distorted ideas and try to guide people to a weak and superficial faith.
Allah warns believers against the lies of such people:
Among the people is someone whose words about the life of the world excite your admiration, and he calls Allah to witness what is in his heart, while he is in fact the most hostile of adversaries. (Surat al-Baqara, 204)
These people's corrupted outlook on life manifests itself in such ignorant phrases as "Religion is important, but it should be limited to certain aspects of life" or "Do not ponder deeply about religion, or you
may lose your mind." They turn their faces and act arrogantly when reminded of the Qur'an's morality. Allah
explains the situation of such people, as follows:
But there are some people who trade in distracting tales to guide people away from Allah's
Way, knowing nothing about it and to make a mockery of it. Such people will have a humiliating punishment. When Our Signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So give him news of a painful punishment. (Surah Luqman, 6-7)
The Qur'an refers to such people as hypocrites, for they are assumed to have an Islamic identity, although they have nothing to do with Islam. Moreover, as they are aware of this fact, they act in ways that do not violate social norms and customs in order to avoid hostile reactions and to persuade people to follow their examples.
By claiming that they have faith, hypocrites seek to maintain their worldly interests. Furthermore, through distorted explanations, they try to alienate other people from the essence of Islam and the Qur'an. Their ultimate aim is to eliminate the people of sincere faith, who are likely to stir up pangs of conscience in them, for:
Among the people are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves, but they are not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts, and Allah has increased
their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial. When they are told: "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say: We are only putting things right." No indeed! They are the
corrupters, but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-12)
Rather than Allah, these people take their whims and desires as their deities and serve them. The


Qur'an relates this situation, as follows:
Have you seen him who has taken his whims and desires to be his deity? Will you then be his guardian? Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan, 43-44)
Hypocrites will surely gain nothing by assuming that they can deceive Allah and believers by professing belief and then concealing their efforts to harm believers and to divert them from the right path.
The Qur'an informs us that their punishment will be even more severe than that of the unbelievers, atheists,
and irreligious people, for they say lies in the name of Allah and show hypocrisy, insincerity, and dishonesty:
The hypocrites are in the lowest level of the Fire. You will not find any one to help them. (Surat an-Nisa', 145)

nswer to the "Does the Qur'an, which was revealed in seventh-century Arabia, address today's needs?"


Some biased people who do not appeal to their wisdom and conscience frequently repeat their heretical ideas regarding that the Qur'an addresses the Arab community of 1400 years ago and that it would
not be acceptable for today's societies. However, Qur'an is the last holy book which Allah sent down to every people who lived on earth since our Prophet's (pbuh) time and will live in future.
Qur'an is the word of Allah, it is protected and has not been distorted. One of the many proofs of this fact is the miracles in the Qur'an. The scientific, mathematical and historical miracles in the Qur'an prove that
it is the word of Allah.
Those who have doubts about the Qur'an, despite these facts, are referred to as follows:
If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our servant, produce another sura equal to it, and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth. If you do not do that—and you will not do it—then fear the Fire whose fuel is people and stones, made ready for the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 23-24)
People who read the Qur'an with an open mind recognize that the kind of people and societies described therein have existed throughout history as well as in our day. The Qur'an gives an account of all of the wrongs, misdeeds, and distortions committed by those societies that are far from religious morality. Their reactions to Allah's message and the detailed character descriptions instruct us today, which are further indications that the Qur'an addresses all times and all people. Those who are committed to reading the Qur'an and to living by it will witness, with an ever-deepening faith, that it permeates their lives, for the Qur'an gives a detailed account of what events they will face and the ideal behaviors expected of them.
In the Qur'an, the unreasonable judgments and fallacies against the Qur'an are referred as lack of comprehension unique to unbelievers. As the Qur'an informs us, unbelievers who lived thousands of years
ago also referred with their simple minds to religion as "myths and legends of previous peoples" (Surat an-
Nahl, 24) In the same manner, unbelievers who lived at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), asked him ignorantly to amend certain parts of the Qur'an. As we read:
When Our Clear Signs are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say: "Bring a
Qur'an other than this one or change it." Say: "It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow nothing except what is revealed to me. I fear, were I to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a Dreadful
Day." (Surah Yunus, 15)
The unbelievers to whom the above verse refers were living at the Prophet's (pbuh) time and actually witnessed the Qur'an's revelation. They objected only because adhering to the Qur'an's morality would, in their opinion, harm their interests.
Today, some people with similar reasons oppose the morality and the lifestyle introduced by Islam, even though in their conscience they know that the Qur'an is the truth. However, their struggle against Qur'an,
their slanders and false claims are all futile efforts, for in compliance with "We have sent down the
Reminder, and We will preserve it," (Surat al-Hijr, 9) each letter of the Qur'an is preserved exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Qur'an is Allah's final message to humanity, and so divine revelation has ceased. Thus, the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) are —and will remain— the only way to salvation for the rest of time.

Answer to the "I already have a sound heart"
We are informed in the Qur'an that Allah considers people's hearts, as He reveals in "But only he
[will prosper] who brings to Allah a sound heart." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 89)


But the Qur'an's concept of a "sound heart" is not the pureness of heart that some people understand it to be. People who believe themselves to possess moral excellence because "they do not mean any harm to people" or "now and then they help the needy" only deceive themselves, for the Qur'an defines a sound heart as turning to and submitting fully to Allah, having fear and love of Allah as much as one can and a sincere faith. Some people are believed to have a sound heart because they feed stray dogs, smile at neighbors, or sometimes help the needy. And of course these are good morals. But being saved from Hell and earning Allah's good pleasure and mercy require far more than being known as a "good person": One must be the type of believer described in the Qur'an. Allah reveals in the Qur'an:
Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and looking after the Masjid al-Haram the same as believing in Allah and the Last Day and struggling in the Way of Allah? They are not equal in the sight of Allah. Allah does not guide wrongdoing people. (Surat at-Tawba, 19)
It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets,
and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives, to orphans and the very poor, to travellers and beggars, to set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have taqwa [consciousness of Allah]. (Surat al-Baqara, 177)
People with sound hearts, in the Qur'anic sense, have faith in Allah, observe the limits and prohibitions that He has established, and submit to Him fully. In the Islamic sense, there is no other form of a
sound heart, for the Qur'an defines a person with a sound heart as someone who constantly brings Allah to
mind and feels at peace with His remembrance. The following verse makes this quite clear:
Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 28)
In another verse, Allah describes believers as those "whose hearts quake at the mention of Allah"
(Surat al-Hajj, 35). In yet another verse, He states: "Has the time not arrived for the hearts of those who believe to yield to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth He has sent down?" (Surat al-Hadid, 16)
This sensitivity of the heart is one of the main characteristics of a believer what enables him to derive pleasure from the Qur'an's morality and to feel a great pleasure and peace in obeying Allah. Allah describes
this sensitivity as "Allah's guidance":
Allah has sent down the Supreme Discourse, a Book consistent in its frequent repetitions. The skins of those who fear their Lord tremble at it, and then their skins and hearts yield softly to the
remembrance of Allah. That is Allah's guidance, by which He guides whoever He wills... (Surat az-
Zumar, 23)
Consequently, a sound heart in the Islamic context means a heart that is purified from all forms of impurity that draw one away from Allah. Such people stay away from worldly greed, selfishness, fears, and
insecurity. As a result, they do not become attached to any person or thing other than Allah or feel a type of
love for them that is independent of Allah.
Those who claim to have a pure heart and thus falsely consider it unimportant to comply with Islamic principles may assume that they deceive Allah and believers. But in fact, they only deceive themselves, and
their self-proclaimed pure heart only indicates the insincerity of a person who avoids fulfilling his or her
religious acts of worship and presents a flawed way of life as Islam. Such insincerity is not accepted either in
Allah's sight or in the eyes of Muslims.

Answer to the "I am still young. I will become religious when I am old."
Indifference and apathy, two features that mark today's lifestyle of the societies which are ignorant of religion, influence some people's understanding of religion.. According to a prevalent false understanding based upon people's observations of daily life, Islam is the religion of elderly people who come together
every now and then to pray. Therefore, they falsely consider religion to be a means of relief and tranquility when faced with grief and trouble, or when close to death. According to this distorted outlook, adhering to
religion while still young and when one can make the most of life is not accepted. Under the influence of
such thinking, those who still hold religious beliefs and respect religion should postpone living by it until they are old.
Without a doubt, this understanding is very wrong. First of all, the true Islam described in the Qur'an is not a religion only for elderly people; on the contrary, it is a well-being and salvation for everyone who is
able to distinguish right from wrong.
Furthermore, mostly elderly people experience physical weakness and sicknesses. Whereasyouth is one of Allah's greatest blessings. It would be a great display of disrespect to turn away from Him at a time
when people are at their mental and physical peaks. If people do not undertake their responsibilities of
enjoining good and forbidding evil, communicating Allah's message, and glorifying Him when they are young, strong, and healthy, how can they accomplish such duties when they are old and weak?
In fact, Allah praises the young people of faith who submit to Him wholeheartedly, as the verses below indicate:
When the youths took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the
cave for a number of years. Then We woke them up again so that we might see which of the two groups
would better calculate the time they had stayed there. We will relate their story to you with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. We fortified their hearts when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and Earth, and We will not call upon any deity apart from Him. We would, in that case, have uttered an abomination." (Surat al- Kahf, 10-14)
During the time of Prophet Musa (Moses) (pbuh), only a small group of young people followed him:
No one believed in Musa, except [some] offspring [i.e., youths] among his people, out of fear that Pharaoh and the elders would persecute them. Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land. He was one of the profligate. (Surah Yunus, 83)
Many of the Prophets undertook this important duty when they were young. Prophet Ibrahim
(Abraham) (pbuh), one of these noble men who intellectually struggled against his idolatrous people, earned a reputation among them. Indeed, the prominent people of his tribe said: "We heard a young man
mentioning them (our deities). They call him Ibrahim." (Surah al-Anbiya', 60)
According to the Qur'an people are liable for living according to religious morals after they gain consciousness and attain mental maturity. As nothing can guarantee another five minutes of life to a person,
how can someone decide to lead a life far from religious morality while young and then fulfill his or her
religious obligations when old? Noone has guaranteed that he or she will live so long. As stated in the Qur'an:
Truly Allah has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and knows what is in the womb. And no self knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah
is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)
Do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the night, while they are asleep? Or do the people of the cities feel secure against Our violent force coming down on them in the day, while they are playing games? Do they feel secure against Allah's devising? No one feels secure against Allah's devising except those who are lost. (Surat al-Araf, 97-99)
The Qur'an describes the grievous end of those who turn a blind ear to Allah's call when they are young, strong, and healthy in the following verses:
On the Day when legs are bared and they are called upon to prostrate, they will not be able to do so. Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement, for they were called upon to prostrate
when they were in full possession of their faculties. (Surat al-A'raf, 42-43)
Some people hold a superstitious belief that they can make the most of life when young and then repent before death. Clearly, this mistaken idea stems from a lack of knowledge and a lifestyle that is far from
religious morality, for it is sheer insincerity toward Allah. Actually, this is the same as saying: "I can commit
all forms of sins, engage in any evil, or transgress Allah's limits and then, toward the end of my life, repent and attain the afterlife." But Allah, Who knows what is concealed in hearts, informs us that such an insincere mentality can never succeed and that He will never accept the repentance of such people, for:
There is no repentance for people who persist in doing evil until death comes to them and who then say: "Now I repent," nor for people who die as unbelievers. We have prepared for them a painful
punishment. (Surat an-Nisa', 18)
Those who are devoid of such wisdom and thus fail to appreciate the extent of Allah's knowledge take it for granted that once they repent, Allah will forgive them and let them enter Paradise. They assume that they can deceive Allah, just as they deceive people in this life. Yet such people only deceive themselves
and eventually fall into a desperate situation. At an unexpected time, death will seize them and start them on a journey that has no end. Meanwhile, they still maintain that stealthy mentality. This impudent yet desperate
struggle is related in the Qur'an, as follows:
If only you could see the evildoers hanging their heads in shame before their Lord: "Our Lord, we have seen and we have heard, so send us back again and we will act rightly. Truly we now have certainty." [Allah replies:] "Had We so willed, We could have given guidance to everyone, but now My Words are shown to be true: that I shall fill up Hell entirely with jinn and human beings. So taste it. Because you forgot the meeting of this Day, We have forgotten you. Taste the punishment of eternal timelessness for what you did." (Surat as-Sajda, 12-14)
When death comes to one of them, he says: "My Lord, send me back again so that perhaps I may act rightly regarding the things I failed to do!" No indeed! It is just words he utters. Before them there is a barrier until the Day they are raised up. (Surat al-Muminun, 99-100)
In the Qur'an, Allah provides guidance to believers so that they can avoid such an irreversible and irrecoverable end:
Give from what We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says: "My
Lord, if only you would give me a little more time so that I can give alms and be one of the righteous!" Allah will not give anyone more time, once their time has come. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat
al-Munafiqun, 10-11)
O you who believe, heed Allah the way He should be heeded and do not die except as Muslims. (Surah Al 'Imran, 102)
O you who believe, heed Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. Heed Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hashr, 18)
A close look at these verses reveal that the attitude that we have been discussing is not based upon the utter denial of Allah, but upon the failure to appreciate Him with the appreciation due to Him. In other
words, those who employ this attitude fail to heed Allah and observe the limits that He has set as one should. People may accept Allah's being; however, being aware of His infinite power, wisdom, knowledge, as well as
acknowledging that He controls all affairs at every moment, that no one is guaranteed security against His punishment, is wholly a different thing. Satan has firm faith in Allah's being, yet rebels against Him in
heedlessness. The Qur'an refers to those who accept Allah's being and yet fail to appreciate Him with the appreciation due to Him and become rebellious, as follows:
Say: "Who provides for you out of heaven and Earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?"
They will say: "Allah." Say: "So will you not then do your duty?" That is Allah, your Lord, the Truth, and what is there after truth except misguidance? So how have you been distracted? In that way the
Word of your Lord is realized against those who are deviators, in that they do not believe. (Surah
Yunus, 31-33)
If you asked them who created them, they would say: "Allah!" So how have they been perverted? (Surat az-Zukhruf, 87)

Answer to those who ask "Why do Muslims show great love for and interest in those people with whom they have only recently become acquainted?"
Love is not an emotion that one can attain by one's own willpower or something acquired by force;
rather, Allah inspires it in one's heart. A believer does not need to possess sublime attributes or distinctive abilities to feel affection for someone else. A person of faith recognizes the beautiful things created by Allah, down to their most delicate features, and so can see a person's good and beautiful aspects, as well as his or her unrevealed features, more clearly and rapidly and therefore behaves accordingly.
Believers may show affection to someone who has not adopted the Islamic way of living, for some features that comply with the Qur'an's morality in that person (e.g., naturalness, sincerity, cleanliness, intelligence, beauty, intimacy, and sympathy) may arouse a natural affection in their hearts. That person may also have attributes of good character, although he or she is not fully aware of them. All of these characteristics are sufficient to develop a sincere affection for that person, for they are, in actuality, beauties created by Allah. For this reason, such affection is not directed toward that person; rather, it is directed toward Allah.
Allah inspires a profound love of beauty in all believers' hearts. While mentioning Prophet Yahya
(John) (pbuh), Allah states: "We gave him [Yahya] ... tenderness [for all creatures] and purity from Us." (Surah Maryam, 13) All believers who follow in the footsteps of the Prophets feel this tenderness for all creatures. In fact, Allah states: "As for those who believe and do right actions, the All-Merciful will bestow His love upon them." (Surah Maryam, 96) As an expression of this love, believers always honor other people and avoid offending or dishonoring them in any way. In brief, believers do not behave in an insincere or artificial manner with others. Provided that a person is sincere, his or her pursuit of the right path and curiosity indicate consciousness, which is a positive attribute. Even a person's frank inquiry about Islam, one that is divorced from any prejudice or ill intentions, is sufficient to earn the believers' sympathy.
Meanwhile, believers do not pretend to love somebody if they really feel no love for that person in their hearts. They do not show love superficially and unwillingly to people who is not worthy of love. Under the guise of love, some people who are ignorant of religion establish bonds with people based upon mutual interests that are not always of a material nature. Provided that the person in question somehow satisfies that person's ego, this bond may turn into a habitual relation. The complicated emotions arising from benefits,
habits and egoistic dependence differ greatly from the mutual love and interest among believers. Such relations are based upon mundane interests and therefore are doomed to failure, as the verse below states:
And he [Ibrahim] said: "For you, you have taken (for worship) idols besides Allah, out of mutual love and regard between yourselves in this life. But on the Day of Judgment you shall disown
each other and curse each other. Your abode will be the Fire, and you shall have none to help." (Surat al-'Ankabut, 25)
The major feelings that impede love are pride and jealousy. These feelings, which are prevalent among societies ignorant of religion, often hinder people from seeing the good attributes in others and from
taking pleasure from them. But those who have faith, and thereby are free of jealousy and pride, find it easy to appreciate and praise people's good characteristics, all of which they attribute to Allah.
For this reason, those who have only recently become acquainted with believers will notice that they have entered an environment that is quite different from the one to which they are accustomed. While they
were accustomed to mostly impolite, indecent, rude, insensitive, derisive, insincere, self-seeking, and hypocritical people, they now find themselves surrounded by people who notice their good characteristics, (of
which even they might be unaware), and who judge them according to these favorable traits. However, they have to be aware of the importance of this blessing from Allah and have to thank Allah for granting them this
true sincerity, friendship, love and trust which they cannot see in the societies ignorant of religion.

Answer to the "Might some of the negative news spread about believers be true?"


In compliance with the verse "Am I to desire someone other than Allah as a judge, when it is He
Who has sent down the Book to you clarifying everything?" (Surat al-An'am, 114) believers resort to Allah's judgment for every issue. This also holds true for how they judge the news they gather from unbelievers. The Qur'an sets the related criteria, as follows:
O you who believe, if a deviator brings you a report, scrutinize it carefully in case you attack people in ignorance and so come to greatly regret what you have done. (Surat al-Hujurat, 6)
In the Qur'an, Allah states that only believers are reliable and trustworthy people. The words and
behaviours of the "deviators," who disregards Allah's commands, has gone astray in belief, and has rebelled against Allah, are not reliable. As we learn from the above verse, Allah commands believers to scrutinize the news brought by such people. This being the case, believers must not believe immediately in such news and must be cautious, especially if such news seems to be built upon lies or slander.
A more important aspect of this issue is that throughout history, all believers have been subjected to slanderous accusations. The Qur'an relates, when discussing the lives of the Prophets, how many members of the society's elite class resorted to lowly forms of slander against them. All communities of believers have experienced such reactions from unbelievers. In this sense, we can say that these reactions are indicative of the person involved being a true believer.
There is another interesting feature of such assaults against believers. The leading unbelievers never say openly: "We do not believe in Allah and are against believers who summon to Allah's way." On the
contrary, they proclaim their belief in Allah and consider themselves to be on the right path. Meanwhile, they
falsely claim that believers are not on the right path and that they abuse Allah's religion to gain mundane interests. The Qur'an provides a detailed account of such slanders, as follows: Prophet Musa (pbuh) and his brother Prophet Harun (Aaron) (pbuh) were said to "gain greatness in the land;" (Surah Yunus, 78) Prophet Nuh (pbuh) was accused of "wanting to gain ascendancy," (Surat al-Muminun, 24) and was said to be "possessed;" (Surat al-Muminun, 25) Prophet Salih (pbuh) sent to the Thamud was accused of being a "liar and an insolent person;" (Surat al-Qamar:25) and Prophet Musa (pbuh) and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were called "insane" (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 27 and Surat al-Hijr, 6). Many Prophets were called "sorcerers," (Surah Yunus, 2 and Surah Sâd, 4) and Pharaoh called Prophet Musa (pbuh) "a magician or a madman." (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 38-39) Being a "liar" is another slander made up against believers throughout history. (Surat al-A'raf, 66 and Surah Hud, 27) By all means these are baseless slanders produced by the corrupted minds of some of the unbelievers. Surely, all the prophets and muslims are beyond all such slanders.
History shows that such slander has always been hurled against believers in an attempt to blacken their names and to cause people to doubt their words. For this reason, upon hearing such slander, lies, or
negative news about those who have faith in Allah, people who are unaware of the truth have to think
positively
By providing an event as an example, Allah warns Muslims not to be deceived when faced with such situations. The Qur'an clarifies the correct attitude that believers should assume when confronted with a slander made up against one of the Prophet's (pbuh) wives in the following verse:
Why, when you heard it, did you not, as believing men and women, instinctively think good thoughts and say: "This is obviously a lie?" (Surat an-Nur, 12)

Answer to the "If the Qur'an's morality promises such a good and perfect structure, then why does it have so many enemies?"


The Qur'an brings the easiest and most comfortable lifestyle, one that encompasses the most perfect moral and social structure. The essence of religious morality relies on a heartfelt submission to Allah,
scrupulous obedience to His commands, and awareness that He holds everything in His will and control. For this reason, no matter how perfect a lifestyle abounding with beauties, ease, and blessings Islamic morality
presents to humanity, those suffering from such personality disorders as arrogance, jealousy, and pride do not come close to having faith in Allah and being with believers, although their conscience tells them to do so.
This situation is related in the Qur'an, as follows:
… and they repudiated them [Allah's Signs] wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them. See the final fate of the corrupters. (Surat an-Naml, 14)
When he is told to heed Allah, he is seized by pride that drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be
enough for him! What an evil resting-place! (Surat al-Baqara, 206)
Such a distorted view is defined in the Qur'an as "idolatry" and it is revealed that these people feel rage and hatred when summoned to Allah and living by the Qur'anic morality:
When they are told to prostrate to the All-Merciful, they ask: "And what is the All-Merciful?
Are we to prostrate to something you command us to?" And it merely makes them run away all the more. (Surat al-Furqan, 60)
The unbelievers' rage and hatred for Allah's verses, and thereby for Islam and all believers, is revealed in many other verses as well, such as the following:
Allah sent back those who were unbelievers in their rage without their achieving any good at
all. Allah saved the believers from having to fight. Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Ahzab, 25) When Allah is mentioned on His own, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter
shrink back shuddering. But when others apart from Him are mentioned, they jump for joy. (Surat az-
Zumar, 45)
This rage and hatred stemming from the unbelievers' arrogance and pride appears in the form of a relentless opposition toward believers. These people, who feel restless even in the presence of a single true
believer, strive in their foolishness to divert believers from the right path and to impose upon them their own
ignorant system. They hope for the worst for believers and wish that all adversities will befall them. Of course none of these happen to the true belivers, as Allah creats the believers with triumph and victory from the very beginning. The Qur'an tells about these vain efforts of the unbelievers, as follows:
O you who believe, do not take any outside yourselves as intimates. They will do anything to harm you. They love what causes you distress. Hatred has appeared out of their mouths, but what their
breasts hide is far worse. We have made the Signs clear to you, if you use your intellect. (Surah Al
'Imran, 118)
If something good happens to you, it galls them. If something bad strikes you, they rejoice at it. But if you are steadfast and do your duty, their scheming will not harm you in any way. Allah
encompasses what they do. (Surah Al 'Imran, 120)
If they come upon you, they will be your enemies and stretch out their hands and tongues against you with evil intent. They would dearly love you to become unbelievers. (Surat al-Mumtahana,
2)
It is obvious that some interest groups would feel uneasy at the establishment of a system based upon the Qur'an's morality. Those who make money on theft, usury, poverty, and by exploiting innocent people; those who abuse certain positions and ranks for their personal benefit although they lack the necessary expertise, knowledge, and experience essential for those positions; those who have adopted indecency and immorality as a lifestyle or profession; or those who serve some distorted ideologies are naturally unwilling
to embrace the lifestyle brought by Islam—one that is based upon social justice, honesty, and equality. For this reason, they may resort to anything to hinder and even annihilate the spread of Islam's moral system.
Apart from this, some of the hypocrites we mentioned earlier join the believers' community in order to provoke unbelievers against believers, to collect information about them, and to instigate restlessness.
They make a great effort witlessly to stir up sedition and distort religious commands, as the following verses state:
Among the people are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," when they are not believers. They think that they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but
themselves, but they are not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts, and Allah has increased
their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial. When they are told: "Do not cause corruption in the land," they say: "We are only putting things right." No indeed! They are
the corrupters, but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-12)
Hypocrites continue their stealthy struggle against believers by cooperating with unbelievers. The Qur'an provides a detailed account of their personality and character traits, as well as the way they look, speak, and act. Allah sent down Surat al-Munafiqun (Chapter of the Hypocrites), which is addressed especially to hypocrites. In this chapter, He states that they are truly the enemies of believers:
They are the enemies, so beware of them. The curse of Allah be upon them! How they are deluded [away from the Truth]! (Surat al-Munafiqun, 4)
Wrapped up in jealousy, these hypocrites follow the ever-growing blessings, power, authority, and beauty granted to believers. These people, consumed with their own inferiority complexes, are jealous of the
respect shown to believers and thus feel rage and hatred against them. However, they also fear believers. The
Qur'an reveals some of the hypocrites' character traits, as follows:
When they meet you, they say: "We believe." But when they leave, they bite their fingers out of rage against you. Say: "Die in your rage." Allah knows what your hearts contain. (Surah Al 'Imran,
119)
They swear by Allah that they are of your number, but they are not of your number. Rather, they are people who are scared. (Surat at-Tawba, 56)
The Qur'an informs us that people who are ignorant of religion have shown these reactions and attacked the Prophets and believers in all ages. It is the unbelieving society's leaders who first recognize true
believers. For example, Pharaoh first recognized Prophet Musa (pbuh) and Nimrod first recognized Prophet
Ibrahim (pbuh). All Prophets spent their lives struggling against unbelief and its leaders, for this immutable law of Allah applies to all ages:
In this way, We have assigned to every Prophet an enemy from among the evildoers. But your
Lord is a sufficient guide and helper. (Surat al-Furqan, 31)
Consequently, according to the Qur'an, the existence of such opponents, slanders, lies and plots against the believers is one of the most substantial pieces of evidence of the believers' righteousness and sincerity.
Meanwhile, one point deserves special mention: No one can attempt such an act without Allah's will. In all ages, Allah creates various settings of struggle between believers and unbelievers in order to test the
believers' patience and trust in Him, to raise them in rank, to show His help to them and the superiority of
faith over unbelief, to give believers their Reminder, to disgrace unbelievers, and to reveal the hypocrites' true faces and the sickness in their hearts. Allah promises that whatever happens, His help is always with true believers and that they will always prevail, provided that they adopt and display the attributes of moral perfection described in the Qur'an. Allah informs believers that they will absolutely be the "uppermost," for:
Do not give up and do not be downhearted. You shall be uppermost if you are believers. (Surah
Al 'Imran, 139)
Allah will not give the disbelievers any way against the believers. (Surat an-Nisa', 141)
As for those who make Allah their friend, and His Messenger and those who believe: it is the party of Allah who is victorious! (Surat al-Maida, 56)
Our Word was given before to Our servants, the Messengers, that they would certainly be
helped. It is Our army that will be victorious. (Surat as-Saffat, 171-173)
Allah has written: "I will be victorious, I and My Messengers." Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadala, 21)

Answer to "Is everyone other than you wrong?"
Those who raise such a question most probably think there are various ideologies, views, and lifestyles, and so assumes that the one embraced by believers is only one among countless others. This being the case, they have a hard time understanding why they have to set aside all other ideologies and systems and adhere to the believers' way.
This standpoint, however, rests upon a great mistake.
First, we need to say that all systems, ideologies, social orders, philosophies, or lifestyles, except for the one to which all believers adhere, have been developed by human beings or communities. Their followers
accept that the founders of these ideologies and systems were able to guide them to the truth. For example, a
Marxist thinks that Karl Marx was a genius who resolved all of this world's mysteries, or at least paved the way for this, and that adherence to his teachings will lead them to the truth. Those who think that following the centuries-old traditions of their society is the best way to find the truth take for granted that their society, or in more accurate words their ancestors, had the wisdom, knowledge, and reasoning to guide them to the truth.
However, none of these so-called guides are able to do what their adherents claim, for all of their systems are built upon human wisdom, which is extremely inadequate, vulnerable, weak, and limited. No
person can acquire all of the knowledge found in the universe, not even one billionth of it. Nor can anyone
resolve the many questions associated with this world. For instance, they cannot explain what happens after death, a question that has occupied people's minds since the beginning of time, unless they read the truth that Allah conveys in the Qur'an.
The power of human wisdom does not increase when people gather together in a society. When faced with the infinite information inherent in the universe, humanity's collective mental power is insignificant.
This being the case, assuming that the human mind can find the truth—unless otherwise willed by
Allah—is a totally unfounded assumption, no more than a conjecture. Indeed, Allah stresses this fact many times in the Qur'an and relates that all disbelievers follow conjecture, for:
If you obeyed most of those on Earth, they would guide you away from Allah's Way. They follow nothing but conjecture. They are only guessing. (Surat al-An'am, 116)
For instance, all materialists who assert that the only life is the life of this world and that death is a coincidental result of relations between materials, rather than a special creation of Allah, only follow
conjecture. The Qur'an emphasizes the situation of such people, as follows:
They say: "There is nothing but our existence in the world. We die and we live, and nothing destroys us except for time." They have no knowledge of that. They are only conjecturing. (Surat al-
Jathiyya, 24)
Other members of societies that are far from religion develop a blind attachment to their ancestors' false beliefs and opinions and adopt them as guides. Hearsay, habits that find social acceptance, some rules to which people adhere blindly, and false teachings make up such beliefs. In this system, people do not need to employ or exercise their reason and wisdom. This is the lifestyle and understanding to which the majority of the members of the societies that are ignorant of religion adhere. In the Qur'an, Allah calls attention to those who adhere blindly to their ancestors despite His definitive judgments, and states that they are deaf, dumb, and blind and unable to exercise their intelligence:
When they are told: "Follow what Allah has sent down to you," they say: "We are following what we found our fathers doing." What, even though their fathers did not understand a thing and
were not guided! The likeness of those who are unbelievers is that of someone who yells out to
something which cannot hear—it is nothing but a cry and a call. Deaf–dumb–blind. They do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara, 170-171)
Both adhering to ideologues and following in their ancestors' footsteps are ways of following conjecture. The Qur'an informs us that those who are attached to their ancestors' way, even when they know
that their ancestors had no divinely revealed book, are on a false way:
Or did We give them a Book before which they are holding to? No, in fact they say: "We found our fathers following a religion, and we are simply guided in their footsteps." Similarly, We never sent
any warner before you to any city without the affluent among them saying: "We found our fathers
following a religion, and we are simply following in their footsteps." Say: "What if I have come with
better guidance than what you found your fathers following?" They say" "We reject what you have been sent with." (Surat az-Zuhkruf, 21-24)
Consequently, intelligent people do not place their trust in ideologues, or in their ancestors, or in the majority of people. The sole guide in whom they place their trust is the All-Mighty Allah, Who possesses
infinite wisdom and all the knowledge in the universe. Indeed, the Qur'an frequently refers to Allah as Al- Rabb, an attribute of His which means the One and only Lord for all the universe, its Creator, Owner,
Organizer, Provider, Master, Planner, Sustainer, Cherisher, and Giver of Security.
Taking beings or things other than Allah as guides means taking them as lords or making them into idols. This attitude, which is defined as ascribing partners to Allah, is extremely dangerous, for the Qur'an
reveals that such people will find themselves in the following situation:
O humanity, an example has been given, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah are not able to create even a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought! (Surat al-Hajj, 73)
As the verse maintains, both the person or thing from whom help is sought and the person who adheres to such false deities as sources of guidance are all weak and helpless. Another verse relates this fact, as follows:
They have taken deities besides Allah so that perhaps they may be helped. They cannot help them, even though they are an army mobilized in their support. (Surah Ya Sin, 74-75)
Such a rationale, that is, a system based on conjecture, is entirely distorted, vain, and false. Only
Allah deserves obedience and recognition as one's Lord, for:
Say: "Can any of your partner-deities guide to the truth?" Say: "Allah guides to the truth. Whose right has more to be followed—He Who guides to the truth, or he who cannot guide unless he is
guided? What is the matter with you? How do you reach your judgment?" (Surah Yunus, 35)
Following these explanations, we can now answer the question as to whether only believers are right. Everyone who is unaware of Allah's existence, or who fails to appreciate His infinite might and submit Him even if aware of His existence, is on the wrong path. This being the case, only those who fear Allah and seek His approval are on the right path.
Another evidence of this truth is that only believers adhere to the messenger of Allah and a guide that is the sublime Word of Allah: the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet's (pbuh) hadiths are the sole source of guidance for all of humanity, a fact that Allah reveals in the following and many other verses:
This Qur'an guides to the most upright Way and gives good news to the believers who do right actions that they will have a large reward. (Surat al-Isra', 9)
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance for
mankind, with Clear Signs containing guidance and discrimination… (Surat al-Baqara, 185)
This does not mean that believers are a faultless people. On the contrary, everyone makes mistakes. Yet, the source that guides them is immune to all errors, faults, defects, or flaws. Believers make mistakes
when they fail to comply with the Qur'an. But once they are made aware of their mistakes, they abandon them
immediately.