Page 32 - Zeal and Enthusiasm in the Qur'an

Zeal and Enthusiasm Described in the Qur’an

ices for Islam, communicate good morals and invite people to
eternal salvation. Allah gives glad tidings that in return for their
eager determination He will grant them much better and higher re-
wards. Consequently, a person who sets personal interests aside
actually gains the best benefits possible, both in this world and be-
yond. That is because through his zealous efforts he attains both

the good pleasure of Allah and a good life in this world. Of this
Allah states the following:
"Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female,
while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a
good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the
hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do." 28
It is possible to observe the behavior of believers in the course
of their daily lives. For instance, a believer does not hesitate to set

a profitable business aside to engage in another task without
worldly returns if he believes it will please Allah more. Similarly, he
may readily give money which he had saved to finance a charity
project designed to communicate the moral values of the Qur’an
to people. As the examples reveal, a zealous believer immediately
sets his personal interests aside and gives himself up to the serv-
ice of religion without any hesitation.
A person’s incentive to renounce his rights in certain situations
is related to his awareness that what he does is a great gain for

him. He may ignore a profitable deal and even incur a considerable
material loss; however, he will attain something over and above all
that: the approval of Allah. Besides, a believer knows that the one
who gives and withholds possessions is Allah. The one who pro-
vides his sustenance, bestows abundance, and increases his
earnings is Allah; therefore, it is useless to be greedy or to worry

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