Page 48 - Zeal and Enthusiasm in the Qur'an

WHAT THE BELIEVERS’ EXCITEMENT

IS LIKE

In societies remote from values of the Qur’an, the word "excite-
ment" often expresses feelings of nervousness, anxiety, stress and
agitation in the face of certain events. It is not a positive feeling but
something distressful. The excitement of believers, on the other
hand, is a feeling of ebullience experienced at the thought of

Allah’s artistry, of His blessings, and of the eternal life in paradise.
Disbelievers experience feelings of distress because they do
not put their trust in Allah. Putting trust in Allah means taking Allah
as one’s guardian and relying only upon Him. Since people of igno-
rance fail to appreciate the greatness of Allah, they cannot experi-
ence feelings of trust and submission. Instead of taking Allah as
their protector, they expect to receive assistance from worldly
sources. For this reason they can never get rid of the fears and anx-
ieties particular to the ignorant.

Believers, however, are not afflicted with the distress found in
ignorant societies thanks to the trust they place in their Lord. They
are the ones who profoundly experience the excitement of faith
which the Qur’an describes as an attribute of believers. That is be-
cause they are aware that every single occurrence is created for a

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