Page 16 - Passivity in Religion

PASSIVITY IN RELIGION

believe in Allah with certainty, and know that the Qur'an is the true
revelation. As a result of this conviction, Muslims remain energetic
and eager. As Allah informs us in the Qur'an, they "compete in
doing good."
Race each other to forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden
as wide as the heavens and the Earth, prepared for those
who do their duty. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 133)
You who believe, be steadfast; be supreme in steadfastness;
hold yourselves ready; and heed Allah; so that hopefully
you will be successful. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 200)
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin the right
and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are
among the righteous. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 114)
True Muslims are distinguished from others by their zeal and
enthusiasm for earning Allah's good pleasure and adopting
moral perfection. But, what some who call themselves "Muslims"
say, and what they actually harbor in their hearts, may differ
greatly. One who claims to be a Muslim may in actually be of poor
faith; furthermore, at some future time, he may develop serious
doubts about the existence of Allah and the Hereafter. In Surat al-
Hajj, verse 53, Allah informs us of these people as "those whose
hearts are hard" and "those with sickness in their hearts." In
spite of their bearing witness to Allah's signs, they fail to show
even the faintest desire to achieve sincere zeal or to attain moral
perfection. Still, they may pretend to experience the qualities of
Islam by imitating Muslims.
While, on the one hand, they aim to present themselves as true
Muslims, they may, otherwise, attempt to impart their misguided
opinions to the true Muslims. They aim to promote as acceptable
a manner of life distant from the religion; they may also, through
various means, endeavor to lead the believers astray. However,
no matter what they scheme, they cannot damage Allah's reli-

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