Page 45 - Passivity in Religion

How Do They Aim to Demoralize Muslims?

messenger and the believers, they feel closer to unbelievers. Behind
this fondness there exists various devious intents. As we learn from
these verses, these people are those who have not determined whose
side they are on. When with the believers, they long to participate in
the activities of the disbelievers. They never abandon their relation-
ships with the unbelievers because they always keep in mind that
they will someday turn their back on the believers. Another reason is
that they lack resolve. It is obvious that one who believes sincerely
will never think of living apart from the believers.
Indeed, Allah reveals these people's indecisiveness in the follow-
ing verse:
They vacillate between the two—not joining these or joining
those. (Surat an-Nisa', 143)
Another reason why these people feel anxious is that they collab-
orate secretly with the unbelievers in fomenting plots against believ-
ers. In this way, they assume that they can harm the believers and
impede their intellectual struggle. The hypocrites, who lived in the
time of our Prophet (saas), and erected another mosque from where
to plot against believers with the help of the unbelievers, is an exam-
ple of this. The relevant verse reads:
As for those who have set up a mosque, causing harm and out
of disbelief, to create division between the believers, and in
readiness for those who previously made war on Allah and
His messenger, they will swear, "We only desired the best."
But Allah bears witness that they are truly liars. (Surat at-
Tawba, 107)
As the above verse also maintains, another telling attribute of
these people is their claim to mean no harm. However, their pur-
pose is just the contrary. It is obvious that one who truly "desires the
best" follows the path of Allah and His messenger. Aware that the
promise of Allah and His messenger is true, believers take only
other believers into their confidence. However, though also leading

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