Page 64 - Passivity in Religion

PASSIVITY IN RELIGION

excuses to do nothing at all. Allah warns Muslims against this ig-
norance, and announces that, in His sight, they have nothing in
common with those Muslims who implement to the fullest every
project they undertake:
Do you make the giving of water to the pilgrims and look-
ing after the Sacred Mosque [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)
Those believers who stay behind—other than those forced
to by necessity—are not the same as those who strive in the
way of Allah, sacrificing their wealth and themselves.
Allah has given those who strive with their wealth and
themselves a higher rank than those who stay behind.
Allah has promised the Best to both, but Allah has pre-
ferred those who strive over those who stay behind by an
immense reward. (Surat an-Nisa', 95)
These people hope that their ignorant ploys will deceive the
Muslims, and are overjoyed by even the slightest gain or benefit
they attain through them. They think they have something to gain
by either sitting around idly, doing less, taking more time doing
so, or doing what they do carelessly. They think they are being
smarter than sincere Muslims, by not exhausting themselves, and
by not employing their attention or energy to the full in the serv-
ice of Islam.
Their basic goal is to foment passivity in Muslim society,
showing forth every kind of moral weakness in the pursuit of this
aim. For example, Muslims will expend every effort to communi-
cate the morality of the Qur'an to others, to ignite the flame of
Islamic morality in their hearts, but the others see nothing wrong
with offering far-fetched excuses in the search of ways to avoid
participating in such efforts. Allah tells us that the greatest differ-

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