Page 98 - Communication and Argument in the Qur'an

96 COMMUNICATION AND ARGUMENT IN THE QUR’AN

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and death, they could say to him: “We do not care! We are

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r returning to our Lord” (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 50).
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And Ayyub (as), when afflicted by a terrible illness,
prayed sincerely and, in return, Allah showed him how to
heal himself:
Remember Our servant Ayyub when he called out his
Lord: “Satan has afflicted me with exhaustion and suf-
fering.” (His Lord replied:) “Stamp your foot! Here is a
cool bath and water to drink.” (Surah Sad: 41-42)
Every time the unbelievers called them liars or threaten-
ed them with death and exile, the prophets and messen-
gers asked Allah for help. Of course, this close bond is not
restricted only to times of hardship. They are a good exam-
ple to believers, because they have a close relationship to
Allah every moment of their lives. For example, while strok-
ing the dark horses given to him, Prophet Sulayman (as)
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said: “Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the
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g glory of my Lord ...” (Surah Sad: 32). For unbelievers,
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enjoying the life of this world increases their greed; but
possessions only deepened Sulayman’s (as) attachment to
Allah. His prayer is an example of sincerity to all believers:
“O my Lord, keep me thankful for the blessing You
have bestowed upon me and upon my parents. Keep
me acting rightly, pleasing You, and admit me, by Your
mercy, among Your servants who are righteous.”
(Surat an-Naml: 19)
These and similar examples from the Qur’an show that
the prophets and the messengers maintained their close
relationship with Allah at all times. This relationship was