Page 37 - The Mercy of Believers

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TO WHOM DO BELIEVERS SHOW COMPASSION AND MERCY?

mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong and
believe in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran: 110)

Believers take every opportunity to save people from
a life which is distant from religion and to protect them
from hell. They encourage them to do good and try to
prevent them from engaging in wicked deeds. They aim
to save such people as are on the brink of an abyss be-
cause of their ignorance. Allah thus describes the situa-
tion of these people before committing themselves to
religion:
…You were on the very brink of a pit of the Fire and
He rescued you from it. In this way Allah makes His
Signs clear to you, so that hopefully you will be
guided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 103)
Believers, who are very well aware of the torment an
irreligious life brings to man, try various ways of making
people embrace Allah's religion and thus save them from
the situation they are in. They make any sacrifice, both
material and spiritual, to communicate their religion to
those "whose hearts are to be reconciled". The Qur'an typ-
ifies as "alms" everything spent for the purpose of propa-
gating religion. This is the kind of spending which will be
rewarded generously in the sight of Allah. Indeed, having
faith in Allah means being saved from the torment of hell
and attaining an eternal life in paradise. The believers'
understanding of mercy, stemming from their fear of
Allah, entails spending without expecting anything in re-
turn. That is because, for believers, there exist no such
benefits as would be received in return for such spending.
Furthermore, when needed, they put restrictions on their