Page 60 - The Mercy of Believers

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THE MERCY OF BELIEVERS

when they enjoin goodness and forbid wrongdoing;
wrongful attitudes displayed by one in the past or those
ones he currently assumes, do not give rise any kind of
prejudice in believers. They never consider that anyone
"will never be a believer in the true sense" because of his
past errors. Believers do not make such distinctions be-
tween people in communicating Allah's message. They
are very well aware that this is unjust and so strictly
avoid it. They are aware that if they want other people
also to display the high morality peculiar to believers,
they have primarily to be informed about Islam and edu-
cated in the light of the Qur'an. For this very reason, no
matter how unfavourable the attitude of others may be,
believers never hesitate to enjoin goodness, forbid what is
wrong and communicate the message to them.
However, despite all this striving, if their hearers in-
sist on being intractable, they apply no coercion. Allah re-
veals this truth in the Qur'an when He says that there is
no coercion in religion:

There is no compulsion where the religion is con-
cerned… (Surat al-Baqara: 256)
Remind, then, if the reminder benefits. (Surat al-
A'la: 9)
Believers enjoin good not only upon the ignorant who
are irreligious but also upon believers. That is because,
man makes mistakes not only because of lack of knowl-
edge but also because he is forgetful or gives in to the
temptations of his lower soul. In such situations, believers
remind one another of the commands of the Qur'an,
thereby enjoining good and forbidding evil. They warn