Page 38 - Perfected Faith

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PERFECTED FAITH

nearer to Allah and earning His approval, since they realise that they
may meet death at any moment. The prayer of the people of perfected
faith in the Qur'an is as follows:
... Our Lord, give us patience and take us back to You as
Muslims. (Surat al-A'raf, 126)
... Originator of the heavens and earth, You are my Protector in
this world and the Next. So take me as a Muslim at my death
and unite me with those who are sincere. (Surah Yusuf, 101)
The people of perfected faith accept death with full submission,
since it is a law of Allah. Over and above this, they consider it as a
gate through which to attain paradise. Meanwhile, they never forget
that they must strive hard to avoid the punishment of hell and earn
the approval of Allah. Believers unceasingly feel fear and hope until
they meet death. They hope for paradise because they believe.
Likewise, they fear hell since they never find themselves self-suffi-
cient. Their fear of evil reckoning, the good behaviour they display
and the good results they attain are stated in the Qur'an as follows:
Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break their
pledge; those who join what Allah has commanded to be joined
and are afraid of their Lord and dread the terrors of an evil reck-
oning; those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord,
and attend to their prayers and give from the provision We have
given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it
is they who will have the Ultimate Abode—The Gardens of
Eden which they will enter, along with all of their parents,
wives and children who were true. Angels will enter to wel-
come them from every gate: "Peace be upon you because of your
steadfastness! How wonderful is the reward of the Ultimate
Abode!" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 20-24)