Page 89 - Perfected Faith

CONCLUSION

Throughout this book, we have stressed that merely saying, "We be-
lieve" or that worshipping Allah from the fringes of true religion would
not suffice to please Allah. Rather, we said, Allah would be pleased
with us when we were the foremost in piety, became an example to
pious believers, and constantly displayed moral perfection. In this
book, we called upon believers to have a deep-seated fear and love for
Allah, never to consider their morality as perfect, to seek the attitudes
and behaviour that most pleases Allah at every moment and to pay
heed to their conscience.
Becoming a person of perfected faith is not a goal attainable after
making strenuous efforts. As the verse, "We shall guide you to the
smoothest path" (Surat al-A'la, 8) informs us, a person can attain per-
fected faith only with sincerity of intention, even if that intention is of
very recent origin. In this sense, no matter how reprehensible a life one
has led in the past, one can, at any moment, start a new life founded on
the basis of earning Allah's approval.
After making these points clear, we now urge everybody to "hasten",
that is, not to "defer" the taking of such a vital decision. The time granted
to man is very short. Life is as brief as "the twinkling of an eye" or "part
of a day". During the course of this limited time he is granted, man
should race against time and hasten to acquire perfected faith by engag-
ing in good deeds. Allah promised His Paradise to those of His servants
who are committed to piety, who become "foremost in faith" and hasten