Page 29 - The Nightmare of Disbelief

quently raised about praying the five daily prayers, regular
worship, obligatory alms and so on. Besides these, the attribut-
es of a believer praised by Allah, the type of behavior a believ-
er should endeavor to avoid, and the moral values a believer
should display are all explained in the Qur'an. Modesty, will-

ingness to make sacrifices, honesty, justice, mercy, compassion,
determination and similar moral characteristics are shown to
be the essential attributes of the good servant to Allah. Wicked
deeds, wrong attitudes, and improper ways of addressing peo-
ple are all identified in the Qur'an, and believers are warned
against them.
Allah created the whole universe and man from nothing-
ness. Among all the living beings, man especially has been giv-
en many favors, among them the "spirit," that being the most

important and greatest distinguishing feature. That is what
makes man a conscious being. The abundance of favors be-
stowed upon man is so great that-as Allah informs us-if man
tried to number them, he could never count them (Surat an-
Nahl: 18). So, man has to ponder upon why all these favors
have been given to him, and what is demanded from him in re-
27
turn.
Man is endowed with the faculty of comprehending that
all the favors he enjoys are given to him by Allah.
Consequently, he easily comprehends that he should feel grate-
ful for them. Yet, he may not know the way to express this grat-
itude. At this point, it is again the Qur'an that guides him.
In the Qur'an, Allah primarily demands that His servants
feel the necessity to obtain His approval all throughout their
lives. To this end, at every moment of one's life, one must pre-
fer the consent of Allah rather than the fulfillment of one's own

HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)