Page 79 - The Nightmare of Disbelief

Those people who adhere to the commands of Allah expe-
rience the best examples of friendship, love and respect. This is
a pure love excluding all interests other than earning the ap-
proval of Allah.

The true believers, both men and women, are friends to one
another. They command what is right and forbid what is
wrong, they attend to their prayers, practice regular charity,
and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on
whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
(Surat at-Tawba: 71)
The bond of friendship depicted in the above verse en-
sures an indivisible solidarity in society as a whole, which is in-
tensely felt by every one of its members. Such people want the
very best for their brothers.
In a society where religious values are not adopted, how-
ever, people can never experience love in its true sense, since
what they love and respect is good looks, wealth and status.
The bonds of friendship of one who chooses his friends ac-

cording to his taste in fashion or on the basis of good looks will
inevitably rest on these values. In marriage too, the negative ef-
fects of this mentality are deeply felt. For instance, in disbeliev- 77
ing societies, a man's decision to marry a girl often depends on
her good looks or prestigious status in society. It is most likely
that the man will cease to love his wife if she loses her charms
or she falls sick, for instance, if she becomes crippled; more-
over, one who does not have faith in the hereafter would not
want to "waste" his short life looking after a bed-ridden
woman. Society abounds in such examples.

Respect is as important as love. It is, in a way, the expres-
sion of how much importance one attaches to another. Yet, in
societies where the values of religion are disregarded, in order

HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)