Page 21 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings
P. 21

Harun Yahya - Adnan Oktar


            the purpose of our creation:
                 He created the heavens and Earth in six days, when His Throne
                 was on the water, in order to test which of you has the best ac-
                 tions. (Surah Hud: 7)
                 He created death and life to test which of you is the best in ac-
                 tion. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving. (Surat al-Mulk: 2)

                 Given this, the sensible course to follow is that of true sincerity
            and readiness to sacrifice, for the greatest virtue is to come in first in the
            race to do good deeds:
                 Then We made Our chosen servants inherit the Book. But some
                 of them wrong themselves, some are ambivalent, and some outdo
                 each other in good by Allah's permission. That is the great favor.
                 (Surah Fatir: 32)
                 Had Allah willed, He would have made you a single commu-
                 nity. But He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you.
                 So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will
                 return to Allah, and He will inform you regarding the things
                 about which you differed. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 48)
                 Those who seek to do good in order to win Allah's favor act with
            great eagerness, determination, and self-sacrifice. Their sincere belief
            gives them many fine moral qualities: trusting in their submission to
            Allah as well as remain courageous, patient, merciful, helpful, tolerant,
            subtle in mind, and thankful in all circumstances. They are not caught
            up in any passion for this world and the desires of their lower self, for
            their goal is to win Allah's approval and mercy and to attain Paradise.
            In other words, they are so attached to Allah by a deep bond of love, re-
            spect, and fear that they will give up everything without a second
            thought for the sake of that love.
                 In the following example, the great Islamic scholar Imam al-




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