Page 63 - The Secret Behind Our Trials

How Unbelievers Act when Faced with Difficulty
As these verses reveal, the beauty of those with high morality
increases while immorality covers the unbelievers' faces like the
darkness of night. It is a necessity of this world of trials and testing
that Allah reward all people according to what they have done.
Those who have done good will receive good; those who have done
evil will receive evil. Believers are repulsed by all of the unbelievers'
behavior and attitudes.
For example, if a visitor goes to an unbelievers' home, the host's
every action will make the guest uncomfortable. No matter how
good the offered food may look, it does not appear so to a guest who
knows his host's moral character and that his whole life is a violation
of Allah's injunctions. Injustice done to orphans and the poor lie be-
hind the food and drink offered. Believers will much prefer a stew
made with legitimate money to a splendid meal paid for by money
earned unlawfully. The guest may be invited to sit in an armchair.
But if he knew how the money had been earned to buy that chair, he
would never want to sit in it. He would realize that everything in the
house was acquired through the unjust exploitation of poverty-
stricken women, children, and elderly persons. Even if everything
were outwardly clean, there would be a pervasive stench of spiritual
corruption in the place that would make the guest uncomfortable.
The Qur'an says that those who eat unlawful food and listen to liars
will be humiliated in both worlds, and that other people will see
their humiliation.
... If Allah desires misguidance for someone, you cannot
help him against Allah in any way. Those are the people
whose hearts Allah does not want to purify. They will have
disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter they will have a
terrible punishment. They are people who listen to lies and
consume ill-gotten gains. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 41-42)

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