Page 33 - Loyalty Described in the Qur'an

The Misinterpretation of Loyalty
tience within themselves to struggle against the difficulties they ex-
perience. They recoil from the least problem or obstacle; they will
give up on something they had wanted to accomplish in favor of the
easy way out. In the Qur'an, Allah relates to us the patience of

Luqman (as) in the advice he gave to his son:
[Luqman said,] "My son, perform prayer and command
what is right and forbid what is wrong and be steadfast in
the face of all that happens to you. That is certainly the
most resolute course to follow." (Surah Luqman, 17)
The reason disbelievers are so weak in character is that they do
not have the real sense of the meaning of loyalty, nor of the strength

and determination that this loyalty arouses. Throughout their lives,
disbelievers ascribe partners to Allah, making other gods for them-
selves. They spend their lives devoted to these gods, and live ac-
cording to the dictates of this devotion. But, because the gods they
have fashioned cannot proffer them the strength they need to perse-
vere in difficult times, they quickly lose their devotion and false loy-
alty for them. Therefore, difficult and troubling situations are
important determining factors to reveal their true character.
People's reaction to trying situations reveals their sham devo-

tion and loyalty to Allah in hypocrites and those with sickness in
their heart. Because they do not have a real sense of the meaning of
loyalty and devotion to Him, they cannot bear with patience in
times of difficulty or anxiety. For this reason, in order to avoid situa-
tions that are troubling due to the weakness of their lower-selves,
they are constantly offering excuses. In the Qur'an, Allah informs us
about the insincerity of those who, when faced with such hard

times, tried to avoid them by asking leave from our Prophet (saas).

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