Page 52 - Loyalty Described in the Qur'an

LOYALTY DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN
closer to Him. Therefore, spending in the way of Allah is a demonstra-
tion of the strength of their faithfulness towards Allah; at the same
time, it both strengthens their faith, and increases their submission as
they draw nearer to Him. In verse 265 of Surat al-Baqara, Allah praises

the moral character of those believers who offer their goods for the
purpose of "desiring the pleasure of Allah and firmness for them-
selves" (Surat al-Baqara, 265).
Worldly possessions, which are deemed of excessive value by the
disbelievers, and to which they are actually passionately devoted, are,
for believers, blessings which they hope will bring them Allah's favor.
Because they know that everything they own belongs to Allah, they

have no qualms about performing this act of worship. They happily
make use any of their blessings to win Allah's favor, and regard spend-
ing in the way of Allah a way to draw closer to Him. Their devotion
clearly shows their faithfulness towards Allah.

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B Believers Follow "Straight" on the Way of Allah
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How people think, and the way they live, is determined by the
goals they choose. Everyone has particular expectations of this life,
and follows a way of living that will result in their fulfillment.
For example, a person who wants to fulfill his expectations of be-
coming the manager of a large firm, will have to enter university, and
study in a field relative to the business, and gain all the knowledge and
experience necessary to become that manager. Because he will remain
in this field for the rest of his life, he will adopt the lifestyle that it will
permit it. One who wants to become a university professor will have to
work very hard, perhaps spending years abroad completing his edu-
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