Page 54 - Loyalty Described in the Qur'an
P. 54

LOYALTY DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN
            from that which Allah has shown him. Indeed, the strong sense of
            faithfulness and devotion to Allah of a person who dedicates himself
            to winning His favor and love, without any desire for earthly gain, will
            be very definite. In the Qur'an, Allah has provided examples of the su-

            perior moral character of believers, and declares that the good news of
            Paradise will be announced to them by angels:
                 The angels descend on those who say, "Our Lord is Allah,"
                 and then go straight: "Do not fear and do not grieve but re-
                 joice in the Garden you have been promised." (Surah
                 Fussilat, 30)

                 Those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then go straight will
                 feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Ahqaf, 13)
                 Believers put everything second to winning the favor of Allah,
            and so they—unless Allah wills otherwise—cannot depart from the
            right path, as the following verse reveals, "Allah has inscribed faith
            upon such people's hearts and will reinforce them with a Spirit from
            Him" (Surat al-Mujadala, 22). Believers do not make any compromises
            when on the way that Allah has revealed to them and, in this regard,
            live their lives with a strong sense of faithfulness and submission, with
            a view to winning Allah's favor:

                 Say: "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for
                 Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-An‘am, 162)
                 They are mindful of Allah in everything they do, and do every-
            thing with the intention of gaining His pleasure. Moreover, believers
            exercise great patience throughout the difficulties they experience, and
            constantly pray for His assistance. They attribute great value to the
            need to remain throughout their life on His path, and to be able to do

            good deeds that will win Allah's favor. The strong sense of determina-

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