Article appeared Friday, December 13th, 2013 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Re elation !30"#

yo$s$% mahb$b$l &slam, 'hD

&s li%e abo$t competition( &% yes, what )ind o% competition( &s it the stat$s one can attain or is it abo$t the amo$nt o% wealth one can amass( *r is it +$st abo$t gi ing o$r best e%%orts at a +ob( &% we loo) %or an answer in the ,oly -cript$res we wo$ld %ind a di%%erent )ind o% competition re%erred to. &n the most recent Re elation, the /$r0an, we %ind two noteworthy and ery important directions. &t is ,e 1ho created the hea ens and the earth in si2 Days3that ,e might try yo$, i.e. which of you is best in conduct3. 411.56 * people7 Adore yo$r 8$ardian9:ord who created yo$ and those who came be%ore yo$ that yo$ may ha e the chance to learn righteousness. 42.216 The %irst important direction is that li%e on earth is a competition among h$man beings to pro e who is best in cond$ct, i.e. s$rpass one another at doing what is right and proper. -tories o% those who li ed be%ore $s pro ide n$mero$s e2amples o% righteo$s as well as $nrighteo$s beha ior %rom which we can learn wisdom. ;any were the ways o% li%e that ha e passed away be%ore yo$< tra el thro$gh the earth and see the end o% those who re+ected the tr$th. ,ere is a plain statement to men, a g$idance and instr$ction to those who %ear Allah7 43.135 = 3.13>6 The comm$nities that we li e in and the sit$ations one %aces each day pro ide ample opport$nities to demonstrate righteo$s beha ior. &% we are grate%$l and adore the ?reator %or creating li%e and its opport$nities, ,e will g$ide o$r hearts towards righteo$s beha ior. Righteo$s beha ior is gratit$de towards the ?reator and good cond$ct towards the rest o% creation. There is a clear warning %or those who chose to ignore the p$rpose o% the li%e gi en by the ?reator. 1hen *$r @erses are rehearsed to s$ch a one he t$rns away in arrogance as i% he heard them not as i% there were dea%ness in both his ears< announce to him a grievous Penalty. 431.56 1hy a penalty( :i%e on earth is not +$st an opport$nity, it is also a test. This is the second important direction. The tests on earth will allow the ?reator to separate the righteo$s %rom the $nrighteo$s. ,e calls $nrighteo$s persons imp$re in the %ollowing @erse. ,e has p$t intelligent h$man beings with a %ree9will on earth, &n order that Allah may separate the imp$re %rom the p$re p$t the imp$re one on another heap them together and cast them into hell. They will be the ones that ha e lost. 4>.356 1hile en+oying the pleas$res o% li%e, one may ha e a %eeling o% %alse sec$rity amongst created things, i.e. heAshe is being properly loo)ed a%ter !and thereby s$ccess%$l#, howe erB Allah, o$r ?reator points o$t that all earthly things are temporary. ,e $ses an analogy to help $s $nderstand the nat$re o% o$r earthly li%e. Cnow that the li%e o% this world is b$t play and am$sement, pomp and m$t$al boasting and m$ltiplying !in ri alry# among yo$rsel es riches and children< Here is a similitude: ,ow rain and the growth which it brings %orth delight !the hearts o%# the tillersB soon it withersB yo$ will see it grow yellowB then it becomes dry and cr$mbles away. B$t in the ,erea%ter is a 'enalty se ere !%or the misled de otees# and a Forgi eness %rom Allah !%or those who t$rn to righteo$sness#. 4D5.206 -ay< &% it be that yo$r %athers yo$r sons yo$r brothers yo$r mates or yo$r )indredB the wealth that yo$ ha e gainedB the commerce in which yo$ %ear a declineB or the dwellings in which yo$ delight are dearer to yo$ than Allah or ,is apostle or the stri ing in ,is ca$seB then wait $ntil Allah brings abo$t ,is decision< and Allah g$ides not the rebellio$s. 4E.2F6

-o, i% one listens, e al$ates hisAher beha ior towards the ?reator and wants to t$rn to righteo$sness, Allah says, Go$r :ord )nows best what is in yo$r hearts< i% yo$ do deeds o% righteo$sness erily ,e is ;ost Forgi ing to those who t$rn to ,im again and again !in tr$e penitence#. 415.2D6 *$r :ord )nows o$r wea)nesses towards worldly attractions. ,e also $nderstands the hypocrisy among those who say they belie e. Being ;erci%$l, ,e 8$ides and ,elps those who tr$ly t$rn to ,im. 1e sho$ld not delay o$r e%%orts to t$rn to the ?reator and as) ,is %orgi eness. T$rn to yo$r :ord !in repentance# and bow to ,is 1ill be%ore the 'enalty comes on yo$< a%ter that yo$ shall not be helped. And %ollow the best o% !the co$rses# Re ealed to yo$ %rom yo$r :ord be%ore the 'enalty comes on yo$ all o% a s$dden while yo$ percei e not7 43E.DF = 3E.DD6 8i en the en ironment, %ollowing a righteo$s path may pro e di%%ic$lt, especially when belie ers %ace disbelie ers in h$ge n$mbers. Thro$gho$t history, the ?reator has pro en that ,e helps belie ers regardless o% how many disbelie ers there may be. The %ollowing @erses pro ide i id e2amples o% how ,e helped 'rophet ;$hammad !pb$h# and the belie ers against those who %o$ght them in the Battle o% Badr.

8.43 Remember in your dream Allah showed them (the disbelievers) to you as a few in number: if He had shown them to you as many (as they a tually were) you would surely have been dis oura!ed and you would surely have dis"uted in (your) de ision (to fi!ht them): but Allah saved (you from ta#in! a wron! de ision): for He #nows well the (se rets) of (all) hearts. 8.44 And remember when you met (the enemy) He showed them to you as a few in your eyes (as a tually they were not) and He made you a""ear as ontem"tible in their eyes (to in rease their arro!an e): that Allah mi!ht a om"lish a matter already destined: for to Allah all $uestions !o ba # (for de ision%!ivin!).
Allah ga e a decisi e ictory &'( to belie ers. There%ore, to demonstrate tr$e belie%, Allah commands,

8.4) * you who believe+ ,hen you meet a for e be firm and all Allah in remembran e mu h (and often)- that you may "ros"er.
Fight them and Allah will p$nish them by yo$r hands and p$t them to shame by helping yo$ !to ictory# o er them and heal the breasts o% belie ers... 4E.1F = E.1D6 &% Allah helps yo$, none can o ercome yo$< i% ,e %orsa)es yo$ who is there a%ter that that can help yo$( In Allah then let believers put their trust. 43.1"06

8.4. And obey Allah and His a"ostle- and fall into no dis"utes lest you lose heart and your "ower de"art- and be "atient and "erseverin!: for Allah is with those who "atiently "ersevere.
*n the contrary, as it is thro$gh belie ers that Allah establishes the tr$th o% ,is H2istence and 'resence, ,e says. * yo$ who belie e7 Be helpers o% Allah< as as)ed by Ies$s, the son o% ;ary, to the Disciples J1ho will be my helpers to !the wor) o%# Allah(J / 4"1.1F6 99999999999 0otes< &'( http<AAen.wi)ipedia.orgAwi)iABattleKo%KBadr