Article appeared Friday, February 14th, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation !1"#

yousu$ %ahbubul &sla%, 'h(

&s it wise to brea) a pro%ise* Be$ore e+a%ining what %ight happen i$ a pro%ise is bro)en, a pertinent ,uestion to consider would be- is the Creator a party or a witness to the promise made? &$ so, regardless o$ whether a pro%ise is %ade to our children, to our spouses, our parents, our custo%ers, our students, or a pro%ise %ade directly to the .reator, /e is also a witness to the point at which the pro%ise is bro)en0 /ow, then, should the .reator react when a pro%ise is bro)en or not honored* 1verall, there are in $act, three parties involved when a pro%ise is %ade 2 the person who %a)es the pro%ise, the person or being to who% the pro%ise is %ade and the .reator as a witness0 To understand what %ay happen when a pro%ise is bro)en, let us $irst loo) at insights provided by ,uotes $ro% a nu%ber o$ $a%ous writers0 First, regarding the person who %a)es a pro%ise, the writer 3tephen Richards, also )nown as the 4olden 'en writes, 'ro%ises are only as strong as the person who gives the% 000 {1} &n other words, Richards s)ill$ully suggests that persons who do not )eep their pro%ises are wea) or are %entally not strong enough to reali5e what %a)ing a pro%ise %eans0 Regarding the $eelings o$ a person to who% a pro%ise is %ade, the A%erican author o$ %ore than 11 best6 sellers, Richard 'aul 7vans writes, Bro)en pro%ises are li)e bro)en %irrors0 They leave those who held on to the% bleeding and staring at $ractured i%ages o$ the%selves0 {1} 8icti%s o$ a bro)en pro%ise o$ten brea)6down, i.e. are unable to recover $ro% the hurt caused0 3o%eti%es, such people $ind it di$$icult to pic) up the bro)en pieces0 Re%inding us that the .reator is a witness, the young &ndian writer 'iyush Nai) encourages that, &$ you believe in 4od, then you have to believe in pro%ises0 {2} A believer %ust reali5e that the .reator is constantly ta)ing into account the pro%ises %ade and pro%ises bro)en0 .an the idea that we are constantly being watched be con$ir%ed* /ow and where* 9hat do the /oly 3criptures say* &ndeed, the %ost recent Revelation, the :ur;an, con$ir%s, <es, and %ost certainly will Allah %ar) out those who have truly attained to $aith i.e. have beco%e believers#, and %ost certainly will /e %ar) out the hypocrites0 =2>011? 3o, i$ the .reator e+ists, and i$ /e is witnessing every action, why does /e allow unacceptable behavior $ro% those who disbelieve* &n order that Allah %ay separate the i%pure $ro% the pure put the i%pure one on another heap the% together and cast the% into hell0 They will be the ones to have lost. =@0!A? The te%porary stay or soBourn on earth is an opportunity $or each uni,ue hu%an being to learn about the .reator and de%onstrate whether heCshe believes or disbelieves0 /ow can one de%onstrate whether heCshe is pure or i%pure* Di$e is a gi$t $ro% the .reator0 A person, who reali5es this beco%es grate$ul $or the opportunity to enBoy e+istence, de%onstrates love and honor as well as $ear o$ the .reator $or 9ho /e is 2 such a person has puri$ied hi%sel$Chersel$0 1n the other hand, an i%pure person disregards the role and contribution o$ the .reator0 /isCher attitude does not de%onstrate gratitude, love or $ear o$ the .reator0 The .reator cautions that we learn $ro% history or $ro% events in our own lives or $ro% /oly 3criptures0 /e there$ore allows ti%e $or such reali5ation0 The subse,uent 8erse clari$ies the chances that /e gives to hu%an beings,

3ay to the unbelievers i$ they now# desist $ro% unbelie$#, their past would be $orgiven the%E but i$ they persist and continue to de%onstrate disbelie$# the punish%ent o$ those who passed away# be$ore the% is already a de%onstrated warning $or the%#0 =@0!@? .hapter > or 3ura At6Tauba o$ the :ur;an deals with the subBect o$ warning and additional opportunity $or reali5ation and repentance with an e+a%ple $ro% history0 The Arabic word FTauba; %eans repentance0 &n the $irst 8erse o$ the .hapter, the .reator declares four %onths $or reali5ation and repentance $or those who habitually bro)e the pro%ises %ade in their treaties0 1pportunity was given $or re$lection, reali5ation, repentance and sub%ission to the .reator, i.e. a %ove towards beco%ing pure0 3o regardless o$ what anyone has done in the past,

9.11 But (even so) if they repent, establish regular prayers and pra ti e regular harity they are your brothers in faith! (thus) do "e e#plain $igns in detail for those %ho (%ish to) understand.
Repentance includes ta)ing an oath o$ allegiance to the .reator as well as to supporting the wor) o$ /is selected Gessengers and Apostles0

9.12 But if they violate their oaths after their ovenant and taunt you for your faith then fight the hiefs of unfaithful! for their oaths mean nothing to them! that thus they &ay be restrained.
The purpose o$ the co%%and%ent to $ight is to teach the i%pure a lesson $ro% the .reator0 To those who hesitate to $ight, Allah as)s,

9.1' "ill you not fight people %ho violated their oaths, plotted to e#pel the (postle and too) the aggressive path by being the first (to assault) you* Do you fear them? +ay it is (llah %ho& you should &ore ,ustly fear, if you believe-
Believers should only $ear the .reator, as everything else is /is creation0 9e all belong to the .reator and /is (ecision is $inal in all %atters0

9.1. /ight the& and (llah %ill punish the& by your hands, over the& %ith sha&e, help you (to vi tory) over the& and heal the breasts of believers.
Allah;s obBective is to de%onstrate /is 3upport $or the believers so that the disbelievers clearly see that they are in the wrong and are asha%ed o$ their behavior both towards the believers and towards the .reator0 The disbelievers had repeatedly bro)en the pro%ises %ade in the treaties and had hurtC)illed and oppressed the believers in %any ways0 The believers were, however, bound by the pro%ises %ade in the treaties $or $ear o$ displeasing the .reator0 Not being able to retaliate, the believers su$$ered $ro% hurt or indignation in their hearts0 Allah showed Gercy to the believers by dissolving the treaties and allowing the believers to $ight bac) a$ter a period o$ i%%unity o$ $our %onths0

9.10 (nd still the indignation of their hearts. /or (llah %ill turn (in &er y) 1o %ho& 2e %ill3 and (llah is (ll45no%ing (ll4"ise.
&n the subse,uent 8erse, Allah ,uestions any lur)ing doubts that the believers %ay have,

9.16 7r do you thin) that you shall be abandoned (by (llah) as though (llah does not )no% those a&ong you %ho strive %ith &ight and &ain and ta)e none for friends and prote tors e# ept (llah, 2is (postle and the ( o&&unity of) believers* But (llah is %ell4a 8uainted %ith (all) that you do.
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