Article appeared Friday, January 31st, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Re elation !313"

yousu# $ah%u%ul &sla$, 'h(

)hould %elie ers help each other* +hy should they* Be#ore the ,uestion can %e answered, the ter$ -%elie er. has to %e understood and de#ined, i.e. who is a %elie er* To understand, it $ay help to #irst de#ine who is not a %elie er/ A %elie er is not de#ined %y race or %y what he0she has in ter$s o# wealth, children, status or 1nowledge nor is it de#ined %y what the 2reator can gi e to the person/ &n addition, we need to as1 whether %elie# de#ined %y si$ply saying -& %elie e3.* &# the concept o# %elie# does not in ol e these attri%utes, then what e4actly is %elie#* The #ollowing ,uote %y the 5e%anese6A$erican artist, poet and writer 7ahlil 8i%ran !1993 : 1;31" $ay help to %uild up the picture o# a %elie er< =ou gi e %ut little when you gi e o# your possessions/ &t is when you gi e o# yoursel# that you truly gi e/ {1} A %elie er is one who truly gives hi$sel# or hersel# to the 2reator/ )uch an attitude can only ste$ #ro$ a #ir$ reali>ation that e erything %elongs to the 2reator and success or satis#action can only co$e %y pleasing the 2reator : the ?ne who is the source and gi er o# e erything, including success and satis#action/ The #ul#ill$ent that a hu$an %eing deri es #ro$ giving is highlighted %y the (utch6%orn 2atholic priest and writer @enri Nouwen !1;32 : 1;;A" in the #ollowing two ,uotes/ ?ur hu$anity co$es to its #ullest %loo$ in gi ing/ +e %eco$e %eauti#ul people when we gi e whate er we can gi e< a s$ile, a handsha1e, a 1iss, an e$%race, a word o# lo e, a present, a part o# our li#e///all o# our li#e/ {2} ?ur greatest #ul#ill$ent lies in gi ing oursel es to others/ {2} +ho %etter to gi e to other than the 2reator, who has gi en us an indi idual li#e to enBoy* The #ollowing anony$ous ,uote %rings out this aspect/ There is no greater act o# worship than gi ing 8od all o# you/ {3} To help understand what the 2reator e4pects #ro$ a person who truly understands %elie#, the $ost recent @oly )cripture, the CurDan, pro ides analogies and e4a$ples/ &t relates e ents in history to illustrate the di##erence %etween %elie ers and non6%elie ers/ For e4a$ple, 2hapter 9 or )ura An#al o# the CurDan relates e ents during Battle o# Badr !2E A24" while pro iding insights into the nature o# %oth %elie ers and dis%elie ers/ At the end o# the %attle, Allah as1s 'rophet Fuha$$ad !p%uh" to instruct the prisoners o# war regarding @is 'urpose and @is Fercy/ ? apostle3 )ay to those who are capti es in your hands< G&# Allah #inds any good in your hearts @e will gi e you so$ething %etter than what has %een ta1en #ro$ you and @e will #orgi e you< #or Allah is ?#t6Forgi ing Fost Ferci#ul/G H9/I0J Allah declares that i# @e #inds any person leaning towards @i$, i.e. @e #inds a de$onstration o# hu$ility and gratitude, @e would not only #orgi e their past sins %ut replace what they lost in the war with %etter things/ @owe er, in the Kerse that #ollows, Allah warns that there would %e so$e who would appear to listen to the 'rophet yet would dis%elie e/ 8i en the #irst opportunity, they would %etray the 'rophet/ These are ones who had already de$onstrated arrogance and ingratitude to the 2reator prior to the %attle/

8.71 But if they have treacherous designs against you (O A ost!e"# they have a!ready $een in treason against A!!ah and so %e has given (you# o&er over the' and A!!ah is %e &ho has (fu!!# (no&!edge and &isdo'.

The Kerse de$onstrates that Allah 1nows a%out the lur1ing dis%elie# in the hearts o# people/ Allah there#ore as1s the 'rophet not to worry a%out the intentions o# such people/ @e is ta1ing #ull6account o# their acti ities and is in #ull control/ ?n the other hand, Allah goes on to descri%e the nature o# people who had to gi e up their ho$es to support and #ight alongside the 'rophet/ @e in#or$s us o# the co$plete giving nature o# true %elie ers : how such people ga e up their ho$es, their co$#orts, the localities that they are #a$iliar with, and used their wealth to #ight alongside the 'rophet without a thought #or the$sel es/ )uch people are indeed true %elie ers/

8.72 )hose &ho $e!ieved and ado ted e*i!e and fought for the faith &ith their ro erty and their ersons in the cause of A!!ah as &e!! as those &ho gave (the'# asy!u' and aid these are (a!!# friends and rotectors one of another. As to those &ho $e!ieved $ut ca'e not into e*i!e you o&e no duty of rotection to the' unti! they see( your aid in re!igion it is your duty to he! the' e*ce t against a eo !e &ith &ho' you have a treaty of 'utua! a!!iance+ and (re'e'$er# A!!ah sees a!! that you do.
+hen these %elie ers le#t Fecca and arri ed in Fedina with the 'rophet, they were welco$ed and gi en a place to stay %y the local people/ The local people shared their ho$es, their co$#orts, their #ood and their wealth/ The local people there#ore also pleased the 2reator/ This is a case o# %elie ers helping %elie ers/ @owe er, there were so$e who swore allegiance with the 'rophet %ut did not i$$igrate to Fedina, i.e. these people did not gi e up their co$#orts to #ight alongside the 'rophet : thus pro ing hypocrisy and dis%elie#/ &n the su%se,uent Kerse, Allah e4plains why %elie ers should help %elie ers/

8.73 )he un$e!ievers are rotectors of one another+ un!ess you do this ( rotect and su ort each other as &e!!# there &ou!d $e tu'u!t and o ression on earth and great 'ischief.
&# %elie ers stand united they would constitute a #ir$ #orce against the dis%elie ers : #orce that would get the support o# Allah/ &t pleases the 2reator when %elie ers help %elie ersL there#ore, @e announces @is special #orgi eness and reward #or people who truly %elie e/

8.7, )hose &ho $e!ieve and ado t e*i!e and fight for the faith in the cause of A!!ah as &e!! as those &ho give (the'# asy!u' and aid these are (a!!# tru!y $e!ievers+ for the' is the forgiveness of sins and a rovision 'ost generous. 8.7- And those &ho acce t faith su$se.uent!y and ado t e*i!e and fight for the faith in your co' any they are one of you (i.e. they are a!so counted as $e!ievers#. But (indred $y $!ood (i.e. $!ood re!atives# have rior rights against each other (i.e. co' ared to the guests# in the Boo( of A!!ah. /eri!y A!!ah is &e!! ac.uainted &ith a!! things.
Allah is pleased with the way that the local %elie ers ha e welco$ed the guests, howe er, cautions that in case o# distri%ution o# inheritance, %lood relati es ha e priority as de#ined %y the laws o# inheritance gi en %y Allah in the CurDan/ 66666 {0otes}< {1} http<00www/goodreads/co$0,uotes0202I16you6gi e6%ut6little6when6you6gi e6o#6your6 possessions {2} http<00www/goodreads/co$0author0show0493I/@enriMJMFMNouwen {3} http<00www/search,uotes/co$0,uotation0ThereMisMnoMgreaterMactMo#MworshipMthanMgi ingM8od MallMo#Myou/0N12I;30