SPIRIT OF ISLAM DECEMBER 2018

14 Spirit of Islam Issue 72 December 2018 THE FAITHFUL ONES To Deserve A MAN born into a good family experienced a decline in his fortunes. Financially, he had reached a point where he was living on the breadline. As time went on, he eventually found himself without friends. Even his relatives deserted him. He had no one to confide in. No one even greeted him on his way. Then one fine day, his fortunes miraculously changed, and he acquired affluence unrivalled in his town. Suddenly his old friends and relatives started flocking back to him, full of reassurances that they had always wished him well. Their reassurances, however, failed to convince him. To none of these people did he pay any regard. But there was one person who had stood by him through thick and thin. This faithful friend was shown great favour and taken into the man’s confidence. So, it is with God. The man of sterling value in God’s sight is one who proves his mettle under adverse conditions; one who recognizes the message of truth even when to do so is to swim against the tide of his environment; one who adheres to his faith, even in the face of ridicule and scorn from those who judge only by appearances. It is the spirit in which people do things that matters to God, not the physical quality of their actions. God will be well pleased with one who submitted to Him while His power still lay in the realm of the unseen. To do this requires inward vision — the capacity to see things that do not meet the outward eye. One who has this vision will find his place with God. This signifies that at times of destitution a person is chosen for great rewards. It is when ignorance is the order of the day that knowledge truly shows itself. One who sticks to his beliefs even when the world is pouring scorn on him is the one who will be brought close to God. o It is the spirit in which people do things that matters to God, not the physical quality of their actions. God will be well pleased with one who submitted to Him while His power still lay in the realm of the unseen.