Believers feel a close love for and closeness to Allah in order to win His approval, and they take Him as their close friend and guide. They are devoted to Almighty Allah with a great loyalty and close bond. Their aims, endeavors and prayers are solely directed toward winning Allah’s approval. This effort, intended toward winning the love and approval of Almighty Allah bestows, by Allah’s leave, great spiritual strength on believers, that unbelievers can never possess.

With their devotion to Allah, deep fear and powerful love of Him, the prophets are role models for all Muslims. They properly discharged the duty to preach that our Lord Allah bestowed on them and called on people to adopt fine moral values, commanding what is good and forbidding what is evil. One of the many characteristics that bestow superiority on the prophets is their powerful, humble and determined attitude in the face of violence and oppression. Muslims who take the prophets as role models also come to notice in their societies in which they live, with their rational thinking and behavior, their powerful characters and sincere language and their noble appearance. Like the prophets, they never fall prey to fear or sorrow in the face of events, regard everything as being for the best and constantly call on those around them to behave well. They remember Allah a great deal, know that Allah, their only friend, creates everything that happens, unhesitatingly spurn all of satan’s empty promises, by Allah’s leave, and pay no heed to the transitory attractions of this world. These superior attributes of believers also endow them with spiritual strength. 

People who are ignorant of and do not live by the moral values of the Qur’an may be amazed at the way, the result of their spiritual strength, that believers are never distracted by the deceptive baubles of this world, never fall prey to panic and sorrow, never fear and always maintain their moderation. The way that true believers always live happy and placid lives, despite being subjected to oppression and violence by unbelievers, and even being threatened with exile, imprisonment and even death by them, is something that unbelievers can never understand. 

Submission to Almighty Allah Increases Believers’ Strength 

The Messengers praised for their exemplary lives in the Qur’an, and the believers who accompanied them faced very difficult situations that superficially appeard to be very “tough events.” However, these highly virtuous believers behaved with complete security and submission in the face of everything that befell them and acted in the knowledge that it was Almighty Allah Who created everything that happened, for which reason, everything was in fact all for the best. As revealed in the verse, ’...Say: ‘Allah is enough for me. All those who truly trust put their trust in Him.’ (Surat az-Zumar, 38), believers, who are certain that Almighty Allah will never leave them without help or inflict a heavier burden on them than they can bear, and who hope for paradise as a reward for their troubles, have always submitted to Allah under all circumstances. By Allah’s leave, this has made them strong in the face of all events.

However, submission to Allah does not mean, as some people imagine, keeping oneself outside the sphere of events. On the contrary, according to the moral values of the Qur’an, a believer assumes all kinds of responsibility. He knows that it is Allah Who causes him to do what he does and that the control of his own existence is in Allah’s hands, and that he achieves all his aims as a representative of our Lord. A believer who has submitted to Allah is sure that Allah will never leave him without help, will never impose a heavier burden than he can bear and will eventually reward him with paradise. The result is the strongest person in the world, who fear nothing and nobody apart from our Almighty Lord Allah. The strength possessed, by Allah’s leave, by believers who live by the maturity of faith bestowed by love of and submission to Allah, is described thus in the Qur’an:

They say, ‘If we return to Madina, the mightier will drive out the inferior.’ But all might belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the believers. But the hypocrites do not know this. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 8)

Muslims Live Placid Lives, Despite the Threats and Oppression from Unbelievers 

The way that Muslims subjected to intense pressure from some sections of society for espousing moral virtues and recommending these to people continue to worship and display excellent moral values despite all this oppression is a clear sign of their devotion to Allah. This is very definite behavior that cannot be imitated. It is behavior unique to believers who fear Allah. 

Unbelievers wonder about the reasons why Muslims, who regard everything created by Allah as good, are so happy, but they can never understand it and are never able to experience even the smallest fraction of this joy and contentment. No matter how much they try to find happiness they can never attain true contentment. But believers experience a natural joy and happiness, rejoice in the hope of the paradise promised by Allah, and delight in the faith bestowed on them by Allah. They are in a constant state of happiness that comes from being able to see the signs of Almighty Allah, hoping to be the brothers of the prophets and everyone with fear of Allah in the Hereafter, living under Allah’s protection and many other reasons. Faith is an incomparable blessing bestowed by Allah. The person upon whom Allah bestows faith enjoys a huge blessing from Him. 

The Spiritual Strength of Muslims Inspires Fear in Unbelievers 

Almighty Allah reveals in verses that Muslims must never fall prey to despair and defeatism in the face of threats from unbelievers and the other difficulties they encounter:

Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you, so fear them.’ But that merely increased their belief and they said, ‘Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.’ (Surat al-Imr’an, 173)

 

In the same way that unbelievers are astonished by the way that Muslims remain devoted to Allah no matter what befalls them and maintain their self-confidence, determination and inner peace, these things also inspire fear in them. This is a form of behavior with which they are completely unfamiliar. They are people who can despair in the face of even the slightest difficulty and give up when anything at all goes wrong. 

They never realize that faith is the source of this spiritual power possessed by believers, and are always terrified by the determination they see in them. Allah reveals in verses the fear that unbelievers feel in the face of believers’ powerful faith and character:

“like panicked donkeys, fleeing from a lion.” (Surat al-Mudaththir, 50-51)

Truths of Faith That Influence Believers’ Acquisition of Spiritual Strength 

Believers are people who make earning Allah’s approval the purpose of their lives and who strive to that end with all their might. Their excellent knowledge of and sincere faith in the moral values of the Qur’an are highly influential in believers’ acquisition of spiritual strength. Some of these truths of faith are as follows:

Believers know that

‘ Allah is omniscient,

‘ Allah is infinitely just,

‘Allah creates everything that happens on Earth, both great and small,

‘ Allah is infinitely compassionate, loving and forgiving,

‘ Allah will respond to all prayers in the finest manner,

‘ Allah will send divine aid to His servants when they are troubled or afflicted,

‘ Submitting to our Lord, the infinitely wise, just, compassionate, loving and helpful, is thus a great source of comfort,

‘ Allah has created destiny in a flawless manner and that even if they returned to Earth thousands of times over they would still undergo the same destiny, unaltered, and that destiny is created in the most auspicious form for believers,

‘ Allah creates everything that happens with great wisdom and for the best for believers, and that

‘ Good and evil come from Allah alone and that human beings have no power to work any good or harm of their own. 

It must not be forgotten that, as revealed in the verse “But those who were sure that they were going to meet Allah said, ‘How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah’s permission! Allah is with the steadfast” (Surat al-Baqara, 249) even if few people have this faith and love of Allah, they will still overcome much larger communities and acquire much strength of will.

 

 

FROM MR. ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON EKIN TV … (16 FEBRUARY 2009)

 

DIFFICULTIES ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BELIEVERS TO EXPRESS THEIR LOVE OF ALLAH 

 

ADNAN OKTAR: Anyone who strives on the path of Allah follows in the footsteps of the prophets. Every believer goes through what the prophets have gone through. If the Prophet Joseph (as) went to prison, so do believers. If the Prophet Moses (as) was watched and observed, believers will be watched and observed. If the Prophet Job (as) suffered problems and afflictions, then troubles and afflictions will be visited on believers. Those who cast the Prophet Abraham (as) into the flames for opposing the idols may try to do the same thing to believers who strive on the path of Allah. This is a major opportunity for the believer to express his love of Allah. It is an expression of love of Allah. There have to be troubles and difficulties in order for love of Allah to be emphasized. Because love of Allah cannot be emphasized by sitting comfortably in one’s chair. That is why believers regard such things as blessings from Allah. Scourges will pour down on believers like rain, in accordance with their fear and depth. But they regard these as blessings. Troubles increase their radiance, enthusiasm and fervor, and endow them with health. Afflictions beautify believers. Troubles made the Prophet Joseph (as) so lovely. Allah made troubles His instrument in this. He enchanted women and everyone who saw him. People regard afflictions as things that wear one down. But troubles suffered on the path of Allah make one healthy and do away with problems. They make one more joyful, more attractive and longer-lived. Ease and well-being bring with them sickness and scourges, and they make one evil and ugly. Failure to strive on the path of Allah, not walking on the path shown by Him and avoiding troubles has always attracted various scourges. Such people always fall apart, collapse, wrestle with sickness and are drowned in a sea of troubles. Allah does not bestow peace and ease in that way. Such people always have suffering and trouble in their hearts. For a believer to enter a difficult environment is like entering paradise. For example, going to prison is like going to paradise for a believer. Because Allah rewards every day spent on His path many, many times over. For example, if a believer earns one piece of merit for a day spent on the outside, he will earn a million pieces for a day spent in prison. They is why it is so acceptable and believers are so keen on it …Believers feel a close love for and closeness to Allah in order to win His approval, and they take Him as their close friend and guide. They are devoted to Almighty Allah with a great loyalty and close bond. Their aims, endeavors and prayers are solely directed toward winning Allah’s approval. This effort, intended toward winning the love and approval of Almighty Allah bestows, by Allah’s leave, great spiritual strength on believers, that unbelievers can never possess.

Believers feel a close love for and closeness to Allah in order to win His approval, and they take Him as their close friend and guide. They are devoted to Almighty Allah with a great loyalty and close bond. Their aims, endeavors and prayers are solely directed toward winning Allah’s approval. This effort, intended toward winning the love and approval of Almighty Allah bestows, by Allah’s leave, great spiritual strength on believers, that unbelievers can never possess.

 

With their devotion to Allah, deep fear and powerful love of Him, the prophets are role models for all Muslims. They properly discharged the duty to preach that our Lord Allah bestowed on them and called on people to adopt fine moral values, commanding what is good and forbidding what is evil. One of the many characteristics that bestow superiority on the prophets is their powerful, humble and determined attitude in the face of violence and oppression. Muslims who take the prophets as role models also come to notice in their societies in which they live, with their rational thinking and behavior, their powerful characters and sincere language and their noble appearance. Like the prophets, they never fall prey to fear or sorrow in the face of events, regard everything as being for the best and constantly call on those around them to behave well. They remember Allah a great deal, know that Allah, their only friend, creates everything that happens, unhesitatingly spurn all of satan’s empty promises, by Allah’s leave, and pay no heed to the transitory attractions of this world. These superior attributes of believers also endow them with spiritual strength. 

 

People who are ignorant of and do not live by the moral values of the Qur’an may be amazed at the way, the result of their spiritual strength, that believers are never distracted by the deceptive baubles of this world, never fall prey to panic and sorrow, never fear and always maintain their moderation. The way that true believers always live happy and placid lives, despite being subjected to oppression and violence by unbelievers, and even being threatened with exile, imprisonment and even death by them, is something that unbelievers can never understand. 

 

Submission to Almighty Allah Increases Believers’ Strength 

 

The Messengers praised for their exemplary lives in the Qur’an, and the believers who accompanied them faced very difficult situations that superficially appeard to be very “tough events.” However, these highly virtuous believers behaved with complete security and submission in the face of everything that befell them and acted in the knowledge that it was Almighty Allah Who created everything that happened, for which reason, everything was in fact all for the best. As revealed in the verse, ’...Say: ‘Allah is enough for me. All those who truly trust put their trust in Him.’ (Surat az-Zumar, 38), believers, who are certain that Almighty Allah will never leave them without help or inflict a heavier burden on them than they can bear, and who hope for paradise as a reward for their troubles, have always submitted to Allah under all circumstances. By Allah’s leave, this has made them strong in the face of all events.

 

However, submission to Allah does not mean, as some people imagine, keeping oneself outside the sphere of events. On the contrary, according to the moral values of the Qur’an, a believer assumes all kinds of responsibility. He knows that it is Allah Who causes him to do what he does and that the control of his own existence is in Allah’s hands, and that he achieves all his aims as a representative of our Lord. A believer who has submitted to Allah is sure that Allah will never leave him without help, will never impose a heavier burden than he can bear and will eventually reward him with paradise. The result is the strongest person in the world, who fear nothing and nobody apart from our Almighty Lord Allah. The strength possessed, by Allah’s leave, by believers who live by the maturity of faith bestowed by love of and submission to Allah, is described thus in the Qur’an:

 

They say, ‘If we return to Madina, the mightier will drive out the inferior.’ But all might belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the believers. But the hypocrites do not know this. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 8)

 

Muslims Live Placid Lives, Despite the Threats and Oppression from Unbelievers 

 

The way that Muslims subjected to intense pressure from some sections of society for espousing moral virtues and recommending these to people continue to worship and display excellent moral values despite all this oppression is a clear sign of their devotion to Allah. This is very definite behavior that cannot be imitated. It is behavior unique to believers who fear Allah. 

 

Unbelievers wonder about the reasons why Muslims, who regard everything created by Allah as good, are so happy, but they can never understand it and are never able to experience even the smallest fraction of this joy and contentment. No matter how much they try to find happiness they can never attain true contentment. But believers experience a natural joy and happiness, rejoice in the hope of the paradise promised by Allah, and delight in the faith bestowed on them by Allah. They are in a constant state of happiness that comes from being able to see the signs of Almighty Allah, hoping to be the brothers of the prophets and everyone with fear of Allah in the Hereafter, living under Allah’s protection and many other reasons. Faith is an incomparable blessing bestowed by Allah. The person upon whom Allah bestows faith enjoys a huge blessing from Him. 

 

The Spiritual Strength of Muslims Inspires Fear in Unbelievers 

 

Almighty Allah reveals in verses that Muslims must never fall prey to despair and defeatism in the face of threats from unbelievers and the other difficulties they encounter:

 

Those to whom people said, ‘The people have gathered against you, so fear them.’ But that merely increased their belief and they said, ‘Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.’ (Surat al-Imr’an, 173)

 

In the same way that unbelievers are astonished by the way that Muslims remain devoted to Allah no matter what befalls them and maintain their self-confidence, determination and inner peace, these things also inspire fear in them. This is a form of behavior with which they are completely unfamiliar. They are people who can despair in the face of even the slightest difficulty and give up when anything at all goes wrong. 

 

They never realize that faith is the source of this spiritual power possessed by believers, and are always terrified by the determination they see in them. Allah reveals in verses the fear that unbelievers feel in the face of believers’ powerful faith and character:

 

“like panicked donkeys, fleeing from a lion.” (Surat al-Mudaththir, 50-51)

 

Truths of Faith That Influence Believers’ Acquisition of Spiritual Strength 

 

Believers are people who make earning Allah’s approval the purpose of their lives and who strive to that end with all their might. Their excellent knowledge of and sincere faith in the moral values of the Qur’an are highly influential in believers’ acquisition of spiritual strength. Some of these truths of faith are as follows:

 

Believers know that;

 

It must not be forgotten that, as revealed in the verse “But those who were sure that they were going to meet Allah said, ‘How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah’s permission! Allah is with the steadfast” (Surat al-Baqara, 249) even if few people have this faith and love of Allah, they will still overcome much larger communities and acquire much strength of will.

 

 

 

ADNAN OKTAR: Anyone who strives on the path of Allah follows in the footsteps of the prophets. Every believer goes through what the prophets have gone through. If the Prophet Joseph (as) went to prison, so do believers. If the Prophet Moses (as) was watched and observed, believers will be watched and observed. If the Prophet Job (as) suffered problems and afflictions, then troubles and afflictions will be visited on believers. Those who cast the Prophet Abraham (as) into the flames for opposing the idols may try to do the same thing to believers who strive on the path of Allah. This is a major opportunity for the believer to express his love of Allah. It is an expression of love of Allah. There have to be troubles and difficulties in order for love of Allah to be emphasized. Because love of Allah cannot be emphasized by sitting comfortably in one’s chair. That is why believers regard such things as blessings from Allah. Scourges will pour down on believers like rain, in accordance with their fear and depth. But they regard these as blessings. Troubles increase their radiance, enthusiasm and fervor, and endow them with health. Afflictions beautify believers. Troubles made the Prophet Joseph (as) so lovely. Allah made troubles His instrument in this. He enchanted women and everyone who saw him. People regard afflictions as things that wear one down. But troubles suffered on the path of Allah make one healthy and do away with problems. They make one more joyful, more attractive and longer-lived. Ease and well-being bring with them sickness and scourges, and they make one evil and ugly. Failure to strive on the path of Allah, not walking on the path shown by Him and avoiding troubles has always attracted various scourges. Such people always fall apart, collapse, wrestle with sickness and are drowned in a sea of troubles. Allah does not bestow peace and ease in that way. Such people always have suffering and trouble in their hearts. For a believer to enter a difficult environment is like entering paradise. For example, going to prison is like going to paradise for a believer. Because Allah rewards every day spent on His path many, many times over. For example, if a believer earns one piece of merit for a day spent on the outside, he will earn a million pieces for a day spent in prison. They is why it is so acceptable and believers are so keen on it …