THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER The principle is this: God’s help always comes through natural means and visible causes. According to the law of nature, divine support never arrives openly, without a medium. That is why one who has faith in God must do their utmost and use all available means. If they do not, it is as if they have failed to create the conditions for divine support to descend. Holding both beliefs together gives a believer extraordinary inner strength. On the one side, they don’t fall short in effort, because they know that God’s help will come through those very efforts. On the other, they are fully confident of success, because they trust that once they have fulfilled the condition of effort, God’s promised help is bound to arrive. Thus, those who have faith in God strive diligently in their efforts but trust fully in God for the outcome. NOT ACCEPTING NEGATIVE INFLUENCE Ibn Mas‘ud said: “Interact with people, but do not let it affect your faith. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, p. 30) Islam does not teach isolation from society. On the contrary, Islam encourages interaction with all kinds of people. This is especially important because a person’s character cannot develop until someone knowledgeable imparts the right guidance to them.