The Vision of Islam

The Straight Path completed. The Quran advises us to build our nations as nature builds its trees: “Do you not see how God sets forth a parable that the good work is like a good tree whose root is firm and its branches are in the sky, yielding its fruit every season by Allah’s leave? Allah gives parables to men so that they become mindful. And the parable of an evil word is like an evil tree torn out of the earth and has no stability. God will strengthen the faithful with (His) steadfast word, both in the life and the Hereafter. He leaves the wrongdoers in error. God accomplishes what He pleases.” (14:24-27) On reflection, it becomes obvious that wherever one is holding another responsible for one’s failures, it is a clear indication that he had cultivated an evil tree. If the work of social construction had been patterned on the ‘good tree,’ the need for lamentations would not have arisen at all that his ‘tree’ had been pulled out by someone. The Principle of Divine Succour The man who is on the right path has been promised divine help: “That He may guide you to the right path and bestow on you His mighty help.” (48:2) Just as divine succour is certain, it is also certain that God’s help does not come to one who does not deserve it. It is the way of God and the way of God does not change. (35:43). If a man is in a state of helplessness, a call to God is enough to draw divine help: “Who answers the oppressed when they cry out to Him and relieves affliction.” (27:62) That is, if a man is in a state of utter helplessness he becomes entitled to divine help: he need only say words of prayer and he receives it. This is the only condition for him. But for individuals or groups who are not similarly afflicted, besides prayer there is one more condition that his actions should be consistent with his